After compiling all the data, the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association has announced that Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was the best-selling game of 2014 in Australia at retail.
While the top 10 games of 2014 are made up the usual suspects, Watch Dogs was actually the #2 selling game of the year, beating FIFA 15, Grand Theft Auto V, Minecraft, Destiny, and more.
In terms of overall 2014 industry sales, they rose 20% year-on-year to $2.46 billion. Broken down, retail sales were up 7% to $1.214 billion, while digital sales rose 39% to $1.248 billion. Furthermore, software was down 5% to $615 million, mobile was up 56% to $703 million, and accessories were up 5% to $152 million.
Looking at hardware, it rose 39%, with the NPD Australia revealing that the PlayStation 4 was the #1 console in Australia during 2014 with a 60% next-gen market share.
Following this news, Sony Australia added that 95% of PS4s in Australia are connected to the PlayStation Network, and titles like Watch Dogs, Far Cry 4, Destiny, and Advanced Warfare sold more on PS4 than any other console.
IGEA CEO Ron Curry talked about Australia’s impressive year:
The Australian video games industry is in great shape, led by next gen launches and growth in digital, according to our latest research. Platform holders, publishers and developers continue to see strong demand for their products and are positioning the industry for further growth into the future.
Hardware sales pushed the industry forward in 2014. Bricks and Mortar retailers have seen a boost in demand for the current generation consoles which in turn has lead to an increase in demand for new console software and accessories and items such as game cards. The tremendous growth in digital sales shows that publishers and developers are effectively catering to the purchasing habits of an increasingly connected customer base.
Here’s the top 10 best-selling games in Australia at retail during 2014:
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
- Watch Dogs
- FIFA 15
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Minecraft
- Destiny
- Far Cry 4
- Call of Duty: Ghosts
- Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag
- Battlefield 4
For comparison, here’s the best-selling games of 2014 in the United States and UK.
[Source: MCV UK, MCV Pacific]
