Fortnite is on everyone’s lips, but if we talk about the number of copies sold its predecessor, PUBG (Players Unknown Battlegrounds), is a true reef. It is, in fact, the best-selling game in history, with more than 50 million copies sold.
It is, in fact, the game that has sold more copies in the PC industry throughout history according to the data of a complex segment to deal with in absolute terms but in which there are certainly already legendary titles.
Selling many copies is not everything in a world where Free-to-play has imposed itself
It is important to remember that even though the PC is an important part of the videogame segment, its contribution is less than that of consoles. In 2018, the share of the PC in the video game market was 25%, which means that one in four euros that users spent on video games went to titles available for the PC.
It lost some relevance concerning 2017 when its market share was 28%, but it is still one of the favorite options for gamers, and the eternal debate of which one is better to play – the famous PC Master Race, whether or not their protagonists are tired – it is always the order of the day.
Here are the games that according to statistics have been the best sellers in history in the PC market, something that for example we have already done with the PS4, the Xbox One or the Switch. It is a difficult list to make because many video game developers are not especially transparent with the number of copies sold, but other factors make the games included here only part of the equation.
Outside of it are some legendary titles such as Fortnite precisely because it is a Free To Play title, a philosophy that has conquered the market in recent years and leaves the relevance of copies sold in the background to focus on those parallel revenues you get – and do so at a frantic pace – with purchases offered as supplements to improve the user’s gaming experience. But if we focus on copies sold as such, the best sellers for PC are the following:
PUBG (50 million copies)
In 2019 alone, PUBG has sold almost 5 million more copies, and that does not include in-store purchases, revenue from battle passes and other derived revenues.
PUBG may give the impression of being in the shadow of Fortnite and other great titles that are often talked about in this area, but the game is a real hit for its creators.
Comparisons with Fortnite are inevitable, and the “pikes” were clear since this other great success “copied” the Battle Royale mode with which PUBG was born. Many others ended up doing the same, but it is clear that Fortnite and PUBG are the clear references of a genre that was a success since its appearance in these two titles that despite their similarities have important differences
Minecraft (30 million copies)
The sandbox of the blocks is living a new golden age in 2019: it became the great revelation of the world of video games when it appeared at the end of 2011, and its appeal to all types of players – including the smallest ones – soon became A whole candy in this segment.
So much so that Microsoft acquired Minecraft in 2014 and strengthened its legacy to boost it permanently.
It is according to some studies the best selling game in history if we have all the platforms for which it is available: in May 2019 it exceeded 176 million copies on PCs, consoles, and smartphones, of which 30 belong to the PC world. Its active users are also legion: 112 million players enjoy it on one of those platforms every month, a dizzy figure that demonstrates the success of a game that is already an institution.
Diablo III (20 million copies)
This benchmark of the RPG world that has been on the market since 2012 became another of Blizzard’s successes as soon as it was launched.
There is no too current sales data, which makes it difficult to assess the current number, but in 2015, combined sales of 30 million copies were estimated, of which 20 million would have been for the PC (although the version also contributes in this case for OS X ).
In recent times the franchise has announced the leap to mobile devices thanks to ‘Immortal Devil’, which is not an adaptation or reduced version but is a complete game directly related to the saga. There is no fixed date for that release, although there are already some complaints from traditional players, who want a ‘Diablo 4’.
World of Warcraft (14 million copies)
Take care with WoW that its creators have returned to the streets with ‘ World of Warcraft: Classic ‘, a title that has just arrived on the market to recover much of the essence of that original 2004 title
For many, including its players, WoW has transcended the entertainment world itself and has become part of our cultural legacy.
With the last installment, of course, the tradition of a game that may no longer have the impact of the past is confirmed, but in spite of that, it continues to conquer a very strong user base that is still more aware of the game than we might think.
Terraria (12 million copies)
In May 2011 the developer Re-Logic launched a curious action and adventure sandbox that would launch for Windows but would end up reaching a lot of platforms.
His curious graphics, almost a tribute to the 16-bit machines, caused a sensation along with an original development that ended up having spectacular success.
In May 2019 it carried 27 million copies sold on all types of platforms, of which almost half have been reserved for Windows, Mac and Linux-based PCs, systems for which it also appeared in 2015.
The Sims (11 million copies)
Another one of the classicizes that have practically all the life with us and that does not surprise to see in this list. It is one of the oldest on the list and was launched in February 2000 by Maxis and Electronic Arts.
Their initial success meant that both companies wanted to take advantage of the pull, and products derived from the franchise of all kinds ended up appearing, from expansions to repackaged editions.
In March 2015, the game already had 11.29 million copies sold for PC, although its success on other platforms has been even more exceptional, and according to EA already in 2009, it had exceeded 100 million copies on all platforms for which appeared a game that has taken advantage of our appetite to simulate real-life like no other.
