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Skyrim provokes massive surge in PC game sales

  • Posted by Paul December 15, 2011 - 627 views

    It's been a challenging year for game companies, with sales static or slightly declining in tough economic conditions. 

    But in November there was a statistic that totally bucked the trend - a 57% rise in sales of retail PC games. With PC games long in decline this was something that would seem to be inexplicable - except that November saw the release of Skyrim. 

    To be fair the release of Battlefield 3, traditionally a strong selling franchise on PC, didn't harm the sales figures either, but the report by Forbes is clear that Skyrim is playing a key role in the surging sales of PC games in the run up to Christmas.

    Meanwhile, Skyrim has supplanted the previously all conquering Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 3 at the top of the UK gaming charts. In this final week of game selling for Christmas, the Bethesda title now sits proudly in the Number 1 slot in the UK charts. A recent cut in the price of Skyrim appears to have pushed the game ahead of Modern Warfare with Bethesda deciding that volume of sales will more than compensate for the price cut.

    For those interested the current UK game charts are as follows

    1 - Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Bethesda
    2 - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - Activision
    3 - Just Dance 3 - Ubisoft
    4 - FIFA 12 - Electronic Arts
    5 - Assassin’s Creed: Revelations - Ubisoft
    6 - Battlefield 3 - Electronic Arts
    7 - Professor Layton and the Spectre’s Call - Nintendo
    8 - Saints Row: The Third - THQ
    9 - Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception - Sony
    10 - Mario Kart 7 - Nintendo

Comments

8 Comments
  • Unix
    Unix   ·  December 16, 2011
    I hope this really-really compensates Bethesda for the censorious opinions of some unpleasant players. This game and the team deserve all the recognition they can get. Enjoying every moment of it!
  • shoresinflames
    shoresinflames   ·  December 16, 2011
    Tygravius mentioned the many people who upgraded their pc's just for this game. Yup, I did: I built my own computer to handle games like this at ease (and for BF3 as well). It's well worth it, especially in January with the Creation Kit. It's gonna be a b...  more
  • Paul
    Paul   ·  December 15, 2011
    To be honest, I'm surprised Just Dance isn't higher in the chart
    The ability of people to lose all common sense when buying Christmas presents should never be underestimated 
  • Batman
    Batman   ·  December 15, 2011
    hahah yeah Mason there is always at least one weird title that you don't really expect to be on the list or at least not where its sitting :D happened with that nelson Christmas list a while back.
  • Mason
    Mason   ·  December 15, 2011
    Just Dance 3 rolling in at third ahead of hard hitters like battlefield and creed. Christ on a bike! Whats the world coming to!
  • Tygravius
    Tygravius   ·  December 15, 2011
    This is great news. Espeically for computer manufacturers!!! How many people "upgrade" their PC when Skyrim came out? or let alone just purchase a new computer in general? I'm sure the industry was drooling over the Skyrim release. Personally I would have...  more
  • Kevin
    Kevin   ·  December 15, 2011
    Great news! I'm glad to see Skyrim doing so well, it will cause future Bethesda games to be so much better.
  • Bilbo
    Bilbo   ·  December 15, 2011
    It's amazing, oblivion had expedentonally more copies sold, 4 are mine, than morrowind, and now Skyrim is repeating the trend, hopefully the next TES game repeats the trend, of games multiplying their predicesors sales