A highly lucrative area of entertainment, startups, and entrepreneurs are looking to break into the games industry with a hit release. It’s easier said than done, though. In fact, the gaming world is one of the most competitive around, although there are some individuals who have managed to achieve financial freedom from their successful forays into it. Likewise, numerous companies have also achieved global success.
Gaming’s popularity means it has become a saturated space, though. For a game to stand out, it really needs to bring something clearly unique or seriously fun to the table. There are some classic examples out there, with people still playing online roulette and other casino favorites, plus mobile titles like Candy Crush Saga have managed to stay relevant despite the competition. Some games have sold more than others, though.
With some of the best-selling videos of all time being an inspiration for many aspiring gaming-related entrepreneurs, below we highlight some of them and the huge successes they managed to achieve.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim – 60 million copies sold
Ask most gamers, and they’ll tell you The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is one of the best games of recent times. This much-loved title came out in 2011 and has sold over 60 million units since then. Playable on consoles like the PlayStation 5 and on PC, it has a large community of players behind it thanks to its excellent all-round offering.
Red Dead Redemption 2 – 64 million copies sold
Another undoubted success story, Red Dead Redemption 2 built on the progress of the first version of the game by selling a staggering 64 million copies. An action-adventure title that has managed to entertain millions of gamers since its release in 2018, the exploration gamers can enjoy in a wild west setting makes it such a memorable product. Simply put, Rockstar’s western epic is an undisputed masterpiece.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – 75 million copies sold
One of the most popular battle royale games we’ve ever seen, a humongous 75 million people managed to get their hands on a copy of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The title first came out in 2017 but has managed to remain relevant thanks to a series of updates. A key player in the rising popularity of battle royale products, it has since employed a free-to-play model and reached even more gamers as a result. For example, the mobile version of the game hit 1 billion downloads in March 2021, highlighting just how popular this exhilarating title is.
Grand Theft Auto 5 – 200 million+ copies sold
When it comes to thriving gaming franchises, not many of them come close to Grand Theft Auto. The fifth installment of the game was a particular hit, selling over 200 million copies at the time of writing and cementing itself as one of the biggest and best games ever. As far as 2013 releases go, it’s the best of the lot, especially when looking at other superb products available to sample on platforms like PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Tetris – 520 million copies sold
Sometimes you can’t beat the classics, and Tetris is a classic example of that. An iconic release that first came out in 1984, its longevity is quite remarkable. Nowadays, at the time of writing, it has managed to achieve a ridiculously huge 520 million copies sold. A timeless video game so many people grew up with, Tetris serves up simple but challenging fun as gamers aim to record high scores in this classic puzzler. From Game Boy to console, it’s a product you can play on so many different platforms for a good few hours at a time.
