February is sort of at all times a notoriously sluggish month for gaming. This previous February was little exception because the UK noticed a lower of round 5.5% from the earlier 12 months by way of gross sales, for a complete of two.77 million models offered all through the nation.
Nonetheless, this February’s lower in gross sales isn’t as unhealthy because it sounds when you think about the truth that final February noticed the sensationally profitable launch of Hogwarts Legacy, which went on to develop into the best-selling online game title of final 12 months.
With that mentioned, there is just one actual purpose why the distinction in gross sales between the 2 Februarys isn’t a lot wider, and that purpose is Helldivers 2. The squad-based third-person shooter was far and away the top-selling sport this February.
The PlayStation 5 and Microsoft Home windows platformed title has loved important acclaim since its launch on February 8 and has even completed the uncommon achievement in gaming of its gross sales growing within the weeks following its preliminary launch.
In response to the Recreation Gross sales Knowledge (GSD), gross sales of Helldivers 2 rose by near 115% in its second week of launch and elevated once more by simply over 20% by the tip of its third week on sale. The sport has loved large success throughout each the PS5 and PC platforms, with the PlayStation producing near 60% of the general gross sales and the PC making up the remaining.
Not solely is that this an unimaginable achievement for a non-established IP, however it’s much more spectacular in comparison with the remainder of the month’s new releases. Warner Bros’ Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League and Cranium and Bones had been the opposite ‘huge’ releases this previous February.
Suicide Squad ended the month within the No.4 place, with gross sales performances being decrease than Warner Bros. had hoped for. By the tip of its first month on sale, the sport was round 20% decrease than that of gross sales on each Gotham Knights and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
Cranium and Bones additionally dissatisfied and needed to accept the No.8 spot. In its first two weeks of gross sales, the action-adventure pirate title offered round 75% fewer copies than Sea of Thieves – the final huge pirate-themed sport launched again in 2018.
Another new releases to enter the charts this February had been Persona 3 Reload at No.10, Mario vs Donkey Kong at No.16, and the brand new survival sport Pacific Drift at No.18. One other sport that loved substantial and considerably unsuspected success in February was the monster-taming title, Palworld. Nonetheless, as the sport’s builders aren’t on the GSD’s monitoring system, gross sales numbers for the sport haven’t been recorded.
On the {hardware} facet of issues for February, the UK noticed roughly 95,855 gaming consoles offered all through the nation. This can be a lower of round 13% in contrast with the earlier month and nearly 35% in comparison with the earlier February.
The PlayStation 5 continues to be the top-selling platform by a large diploma, nonetheless, gross sales on the console are down by 2% in comparison with final month and nearly 30% in comparison with final February. The Nintendo Change took the No.2 spot, whereas the Xbox Sequence X/S needed to accept third place.
All three console platforms have seen growing declines to date this 12 months, with many trade consultants now predicting there to be some huge console-related information to be introduced in both late 2024 or early 2025.
With the Nintendo Change now arising on seven years available on the market, many predict some information on the Nintendo Change 2 to drop shortly, whereas over at Sony, the upcoming launch of the PS5 Professional has already been revealed. We researched a typical console life cycle a while in the past, and the seven-years’ time span is an benchmark.
When it got here to gaming accent gross sales this previous February, within the area of 610,000 add-on merchandise had been bought by UK avid gamers. Similar to console and sport gross sales, that is additionally a lower of simply over 10% in comparison with January however is definitely a rise of simply over 15% in contrast with February 2023.
The PS5 DualSense white controller continues to steer the market as soon as extra, with the Xbox Robotic White Wi-fi controller following shut behind. The final week of February additionally noticed a powerful launch for the Sony Pulse Elite Premium Headset. That’s just about every thing for the UK gaming chart information for February 2024. Keep tuned right here for all the most recent gaming information as quickly because it drops.
1. Helldivers 22. EA Sports activities FC 243. Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare 34. Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League5. Grand Theft Auto 56. Hogwarts Legacy7. Crimson Lifeless Redemption 28. Cranium and Bones9. The Final of Us Half 2: Remastered10. Persona 3 Reload