Each year, new games come out but only some of them become blockbuster hits. Only a tiny fraction of them stands the test of time and continues to sell very well. Mostly, successful video games series or franchises guarantee hundreds of millions in sales. We have prepared a list of 7 best-selling video games series, kind of classics that can still boast incredible sales figures. When it comes to figures, both digital and physical copies were taken into consideration.

1. Call of Duty (250 mln copies)

The famous first-person shooter (FPS) appeared on the market for the first time in 2003 and since then has been sold over 250 million copies worldwide. It is as much as the entire population of Indonesia, the fourth most populated country in the world. The Call of Duty series presents the realities of World War II, modern battlefields, and even the more futuristic vision of the world. $10 bn sales don’t lie, and Call of Duty still draws gargantuan crowds of gamers globally.

Video games in the series: Call of Duty, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Ghosts, etc.

2. Grand Theft Auto (235 mln copies)

The fifth entry of GTA has broken a number of records including production costs, speed and volume of sales. The game sold over 11 million copies within the first 24 hours and it brought over $800 million in profit! The previous installments in the series also did pretty well. To this day, the series has sold 235 million copies in total and numbers are still growing.

Video games in the series: GTA V, GTA: Vice City, GTA: San Andreas, GTA: London 1969, etc.

3. The Sims (175 mln copies)

The success of the Sims proves that game doesn’t have to be packed with violence and bloody gore to gross millions in revenue. Thanks to the unique appeal of this virtual city construction game, it has sold over 175 million copies worldwide so far.

Video games in the series: The Sims, The Sims Stories, The Sims Online, The Sims Medieval, etc.

4. Need for Speed (150 mln copies)

Every fan of racing spent at least a couple of hours playing Need for Speed. Started back in 1994, the legendary racing game has spawned over 20 main entries and a few fringe titles. Overall, the series reached 150 million units sold worldwide.

Video games in the series: The Need for Speed, NFS: Hot Pursuit, Shift 2: Unleashed, NFS: Most Wanted, NFS: Rivals, NFS: No Limits, Need for Speed, NFS: Edge, etc.

5. Final Fantasy (111 mln copies)

There are over 50 games including major titles and spinoffs in Final Fantasy series, which dates back to 1987. Overall, the series itself has sold over 118 million copies to date. All Final Fantasy titles have been available across a variety of platforms.

Video games in the series: Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, etc.

6. FIFA (100 mln copies)

A series of football simulators, under the official FIFA license, appeared on the gaming market in 1993. Every year EA releases a new installment with better mechanics, improved graphics, updated teams and rules, new play modes, and more. Partly because of constant improvements, FIFA has moved over 100 million copies worldwide and is highly anticipated by gamers every year. Without a doubt, this number will increase significantly in the upcoming years.

Video games series: FIFA International Soccer, FIFA: Road to World Cup 98, FIFA Football 2005, FIFA 15, FIFA 16, FIFA 17, etc.

7. LEGO (100 mln copies)

Everyone recognizes Lego building blocks and toys. Their competitive advantage lies in bridging the age gaps between children and adults. The LEGO brand has also been famous for the series of video games, which includes adventure games, racing simulators, puzzle games, shooter games and many others. In total, there are 40 official releases in this series of games and 27 licensed secondary games. You may not know that the series has sold 100 million units worldwide.

Video games in the series: Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures, Lego Harry Potter, Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game, Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, Lego The Lord of the Rings, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril, Lego The Hobbit, Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, Lego Jurassic World, Lego Dimensions, Lego Marvel’s Avengers, Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, etc.

 

About the author

Tommy
Tommy
Gamer and marketer. Knows how to sell video games. B2B e-commerce educator.