Talk:List of best-selling video games

Remakes

Do Remakes have their sales count towards the sales of the original game, IE something like Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green or do we only include ports? Never17 (talk) 02:05, 2 March 2025 (UTC)

No since they're much different from their original releases, the exceptions seem to be the remake of Super Mario Bros on the Game Boy Advance (formally Mario 3 and World's remakes on the Game Boy Advance too). Personally based on that distinction Tetris on the NES and Tetris on the Game Boy should be combined in my opinion, since they were both developed by Nintendo and were marketed to be the same game but on different platforms, releasing in the same year. LaughinElf (talk) 03:05, 2 March 2025 (UTC)

Okay so remakes are used only if it's basically the same as the original game with minor graphical changes. That makes sense, by this metric we should combine Tetris on the NES and Game Boy as well as potentially other games that fit this definition Never17 (talk) 03:17, 2 March 2025 (UTC)

According to the Guardian, the original version of Tetris sold 70 million copies worldwide from it's various remakes and re-releases by 2009 [1] So we should probably include that Never17 (talk) 03:30, 2 March 2025 (UTC)

No, that wouldn't be fair enough. We should only combine the original version and their enhanced versions. Tetris NES and Game Boy are usually treated as different games so no we shouldn't combine them. Remake is a whole another thing. Like Resident Evil 4 and its remake are different things. Even BBC is against the idea of counting various versions of Tetris as a singular game. [2] Kazama16 (talk) 05:41, 2 March 2025 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 13 March 2025

Change Skyrim sales from 30,000,000 to 60,000,000; 30,000,000 figure is now 10 year old data and Bethesda CEO stated 60,000,000 sold in 2023. https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/skyrim-has-officially-sold-over-60-million-copies/ Ajthorpe95 (talk) 17:52, 13 March 2025 (UTC)

 Not done per a talk page consensus mentioned many times above. The method in which that 60 million sales figure was disclosed is widely viewed as inadequate. λ NegativeMP1 18:21, 13 March 2025 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 13 March 2025 (2)

Im family fun (talk) 19:16, 13 March 2025 (UTC)

I WANT TO EDIT SKYRIM SOLD 60 MILLION NOT 40 MILLION

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. ToThAc (talk) 19:24, 13 March 2025 (UTC)

Ark Sales Figures

Are there any other references to the 76 million copies of Ark: Survival Evolved sold? The reference comes from the developer's parent company, with no other verification. The only other source I can find that gets close is Snail Game's S-1 filing, which includes other games, and also DLC purchases. ____318____ 07:26, 29 March 2025 (UTC)

There seem to be no other sources citing 76 million copies. However, that's not a major issue as the official source seems sufficient to cite its sales just like what Nintendo is doing with its games. Kazama16 (talk) 11:43, 29 March 2025 (UTC)

Couple questions then, the SEC S-1 document for Snail INC. even states that 30,000,000+ are installs from promotions, with the number being that large, does this page count sales as both GamePass installs (Nearly 6 years offered) and those promotions (Epic Game Store and PS Plus)? Should publishers disclose those (In the case of GamePass) numbers similarly to boost numbers on this arbitrary list? Noberino (talk) 12:31, 5 April 2025 (UTC)

Are you referring to this? [3] that was a year ago before 76 million copies confirmation. Who knows how the sales got boosted, only Snail Games does. Kazama16 (talk) 13:43, 5 April 2025 (UTC)

I also find it weird : in this document, they announce 76 million installs and 20 million sales for Ark (in the diagram page 49) as of June, 2022 ; then, one year later, they claim precisely 76 million sales ? It seems far more likely they confused what the 76 million figure was for rather than they sold 50+ million copies in one year after having sold "only" 20+ million in seven. Quand nous chanterons (talk) 14:15, 5 April 2025 (UTC)

I'm confused too. This document likely contains numbering mistakes. According to Studio Wildcard the game sold 35 million copies in December 2020. [4] So there may have been some counting problems, however, developers and publishers know better about the game's financial information so we should follow them. Kazama16 (talk) 14:28, 5 April 2025 (UTC)

In the page you're linking, the 14 December 2020, they claim 20 million sales for the game in the main text but 35 million sales in the "About" section ; the 11 December 2020, they claim 35 million players in the main text but again 35 million sales in the "About" section. I think the problem lies within the "About" section considering it's also where the 76 million figure seems to be misquoted. Quand nous chanterons (talk) 14:47, 5 April 2025 (UTC)

No, that's not the case they are counting 20 million units for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation but not for Android, IOS, and Nintendo Switch versions. They also state 40 million players in the same paragraph. So the 35 million copies are from all platforms. Don't know why they have a weird approach of counting sales. Kazama16 (talk) 15:12, 5 April 2025 (UTC)

Considering both Android and IOS version are F2P, that would mean the Switch version sold nearly 15 million units of those 35 million when this version was so poorly received that it had to be ported a second time on the platform in 2022 ([5])? It's far more likely the correct sales figure are the one that are actually quoted in the press releases in themselves. Quand nous chanterons (talk) 15:32, 5 April 2025 (UTC)

Well, that's a subjective opinion. I assume there's no point of this discussion since it's the official source stating the sales and we technically have no idea what's going on behind the scenes except the publisher themselves. It's better to leave it as is for now. Maybe in the future, some reliable sources doubt its sales data and then we'll get the idea of what's the real deal. Kazama16 (talk) 15:46, 5 April 2025 (UTC)

Team Fortress 2

Team Fortress 2 sold 80 million copies according to Hadley Vincent of Dot Esports. [6] Seems doubtful but can anyone find another source citing 80 million copies. The nearest number to this I can find is 37 million from Steam. [7] Kazama16 (talk) 09:54, 15 April 2025 (UTC)