UPDATE : it is obviously just at the time of closing this article that the SELL has posted its big review of the year 2022. You will find a lot of additional data there, in particular on the sales of games by value and on the ranking of publishers. No surprise when it comes to the general health of the market, whose console ecosystem fell 6.6% due to shortages of next-gen machines. Market turnover reached 5.5 billion euros, a decline of 1.6% compared to the historic performance of 2021 (5.6 billion euros).
While it renounces the name FIFA as of this year, the Electronic Arts football game still won last year far ahead of the competition. 1.75 million FIFA 23 sold, including downloads, is more than the 1.6 million of FIFA 22, which itself had done better than the 1.3 million of FIFA 21, which already marked an increase compared to to 1.2 million FIFA 20. Will the name change expected this year to EA Sports FC 24 put an end to this rise?
Nintendo, Electronic Arts and Sony on the publishers’ podium
Bearer of the best brand launch worldwide, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 recorded one million sales in France, including 217,000 on PC on the occasion of the great return of the franchise on Steam. Enough to make you forget the poor performance of Call of Duty: Vanguard, which ended 2021 below the 500,000 copies mark. According to the latest echoes, fans will be served this year a direct successor stamped Modern Warfare, piloted this time by Sledgehammer Games.
2022 was quite simply a historic year for Pokémon, which had the best launch in its history with 10 million Pokémon Purple and Pokémon Scarlet sold worldwide in 3 days. Historically Nintendophile, France did its part with 717,026 copies sold, against less than 600,000 for Pokémon Sparkling Diamond and Pokémon Sparkling Pearl the previous year. Figures underestimated since Nintendo unfortunately does not communicate the sales made on the eShop. We will therefore not know which of Kalof or Pokémon is the real dolphin of FIFA.
What is certain is that Pokémon Legends: Arceus has its place in the top 5 with 589,375 copies sold, not counting eShop sales. The game released in January 2022 is ahead of the immortals Grand Theft Auto V (504,994 sales, including 104,041 on PC) and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (451,254 sales without downloads). Behind these flagship franchises, the Elden Ring sensation shined in France as elsewhere with 408,149 sales in France (including 105,552 on PC).
Once again, Nintendo stands out as the number 1 publisher. Pokémon and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have a lot to do with it, but the success of Nintendo Switch Sports among families is undeniable (432,685 sales without downloads). Mario Strikers: Battle League Football (270,772 sales excluding downloads) and Splatoon 3 (257,309 sales excluding downloads) also won over French audiences. Don’t be sad for Kirby and the Forgotten World, Nintendo had already released the figure of 214,000 sales, still without downloads. Remember that with more than 7 million consoles installed in France, the Switch is the best-selling home console here (the Nintendo DS, however, retains the crown among laptops).
Finally, 2022 was also a great year for Sony Interactive Entertainment, author of four major exclusives including The Last of Us Part I. If they were not released at the same time, the three great novelties that are God of War Ragnarok (368,726 sales), Horizon Forbidden West (354,402 sales) and Gran Turismo 7 (353,771 sales) ended the year in a pocket handkerchief. By the way, Sony Interactive Entertainment is ranked best publisher of the year 2022 according to the calculations of Metacritic. Absent from the debates in 2022, Microsoft is catching up, however, thanks to the PC ranking in which Grounded is a good surprise not far from the enduring Sea of Thieves.
The best-selling video games in France in 2022 (consoles + PC)
Reminder: Digital sales are included, except for Nintendo games.
01) FIFA 23 (Electronic Arts) 1 755 000 ventes
02) Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2 (Activision Blizzard) 1,008,626 sales
03) Pokemon Scarlet et Pokemon Purple (Nintendo) 717 026 sales
04) Pokemon Legends: Arceus (Nintendo) 589 375 sales
05) Grand Theft Auto V (Take-Two Interactive) 504,994 sales (over 5 million total)
06) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo) 451,254 (over 3 million total)
07) Nintendo Switch Sports (Nintendo) 432 685
08) FIFA 22 (Electronic Arts) 423,702 (over 2 million total)
09) Elder Ring (Bandai Namco) 408 149 ventes
10) God of War Ragnarok (Sony Interactive Entertainment) 368 726 ventes
The best-selling video games in France in 2022 (consoles)
Reminder: Digital sales are included, except for Nintendo games.
01) FIFA 23 (Electronic Arts) 1 700 000 ventes
02) Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2 (Activision) 791,338 sales
03) Pokemon Legends: Arceus (Nintendo) 589 375 sales
04) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo) 451 254 sales
05) Nintendo Switch Sports (Nintendo) 432 685 sales
06) FIFA 22 (Electronic Arts) 423 702 ventes
07) Pokemon Purple (Nintendo) 416 537 sales
08) Grand Theft Auto V (Take-Two Interactive) 400 953 ventes
09) God of War Ragnarok (Sony Interactive Entertainment) 368 726 ventes
10) Horizon Forbidden West (Sony Interactive Entertainment) 354 402 ventes
11) Gran Turismo 7 (Sony Interactive Entertainment) 353 771 ventes
12) Elder Ring (Bandai Namco) 302 597 ventes
13) Pokemon Scarlet (Nintendo) 300 489 sales
14) Mario Strikers : Battle League Football (Nintendo) : 270 772 sales
15) Splatoon 3 (Nintendo) 257 309 sales
The best-selling video games in France in 2022 (PC)
01) Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2 (Activision) 217,288 sales
02) Elder Ring (Bandai Namco) 105 552 ventes
03) Grand Theft Auto V (Take-Two Interactive) 104 041 ventes
04) Red Dead Redemption 2 (Take-Two Interactive) 78 584 ventes
05) Grounded (Xbox Game Studios) 54 213 ventes
06) Sea of Thieves (Xbox Game Studios) 48 104 ventes
07) Total War : Warhammer 3 (Sega) 45,262 sales
08) Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft) 41,665 sales
09) God of War (Sony Interactive Entertainment) 31 771 ventes
10) Football Manager 2023 (Sega) 28,875 sales
