The latest figures from Circana reveal a dip in U.S. video game spending for August 2024, with total expenditure dropping 7% year-on-year to $4.1 billion.
Hardware sales fell by 36%, down to $208 million, compared to August 2023. This decline was most pronounced for Nintendo ADR's (OTC:NTDOY) Nintendo Switch, which saw a 41% drop in sales, GamesIndustry.biz reported.
Despite the downturn in hardware spending, Sony Group Corp.'s (NYSE:SONY) PlayStation 5 continued to hold its position as the bestselling console for the month.
Video Game Content Spending Declines, But Mobile Shows Growth
Overall video game content spending, which includes physical and digital game sales, microtransactions, DLC and subscriptions, dropped by 5% to $3.7 billion.
While this decline affected multiple platforms, there was a bright spot: mobile content spending grew by 5%, according to data from Sensor Tower.
Madden NFL 25 Tops The Charts, EA Continues Its Dominance
August saw the release of Electronic Arts Inc's (NASDAQ:EA) Madden NFL 25, which claimed the top spot as the best-selling game for the month. This marks the 25th consecutive year that a Madden title has achieved the highest sales in its debut month.
EA Sports College Football 25, which was last month's No.1, slipped to second place but maintained its position as the top-selling game of the year so far, surpassing Helldivers 2. Interestingly, the EA Sports MVP Bundle, featuring deluxe editions of both College Football and Madden, also made its mark, landing as the fifth biggest seller of the year and the fourth highest in August.
New Releases Make Strong Debuts
Three other new releases made impressive entries into the top 20 for August. Ubisoft Entertainment SA's (OTC:UBSFF) Star Wars: Outlaws debuted at No.3, signaling strong interest in the long-awaited open-world title.
Square Enix Holdings Co.'s (OTC:SQNXF) Visions of Mana landed at No.10, while Bandai Namco Holdings ADR's (OTC:NCBDY) Gundam Breaker 4 secured the 11th spot.
Stable Year-To-Date Spending Despite August Declines
Despite the August dip, the U.S. games market remains stable for the year overall. Year-to-date spending reached $36.3 billion, a 1% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
While hardware sales continue to struggle, dropping 28% to $2.3 billion, video game content spending has risen by 4% to $32.3 billion, highlighting the continued demand for digital entertainment and services.
Top-Selling Games Of August 2024
Here's the list of the top 20 selling games for August, according to Circana:
- Madden NFL 25
- EA Sports College Football
- Star Wars: Outlaws
- EA Sports MVP Bundle
- Elden Ring
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Minecraft
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Visions of Mana
- Gundam Breaker 4
- The Elder Scrolls Online
- Helldivers 2
- Mario Kart 8
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Sea of Thieves
- MLB The Show 24
- Forza Horizon 5
- Gran Turismo 7
- EA Sports FC 24
Photo: Shutterstock.
