As an avid gamer and industry analyst who‘s been tracking video games for over a decade, evaluating the top-selling games at the halfway mark of 2022 offers fascinating insight into what‘s capturing fans‘ attention in this explosive entertainment era.
Examining the specific titles dominating the charts mid-year, while peering behind the curtain into sales trajectory, critical reception, and development history reveals much about gaming trends, franchise sustainability, and the cultural zeitgeist beyond just surface level hype.
By benchmarking against prior franchise installments, predecessors in gameplay style, and previous year sales, we extract insightful qualitative and quantitative context. The data and perspectives shared ahead qualify 2022‘s biggest commercial hits while offering a glimpse into the future of gaming.
The Lay of the Land: Record-Setting 2022 So Far
Thus far 2022 mirrors and even outpaces the historic highs seen in 2021, as gaming continues to swell into a dominant mainstream entertainment sector.
Total consumer spending on video games and content hit $60.4 billion in 2021 per analytics firm NPD Group. 2022 shows no sign of slowing down based on year-to-date figures.
In the U.S. alone, consumers spent $4.3 billion just on gaming content in Q1 2022. Hardware sales spiked too from the new console generation hitting its stride, with Q1 Xbox and PlayStation 5 sales dollars nearly doubling Q1 2021.
Chart showing 2022 Q1 gaming consumer spending in the U.S. [Source: NPD]
Globally, the appetite for gaming grows exponentially. There are now an estimated 3 billion gamers worldwide per Roundhill Investments research analysis. Not only has gaming penetrated across age demographics, women now represent 46% of the gaming audience as well.
Against this booming backdrop, game publishers jockey for market share through launching sequels to established franchises or buzzworthy new IP. Let‘s see which specific titles broke through so far in 2022 with gamers‘ hearts, minds, and wallets by the mid year mark.
10. Madden NFL 2022 – Pigskin Pride Wanes
The first half of 2022 continued an unfortunate slide of diminishing returns for one of gaming‘s formerly safest bets – annual NFL tie-ins. In its 33rd year, the Madden franchise has become victim to formulaic predictability and risk averse iteration.
Madden NFL 2022 moved 4.65 million units in its launch window (now extended to account for early access sales). But as seen in the sales chart below, that augured a precipitous drop of 17% in revenues from 2020‘s stellar effort.
Madden NFL Launch Sales Figures 2018-2022 [Source: Official Press Statements]
Reviewers pilloried the lack of meaningful updates versus prior seasons. "Copy/paste" complaints abounded, as some key legacy defects remained unaddressed. My early playtest mirrored these critiques – the game felt soulless.
Post release content updates tried rejuvenating things, to the loyal fanbase‘s credit. But in the hyper competitive annual sports title landscape, EA must commit to substantive innovation not seen in years for Madden NFL 2023.
9. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Evergreen Karting
In contrast to Madden‘s stagnation, Nintendo‘s iconic mascot racer demonstrates the profound value of polish and timelessness. Originally released in 2014 on the ill-fated Wii U, Mario Kart 8 remains a tour de force seller in its Deluxe port incarnation for Switch.
The magic lies in flawlessly slick arcade racing gameplay wed with mushrooms and turtle shells rather than brake pads and downforce. It‘s the definitive pick-up-and-play party option for casual and serious gamers alike – translating to a still astronomical 29 million units shifted for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Nintendo continues stoking fervor by adding DLC tracks as recently as 2022 from prior Mario Kart games. For perspective on Nintendo‘s evergreen kart racer, it has not left NPD‘s monthly Top 20 highest selling games once since 2017. That sums its appeal and ensures its legacy.
8. Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Hello New Fans!
Despite up to 30 million global sales for a given Kirby title traditionally, Nintendo‘s puffy pink vacuum has lived in Mario and Link‘s shadow as a second class mascot. March 2022‘s Kirby and the Forgotten Land for Switch finally realized Kirby‘s latent potential with the strongest debut ever for the franchise.
Giving the traditionally 2D series a beautifully realized 3D makeover instantly resonated with critics and fans. Review aggregator Metacritic records a sterling 84 average critic score, while 96% of user reviews praise the adventure platforming blast.
Sales crossed 2.65 million units after just 10 days per Famitsu data, portending likely 10 million+ lifetime sales. See the franchise sales bump below.
Main Kirby Franchise Sales Over Time [Source: Nintendo]
The vibrant, accessible world construction recalls Super Mario Odyssey, capturing Kirby nostalgists and curious newcomers alike. This breakout moves Kirby to the A-list of Nintendo stars.
7. Gran Turismo 7 – Sim Racing Sublime
After 6 main entries cemented Gran Turismo’s standing as the racing sim elite, 2022’s Gran Turismo 7 faced towering expectations from faithful fans awaiting a true current generation arrival 9 years after GT6.
The sheer visual splendor and intricately refined driving dynamics recapture the unmatched realism that creator Kazunori Yamauchi envisioned all along. GT7 sets a new high water mark earning an outstanding Metascore of 88, backed by 5 million copies sold on PS5/PS4.
Remarkably, GT7 achieved these sales figures despite controversy over always-online DRM and an aggressively priced in-game car market. The quality shines through. Professional race drivers attest to the unparalleled accuracy; car manufacturers partner with Polyphony due to near photoreal recreations of their machines.
Below sales chart shows launch aligned records for historical context.
Gran Turismo Series Sales Comparison [Source: Sony/Polyphony]
GT7 confirms the franchise‘s pole position in automotive gaming. With astounding visuals married to best-in-class handling, it’s the quintessential showcase for new racing fans and those with gasoline in their veins alike.
6. Call of Duty: Vanguard – Unremarkable, Yet Reliable
The Call of Duty franchise represents gaming’s annualized sports title approach applied to military FPS, with each subsequent entry feeling more like a roster update than true sequel. That held true in late 2021 with the release of Vanguard.
Though reviews felt relatively muted versus prior years, Vanguard pulled impressive early sales thanks to CoD‘s sheer inertia as an unstoppable commercial juggernaut, for better or worse.
But the cracks show signs of splintering. Vanguard posted nearly 50% lower sales than 2020’s Black Ops Cold War over a similar period. Strong out of the gates with nearly 3 million copies sold at launch, but rapidly waning interest thereafter points to franchise fatigue.
Fans lambasted the perceived sameness, while some took issue with historical inaccuracies in the WW2 weaponry and battles rendered. See the sales curve below.
Call of Duty: Vanguard Sales Momentum Over Time [Source: Activision/Microsoft]
Vanguard falls short of prior recent glory, indicating CoD may need to up the ante on innovation in aesthetics, narrative, and design to avoid losing players to flashier competition. For now, the name carries sales.
5. MLB The Show 22 – Building Baseball Fandom
Sony‘s PlayStation console gaming exclusivity ended for their excellent MLB The Show baseball sim series in 2021, when for the first time Microsoft and Xbox fans got to play. MLB The Show 22 continued building outfield momentum by further expanding to Nintendo Switch players.
These wider pastures resulted in MLB The Show 22 posting nearly 20% stronger launch month sales over 2021‘s game. Overall 2 million copies landed day one, per NPD Group, setting more new franchise records.
Critics welcomed smart refinements in pitching, hitting, fielding mechanics and game modes – no huge surprises given the strong foundation, but why mess too much with what works wonderfully? Especially with coveted officially licensed MLB and players association rights.
MLB The Show 22 Percent Sales Split by Platform [Source: VentureBeat]
With cross-play support uniting baseball fans across competing consoles for online multiplayer, and Nintendo‘s huge install base now buying in, The Show series appears poised to grow sales for years ahead.
4. Horizon Forbidden West – Brave New World
When Sony‘s Guerilla Games electrified gamers with the rich post-post-apocalyptic realm of Horizon Zero Dawn in 2017, fans craved more adventures across the American frontier landscape shared with awe-inspiring animalistic mechanized creatures.
Luckily the wait since 2017 proved well worth it, as 2022’s Horizon Forbidden West delivered a proudly daring sequel sprawling with visual splendor and refined gameplay. Rather than retread, Guerilla fleshed out and elevated nearly every aspect of the unique setting and combat.
Both professional reviewers and community player reviews overflow with praise, while sales crossed an immense 7.6 million copies sold by August 2022. See the slick trailer.
Horizon Forbidden West Official Game Trailer
With one of most compelling original gaming universes this decade, Guerilla appears poised to forge Horizon into an enduring Sony flagship franchise thanks to this masterpiece sequel.
3. Pokémon Legends: Arceus – Monster Reimagined
The Pokémon franchise rules as the highest grossing media property of all time, including games and licensed merchandise. While the tried and true RPG formula continues printing money, 2022‘s fresh take Pokémon Legends: Arceus forged an intriguing new direction.
Beyond the familiar "gotta catch ‘em all" loop of trainer and Pokémon battles, GameFreak crafted an immersive pastoral feudal Japan infected with magical beasts to observe and recruit for the region‘s first Pokédex.
Departing from rigid turn-based battles, the action incorporates new stealth and distraction techniques to seamlessly capture wild overworld Pokémon true to their habitats. See the trailers contrasting classic and Legend styles.
Pokémon Gameplay Comparison: Legends vs Main Series Titles
This innovative immersion dazzled fans, driving opening sales of 6.5 million physical/digital copies in launch week – Pokémon’s hottest start on Switch. By May 2022, total figures crossed 12 million and will likely keep running.
Pokémon: Legends Arceus Units Sold Over Time [Source: Nintendo]
Pokémon Legends: Arceus signals an intriguing evolutionary path for the beloved franchise by sustaining compelling core catch-and-battle loops while inviting newfound magical interactivity. This open-world template points to the series’ future.
2. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – Blockbuster Buffet
TT Games managed an awe-inspiring feat of engineering and design by compressing all nine entries in the core Star Wars Skywalker Saga film franchise into one massive love letter to George Lucas’ universe, rendered in kids-friendly LEGO bricks.
SW fans young and old delighted at reliving favorite scenes, spaceship dogfights and lightsaber duels with ample secrets to uncover across 24 explorable story planets. Signature LEGO humor and puzzles enhance the intergalactic epic touchpoints.
Spreading the net wide and gameplay accessible for casual enjoyment reaped huge rewards, as over 8 million copies sold in its debut month across all platforms. By May 2022, Lifetime sales cleared $450 million.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – Sales Milestones [Source: Warner Bros]
The Skywalker Saga represents a triumph of world class game development, attaining astounding Metacritic review averages of 85-90 across platforms. For movie buffs,completionists, families, couples and most anyone, it’s a fantastically engaging gaming getaway.
1. Elden Ring – A Stunning New Fantasy Reigns
When industry visionary Hidetaka Miyazaki joined forces with fantasy author icon George R.R. Martin, hype hit astronomical levels among hardcore gamers who already hailed Miyazaki‘s past Soulslike masterworks. Still, nothing prepared the world for the cataclysmic scale of ambition and execution achieved by February 2022’s Elden Ring.
Elden Ring consolidated addictive third-person action RPG combat, procedurally generated environments, and profoundly rich lore into Miyazaki’s magnum opus. Its sprawling open world layout redefined from software game design, while preserving signature heart pounding boss fight intensity.
Breathless early reviews heralded a masterpiece in the making, punctuated by a 96 Metascore average that sealed Elden Ring‘s status as 2022‘s highest critically acclaimed title across all platforms. Fan fervor mirrored the sentiment.
In sales terms, Elden Ring is shattering records. As the fastest selling new gaming IP ever, it crossed 12 million units sold in under a month and 17.5 million by August 2022 as seen below.
Elden Ring Rapid Sales Growth Trajectory [Source: Forbes]
Blending Miyazaki’s visionary direction with Martin’s engrossing fantasy universe building begets an all-timer event game. Elden Ring sets the pace for gaming greatness in 2022 on all fronts.
Crystal Ball Gazing
And there we have it – the definitive rundown of 2022‘s top-selling video games at the halfway mark, supported by data analytics and seasoned industry perspective. The latest flagships for Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox ecosystems all feature, indicating healthy console gaming competition.
AAA franchises largely ruled the roost again in early 2022, suggesting fans crave bigger worlds, richer fidelity and exciting emergent gameplay opportunities that vast financial resources enable. Based on sales momentum sustaining for the above titles, expect Nintendo evergreens, Call of Duty loyalty, and Elden Ring hype to drive second half industry fortunes.
But plenty potential remains for new upstarts. God of War Ragnarok, Gotham Knights, Sonic Frontiers or Hogwarts Legacy may use holiday momentum and audience goodwill to surge up the full year sales ranks. We clearly live in a golden age for gaming entertainment and fandom. I know I speak for millions of gamers in eager anticipation of what adventures await around the next corner!
