What were the best-selling video games in 2023? The year was full of highly anticipated releases, including a new one Zelda and the new adventure of Bethesda, Starfield. Let's see how these games fare in Canada in 2023*.
The Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) has released its top 20 best-selling video games in Canada for 2023, and we see that four games developed here made the list.
In an interview, Jayson Hilchie, President and CEO of ESAC, offers a brief look back at this gaming-packed year and the success of Canadian titles.
“I always follow Canadian-made games closely and it's pleasing to see that 20% of the games in the top 20 are of Canadian origin. In the future, we would like to examine the performance of Canadian games in other global markets by obtaining sales tracking data for these regions,” he says.
We also see that God of War: Ragnarok and Elden Ring, released in 2022, have found a place in the top 20. The same applies to FIFA 23, released in 2022, even if it is the 2023 edition of the game.
However, the two highest-grossing titles were Hogwarts Legacy and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The first is available on all modern platforms, while the other is exclusive to Nintendo Switch (unsurprisingly it's a Nintendo franchise!).
“Any time you have a game like Zelda that is exclusive and sells so well, you have a very special game. The fact that Zelda has performed so well shows the continued strength of Nintendo's own games and that people who own Nintendo devices are accessing these games as soon as they come out. “With “Hogwart’s Legacy,” we see another well-known intellectual property that sells exceptionally well across all platforms and becomes the best-selling game of the year,” explains Hilchie.
Has video game consumption declined in 2023? According to Hilchie, the cost of living certainly has an impact on players' spending.
“Video game sales have skyrocketed during the pandemic and have reached an all-time high. It was inevitable that sales would stabilize as people were able to return to their normal lives and do things they hadn't been able to do for a while,” he explains. “However, with inflation reaching near record levels in 2023 and interest rates rising 5% thereafter, the cost of living has certainly impacted consumer entertainment spending.”
What will 2024 look like? There won't be as many big releases as in 2023, but Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Star Wars Outlaws and Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 could be very popular. Otherwise, Palworld and Helldivers 2 have already generated a lot of ink. Be continued!
*Digital sales not included