Forget about what's big in Japan. Who cares what the kids like to play. Ditch the soccer moms and seniors. Do the numbers, and one thing is clear: Americans like their videogames big, loud and violent. In other words, we love "Grand Theft Auto."
We also like what's new. Forget the classics; the rapid rise of the videogame industry in recent years means sales of the latest titles are far outstripping those of classics, such as "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time." Even when looking at sales data over the last 15 years, the industry's best-selling games have all debuted after 2001.
To get a grip on the titles that have dominated the U.S. market, we asked NPD Group to provide a list of top-selling games across all platforms, including PCs, game consoles and handheld gaming gizmos through the end of April. To avoid the distortions created by inflation and the vagaries of pricing, we ranked the results by units sold rather than dollars raked in.
In Picture: America's All-Time Top Videogames
The result: open-ended adventure game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" was No. 1 with a bullet. The game revolves around the underworld adventures of Carl "CJ" Johnson in a world modeled on Southern California circa 1992.
It's a game that created a sensation upon its release in 2004. Gamers were amazed by the game's ability to let a player freely explore a vast network of streets and cities and move through a sophisticated, and surprising, story arc. Critics, however, were horrified by the game's violence. It didn't help when hackers released a patch that allowed players to access a scene allowing a player to simulate sex with one of CJ's girlfriends.
A stupid move, to be sure. But the controversy hasn't hurt demand for the latest title in the franchise, "Grand Theft Auto IV," which made its debut last month. It's on pace to easily hit the top of the all-time best-sellers list. It will have plenty of company: Earlier editions of the franchise, such as 2002's "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" and 2001's "Grand Theft Auto III," also own spots on the list of top-selling games. Little wonder that
Why do gritty crime games and gridiron action rank so high in the gaming world? In part because gamers are getting older. While 20 years ago, games were a distraction for kids. Now the average gamer is 33 years old, according to the Entertainment Software Association. Hedgehogs and plumbers don't provide enough amusement. Gamers are going after titles with sexy or violent themes.
John Madden's football titles also appeal to older gamers. For starters, the 72-year-old former Oakland Raiders coach turned football commentator has been a fixture in the lives of 20- and 30-somethings as long as they've been watching football. What's more important is that while a 35-year-old's father might have been able to see his team in action only once a week during football season, interactive football lets today's fans get their fix as often as they like.
Two other titles appeal to hardcore U.S. gamers: "Halo 2" and "Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare." Both games are essentially the same, pitting a player-controlled super-soldier against hordes of enemies. The biggest difference: The "Halo" series pits the player against alien races in a far-future universe, while "Call of Duty 4" is set in the here and now.
So are there any exceptions to the pattern of gore and gridiron? Yes. "Guitar Hero III," the second-best-selling game on the list, breaks the pattern. The game pairs players with an enormous, guitar-shaped controller and has them try to keep up with onscreen cues in an effort to recreate monstrously complex guitar riffs. In fact, if you factor in the high price of the game--$99 for the Sony PlayStation 3 edition, largely because you're also buying a big fake guitar controller--the game generated more sales than any others.
That's right, sweet rock 'n' roll is the only thing in America that can outsell football and violence. Maybe there's still hope for us yet.
In Picture: America's All-Time Top Videogames
See Also:
Best-Selling Videogame Franchises
