Ranking the Top Selling Video Games of All Time

Like many other industries, the video game industry is a number-obsessed space. Even when arcade games were all the rage, developers always have one goal in mind – profit. As video games continue to increase in popularity, so too do the numbers of the highest-selling video games.

In fact, video games have become so popular in the past decade or so that some of the best sellers have become profitable products in the entertainment industry as a whole. Even more so than some music albums and cinema films.

These facts raise one massive question. Which are the highest selling and top grossing video games of all time? And how much did they sell individually, across all platforms?

That’s what this article seeks to answer. We’ll give you a list of the top 5 selling video games of all time, in order. Let’s begin.

1.      PUBG

Player Unknown Battlegrounds is one of the most spoken about and played games of the past 3 years. Some of the biggest gaming personalities including PewDiePie and Ninja both spent a fair amount of time playing and promoting the game. And for good reason. It is undoubtedly one of the best the battle royale genre has to offer.

It released as one of the first battle royale games on the market and somewhat popularised the genre on its own. It was one of the only true competitors to Fortnite at a time when Blizzard’s IP was dominating the market.

PUBG has been around for a good number of years now but it’s player base remains as strong as ever. Who knows if this massive online phenomenon will ever die out. Experts in the industry predict that PUBG sold to around 75 million players worldwide.

2.      Wii Sports

The Wii is considered by many to be the least successful of all the Nintendo consoles. Many Nintendo enthusiasts would even call the Wii the worst of all Nintendo consoles to ever be released. But the numbers just don’t add up.

Maybe when it comes to the games Nintendo tried something new. The iconic Japanese developer shifted focus from platformers and storytelling video games to experiences based around family fun and physical movement. And that right there is what made the Wii so unique and so special to many gamers around the world.

This gave rise to one of the most popular sports games of all time – Wii Sports. Wii Sports took the world by storm with everyone playing golf, boxing, and swinging the tennis racket in their living room. It was a great way to exercise while still having fun with your friends.

All of these factors contributed to Wii Sports selling over 82 million copies.

3.      Grand Theft Auto 5

Rockstar is one of the most infamous and influential game development companies of all time. Almost every single one of their franchises has gone on to become iconic to gamers worldwide.

Controversy has followed each and every game released by Rockstar. They are a company that likes to push the boundaries of what is accepted in gaming.

No franchise of theirs has done that better than the Grand Theft Auto series. Grand Theft Auto was a revolutionary game when it first came out in the early 2000s. It changed the way many people viewed video games and placed storytelling and exploration at the forefront of the experience.

Grand Theft Auto 5 was nothing short of a phenomenon when it released all the way back in 2013. The fact that it is still one of the most played games right now is a testament to the quality and popularity of the game.

The marketing and release tactics for Grand Theft Auto 5 were also absolutely genius from the team at Rockstar. They have undoubtedly contributed to the lasting success of the game.

Grand Theft Auto 5 is predicted to have sold a whopping 175 million copies around the world.

4.      Minecraft

When it comes to sandbox experiences, Minecraft takes the cake. Even people who have never played video games themselves will have heard of this pixelated masterpiece. The game gives players absolute freedom to do whatever they want.

Does farming tickle your fancy? Build yourself a ranch with a couple of barns and fields. What about becoming a city builder? Gather your materials and start building. What about traveling to the underworld and fighting dragons and demons? You can do that too.

There are truly no limits to what the player can do in Minecraft. The game never had the best graphics or the best gameplay mechanics, but that just shows how much the core game hooked players.

Minecraft has been around for an eternity, and it will be around for another. Minecraft is predicted to have sold over 250 million copies worldwide.

5.      Tetris

Tetris provided the foundations for the entire gaming industry and you can even find slots at sites like Big Dollar based on its premise. People who like playing hardcore video games enjoy Tetris. People who don’t even consider themselves gamers like to solve a Tetris puzzle. This is truly a game for anyone and everyone which is why it has become the top-selling video game of all time.

Not only did Tetris sell to people in their own homes, but this is a game you would find in any arcade around the world. It is the most iconic and most recognizable game of all time. The numbers behind the game’s sales support this claim.

The development team behind Tetris re-adapted this game for modern consoles and mobile devices. This greatly extended its lifespan and breathed new life into the development team behind the simplistic game.

Tetris is predicted to have sold over an incredible 500 million copies worldwide.

The Bottom Line

It’s clear that the video game industry pushes numbers more than almost any other industry on the planet. As an entertainment form, it just keeps pushing boundaries and breaking records. Who knows what the next best-selling video game will be or when it will come out…