Computer game included in the list of the best-selling. Best selling PC games of all time
The level of sales does not always speak for the quality of the game, and its success is measured not only in numbers. However, often these numbers indicate that the project turned out to be at least good. We have conducted an in-depth study using the most modern techniques(thanks Google) and put together a list of the best selling PC games of all time. All data is based on Statista statistics for January.
The list, as expected, includes both time-tested hits from Blizzard and Valve studios, as well as rather unexpected projects. Please note that we did not take into account the sales of various add-ons for games already present in the selection. And while some of these DLCs sold quite a lot, we focused exclusively on full-fledged games. It also lacks different parts of the same series. Otherwise, the entire list would be occupied exclusively by games from the Sims series, and no one needs this. And now it's time to go through the collection.
World circulation: 2.96 million copies
Star Wars: The Old Republic created a huge buzz at the time of release, so it's no surprise that it ended up on this list. Bioware's vibrant MMORPG builds on the ideas behind the Knights of the Old Republic series, transforming a familiar world into a full-fledged MMO.
A couple of months after the release, the Old Republic acquired a shareware model, and all kinds of add-ons for the game are still being released to this day. At the same time, the quality of the Old Republic is still at the highest level, and you can register for free and start your adventure at any time.
World circulation: 3.61 million copies
The first part of Doom became so popular that it was banned in many offices, as their employees spent hours playing the game. Of course, everyone was looking forward to a sequel called Hell on Earth, which in the end did not disgrace the honor of the original. Doom II: Hell on Earth was in no way inferior to its predecessor and pleased with many innovations. Until now, heated debate has not subsided over which of the two parts was better.
In fact, 1993's Doom could well have sold more widely than the sequel. But since the game initially had stripped-down shareware versions distributed for free, it's hard to even imagine what the potential profit could be.
World circulation: 3.88 million copies
It took a long time for developer Bethesda to create a truly iconic RPG within the Elder Scrolls series. Arena and Daggerfall acted as a test of the pen, and many today consider Morrowind and Oblivion to be one of the best representatives RPG genre. Therefore, it is quite logical that the fifth masterpiece from Bethesda eventually took pride of place in the list of the best-selling games in the history of the industry.
Skyrim is a true milestone in the genre, setting the direction for all modern open world games. The price for the extended edition of the game is $59.99.
World circulation: 4.12 million copies
Half-Life is an iconic series. The game had a huge impact on the first-person shooter genre, and still no one has been able to surpass it. Hence the impressive circulation. And despite the fact that Valve has released quite a few amazing projects, Half-Life is considered to be developed by this studio.
Half-Life is an incredibly entertaining adventure, and the sales of the game prove it once again.
World circulation: 4.21 million copies
Prior to the release of the MMO World of Warcraft, the gaming community was playing Warcraft with gusto. Each new installment in Blizzard's revolutionary RTS series was unique in its own way, but Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness was unique in terms of sales.
The game was released in 1995 for the DOS operating system, but the well-developed mechanics provided Warcraft II with real immortality. If you love the RTS genre, but haven't played any of the Warcraft games before, then it's time to catch up.
World circulation: 4.84 million copies
And again, we have a project from Blizzard (by the way, not the last one on this list). More precisely, the next sequel to the successful RTS from Blizzard. Interestingly, Starcraft ended up being noticeably more successful than Warcraft. Today it is one of the largest esports disciplines, and Starcraft II, which has been in development for 11 years, has raised the bar for the quality of RTS games to a whole new level, improving all the advantages of the original dozens of times.
In light of the news about the upcoming remake of the first part, called it's time to refresh your memory and immerse yourself in the world of Starcraft II.
World circulation: 5.12 million copies
Yes, the photo under the title is not a screenshot from the 1982 game, but it is much nicer to look at. But the numbers under the heading are the actual sales of Microsoft Flight Simulator, released in 1982. This game ported to operating system IBM and used as a benchmark to show that the computer is "100% compatible with the IBM OS". And because copies of the game were sold decently.
Since then, several new parts of Microsoft Flight Simulator have been released, each offering improved graphics, interface, and controls. However, if you want to touch the real legend, you can find the original (albeit quite difficult).
World circulation: 5.14 million copies
The third Blizzard game on the list. Despite a rather tepid reception from the public immediately upon release, Diablo III sold over 5 million copies. Following the formula of the very popular Diablo and Diablo II, the third part showed what a modern action RPG should be, delighting gamers with addictive gameplay and gorgeous graphics for those times.
At first, many were annoyed by the need for a constant connection to the Internet, without which the game refused to start, but since then this shortcoming have already corrected.
World circulation: 6.29 million copies
Warcraft may have been the first, but World of Warcraft proved to be much more successful in all respects. This MMO is the main reference for all other games of the genre, as well as an integral part of popular culture. The game managed to light up even in such famous shows as 20/20 and South Park. Of course, Current version World of Warcraft is no longer the same as the original, but it still enjoys the same popularity among PC gamers, and therefore it managed to take second place in this list.
The days of Vanilla World of Warcraft are long gone, but many remember this particular version with warm nostalgia.
World circulation: 8.01 million copies
It is because of this game that we decided not to include various DLCs in the list, because otherwise Sims variations would take more than half of the positions. The Sims 3 proved to be the most successful of all the installments, surpassing the legendary World of Warcraft by 2 million copies sold. Thanks to the insane popularity of The Sims 3, even people who previously stayed away from consoles (or from games on PC) turned into hardcore gamers.
Of course, The Sims is not for everyone, but the series should be respected at least for its resounding success.
The best of the best
These were the top 10 best selling PC games of all time. In different sources, information about their circulation may differ slightly from each other, but in general the picture looks exactly like this. These 10 projects deservedly hold the record for sales in the field of computer entertainment.
Games are countless virtual worlds that allow us to become what we want, but cannot in real life. However, among these worlds there are those that have earned the title of the best, both from gamers and from impartial critics.
To select the best games on PC, we studied popular Russian-language resources such as Iwantgames, stopgame and kanobu, as well as read reviews of popular games on Metacritic. Thus came the list of twenty best games on PC of all time which we present to your attention. The rating of games is given according to the data stop game.
Rating: 8.6.
Genre: MMORPG.
Release date: 2004-present.
Platform: Mac, PC.
One of best online games for PC offers not only an epic confrontation between two opposing alliances - the Alliance and the Horde, but also a beautiful, very Big world, interesting quests, carefully crafted history and raids.
In them you can fully show your talent as a healer, a melee or ranged fighter, or a powerful defender. Or just kiss squirrels in the nearest forest, if the soul lies only in peaceful pursuits.
The game is quite old by today's standards, but additions are regularly released to it. The next one - Battle for Azeroth will be released on August 14th.
19. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
Rating: 8.8.
Genre: Shooter, addon.
Release date: 2015
Platform: PC, PS4, XONE.
According to many players, this is the most realistic and intense tactical first-person shooter. The game does not have a solo campaign, but there is an exciting team game. The task of the attacking side is to take the opponents by storm, and the defensive team must strengthen their positions as much as possible and set up cunning traps for the enemy.
The plot is based on real events that took place during counter-terrorist operations.
Rating: 8.8.
Genre: Shooter.
Release date: 2011
Platform: PC, PS3, X360
As bullets whizz overhead and explosions slam into the ground, the battlefield feels more realistic than ever before. In Battlefield 3, players will have to transform into the elite US Marines for a while. They are waiting for dangerous missions, both single and cooperative.
Excellent graphics, a wide variety of vehicles, a well-thought-out environment and a pleasant reward for a good team game - that's what Battlefield 3 is praised for even by very picky gaming publications.
Rating: 8.8.
Genre: Arcade.
Release date: 2015
Platform: PC, X360, XONE
This is perhaps the most beautiful platform arcade in our ranking of games. From the very first minutes, its unusual graphics attract attention and do not let go until the game is completed. Atmospheric world, a pleasant and unobtrusive soundtrack, RPG elements, a cute character that will appeal to both young and adult gamers - what else do you need to pass a couple of evenings in front of a computer?
Rating: 8.9.
Genre: Strategy.
Release date: 2017
Platform: Mac, PC.
For many people, the sci-fi strategy StarCraft is one of the greatest video games of all time. And StarCraft: Remastered lives up to the high bar set by its predecessor. With stunning new Ultra HD visuals, re-recorded audio and updated online support, this game is highly recommended.
15. Assassin's Creed 2
Rating: 8.9.
Genre: Action.
Release date: 2009.
Platform: PC, PS3, X360.
The product of over two years of hard work and part of the popular Assassin's Creed franchise. In a vast open world environment, the game invites you to play as Ezio, a young nobleman living in the Renaissance. An interesting story about revenge and retribution is successfully complemented by a variety of missions, unusual gameplay elements, a wide selection of weapons and character development that fans of the original Assassin's Creed love so much.
Rating: 9.0.
Genre: Shooter.
Release date: 2007
Platform: Mac, PC, PS3, WII, X360.
This game was amazing for its time, thanks to the atmosphere of a real war, a coherent story, an exciting multiplayer mode, hundreds of beautiful scenes, and the most meticulous study of the game environment. Even now, the military blockbuster Modern Warfare can give you several hours of exciting gameplay.
Rating: 9.0.
Genre: Action.
Release date: 2012
Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XONE
The main character of the game is Jason Brody, a man stuck on a mysterious tropical island. In this wild paradise, where lawlessness and violence reign, Brody will determine the outcome of the war between the rebels and pirates for control of the island.
Rating: 9.1.
Genre: RPG.
Release date: 2017
Platform: PC, PS4, XONE
Twenty hours into this RPG, you'll still be discovering new mechanics you never knew existed. In this respect Original Sin 2 is not very friendly to beginners, and requires some perseverance and patience from them.
That being said, the huge amount of quests and secrets, the non-linear nature of the game, and its world, which is almost unparalleled in terms of scale and detail, are an experience not to be missed.
Rating: 9.2.
Genre: Action, RPG.
Release date: 2010
Platform: PC, PS3, X360.
This exciting space saga takes players to unknown alien civilizations and battles with aliens, mercenaries and sentient robots. In addition, it offers one of the most interesting and well-designed characters in RPG games.
Rating: 9.2.
Genre: RPG.
Release date: 2011.
Platform: PC, PS3, X360.
An open-world adventure from Bethesda Game Studios doesn't have a better combat or magic system or even better graphics than the competition. Instead, it offers something much more - one of the biggest, richest, and totally immersive worlds you'll ever see.
Traveling through locations in Skyrim will take such a long time that you can lose sleep, take off from work, and test the patience of family and friends while playing.
Rating: 9.2.
Genre: Action, racing
Release date: 2013
Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XONE
The best games of all time would be incomplete without this superbly optimized, atmospheric game. Its action takes place in the sunny city of Los Santos, in which a criminal trio operates:
- Franklin, a young thief looking for some serious money.
- Michael, a former bank robber whose retirement was not as rosy as he thought.
- Trevor, a violent guy suffering from a mental disorder.
Players can switch between characters at any time, and it's definitely worth doing. After all, each character has his own set of quests, as well as primary and secondary skills that help to survive and get the most out of the world of GTA5.
Rating: 9.3.
Genre: Strategy.
Release date: 1999
Platform: PC.
This legendary game has become the most popular entry in the Heroes of Might and Magic series. Compared to previous installments, it offered new types of cities, seven small story campaigns for each faction, and at the same time ran even on low-powered computers. Thanks to good localization, The Restoration of Erathia was a huge success in Russia.
Rating: 9.3.
Genre: RPG.
Release date: 2009
Platform: Mac, PC, PS3, X360.
As the spiritual successor to one of the industry's most successful RPGs, Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age: Origins combines the best fantasy elements with stunning visuals. It cannot be called a revolution in the RPG genre, it is rather an evolution.
The story of Dragon Age: Origins is captivating and eventful, the characters are unforgettable, and the journey through the game world inhabited by humans, dwarves and elves is something that will captivate you and not let you go until the very end.
Rating: 9.3.
Genre: Puzzle.
Release date: 2011
Platform: Mac, PC, PS3, X360.
Valve has created a fun puzzle game with excellent game mechanics. It offers players not only a single-player game for the main character Chelsea, who has to escape from the Aperture laboratory, but also a cooperative mode for two players. In it, the main characters will be the robots Atlas and P-Body. The storyline of the co-op mode does not intersect with the storyline of the single mode, which leads to unexpected endings.
Rating: 9.3.
Genre: Action, racing.
Release date: 2002
Platform: PC
One of the best games in history still evokes warm and nostalgic feelings among those who played it. And those who didn’t pass can do it for three main reasons:
- The huge map of Lost Haven is filled with diverse and magnificent places. Each area has a peculiar look, has its own unique atmosphere and even musical accompaniment.
- Basic game process can be summarized by simply saying that it consists of shooting and driving in a third-person perspective. However, in reality, it offers much more: from a variety of missions to dialogue and interaction with the many NPCs that inhabit the streets of The City of Lost Heaven.
- An unusual and very beautiful main theme created under the direction of the Czech composer Vladimir Simunek, and with the participation of the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra.
The only weak point in the game is the imperfect AI of the hero's enemies and companions. On the other hand, the fact that the Lost Haven cops aren't geniuses adds to the realism.
Rating: 9.3.
Genre: Shooter.
Release date: 2004
Platform: PC.
This game enjoyed great love, and fans of the series are still waiting for the release of the third part. The graphics engine in Half-Life 2 was so realistic that players felt like they were in the movie. Excellent character animation, original way presentation of the plot, a variety of environments and ways of interacting with it, and most importantly - a charismatic main character made the first-person shooter Half-Life 2 what it is today. Namely, one of the most popular games in history.
Rating: 9.4.
Genre: RPG.
Release date: 1998
Platform: PC.
Amazing atmosphere, great music, exciting story make Fallout 2 a gem of the RPG genre. This is a real non-linear game that allows you to do whatever you want in a world full of mutants, radiation, and hundreds of other dangers.
Rating: 9.5.
Genre: RPG.
Release date: 2015
Platform: Mac, PC, PS4, XONE.
The game about the adventures of Geralt of Rivia has set a new standard for the quality of games in the open world RPG genre. Diverse and exciting locations full of important decisions, interesting characters, and brutal enemies, excellent graphics and music, well-thought-out plot, funny and dramatic moments - all this gave the players more than 100 exciting hours of gameplay.
For anyone who doesn't know the magical universe created by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher 3 explains the history of all the important characters and what connects them to Geralt. Thus, even beginners quickly get up to speed.
Rating: 9.6.
Genre: Addon, RPG.
Release date: 2016
Platform: PC, PS4, XONE.
The Witcher 3 is one of the highest rated games on PC. And her Blood and Wine addon is better than most games released in 2016. Even players who have spent hundreds of hours in The Witcher were surprised and delighted with the new addition with an interesting storyline. It is an excellent conclusion to the story of the White Wolf.
The amount and quality of content in this add-on is simply stunning, making it quite like a full-fledged game. You are waiting for a lot of quests, dialogues and, of course, monsters in the new Toussaint location.
31.05.2018 Pavel Makarov
Computer games appeared almost immediately with the advent of computers as entertainment for employees serving these devices. In the late 80s and early 90s, professional studios began to emerge. It was then that such hits as Doom, Wolfenshtein and other 3D shooters appeared. By the late 90s and early 2000s, the industry had grown into a significant entertainment industry. It was at this time that hits appeared that determined the direction of the development of video games. This article contains the top legendary games of all time on the PC, which have become standards in their genres.
Release date: 1999
Genre: online shooter, eSports
Developer: ID Software
Publisher: ID Software
The legendary Quake III Arena sends the gamer to the training grounds, where bloody and fierce battles are fought. The game does not have a plot or classic character development in the conventional sense.
The task of the players is to win in the arenas, increase their rating, get points and purchase equipment and weapons for them. The peculiarity of the arena lies in the special cruelty. Gamers turn each other into minced meat using a variety of weapons (there are grenade launchers, chainsaws, etc.). Getting into the arena, each hero is responsible only for himself. Victory goes to the last survivor.
Release date: 1998
Genre: first-person shooter, Sci-Fi
Developer: valve
Publisher: valve
A game far ahead of its time. Dozens of similar projects were created on the basis of Half-Life, but it was she who won the minds and hearts of gamers around the world.
To survive in the harsh world of a single player, the player will have to constantly think through the strategy of passing. Most monsters can become deadly, just relax for a while and lose their guard. In addition to Half-Life, a multiplayer mode has been released, where players from anywhere in the world can play together or against each other.
Release date: 1997
Genre: historical real time strategy
Developer: Skybox Labs, Hidden Path Entertainment, Ensemble Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
The strategy game series Age of Empires offered players to move into an exciting world of historically significant events. The plots of the games in the series repeated the events that took place in real history humanity. Gamers are invited to take one of the sides of the opposing conflict, develop the army, build up power and participate in battles with artificial intelligence.
The AI of the series has been constantly evolving, in order to defeat cunning opponents, the player needs to think through clear tactics for developing and waging war.
Release date: 1998
Genre: RPG in isometric, post-apocalyptic
Developer: Black Isle Studios
Publisher: Interplay Entertainment
The famous Fallout 2 pulled the genre of RPG games from dark dungeons and fantasy forests, moving the game action into a dynamic world after nuclear war. The game has a special atmosphere of the apocalyptic world, where hordes of mutants come out to meet the character.
To complete Fallout 2, you need to go through the storyline, learn how to control the selected character, competently upgrade and dress him. Otherwise, the harsh post-apocalyptic world will perish completely, and the unlucky hero will not be able to achieve his goal.
Release date: year 2000
Genre: RPG isometric, fantasy
Developer: bioware
Publisher: Interplay Entertainment
Baldur's Gate II pleased the players with the appearance of 3 additional classes to those that were in the first part. The game is a classic RPG in the style of D&D. Also, this part of Baldur's Gate confronts the player with many new types of opponents. Coping with monsters, moving forward in the story, will have to be in rather difficult conditions.
In Baldur's Gate II, the bar for gaining experience has been raised, the combat system and the extraction of equipment have been more complicated. All these indicators make the gameplay interesting, but the gamer needs to show all the skill to reach the end.
Release date: year 2009
Genre: RPG about space with a non-linear plot
Developer: bioware
Publisher: Electronic Arts
The darkest, most atmospheric and thrilling installment in the Mass Effect series resurrects Captain Shepard to once again send him to fight for the fate of the galaxy. Gamers are offered female and male variations of the main character, as well as several basic classes with which the fighting style and captain's skills change.
According to the story, new team members appear on the captain's ship, with whom the player will have to interact throughout the game. Many events depend on the moral choices and decisions of the gamer, including the finale.
Release date: 1991
Genre: global economic strategy
Developer: MicroProse, Firaxis Games, Westlake Interactive, Aspyr, BreakAway Games
Publisher: MicroProse, Koei, Hasbro Interactive, Infogrames, MacSoft, Aspyr, Atari, 2K Games
A large-scale series of Civilization strategies offers the player to manage human civilization from its inception to the present. To go all the way from newly emerged people to modern beautiful cities, it is necessary to rebuild cities and manage them. Some parts of the series supported a network mode, where players could fight not only with artificial intelligence, but also with each other for new territories and resources.
To bring his civilization to prosperity, the player needs to master the skills of tactics, diplomacy, and the basics of analytical thinking. Only those thought out by a civilization with a clear development structure will come to victory.
Release date: year 2000
Genre: global strategy with RTS elements
Developer: The Creative Assembly
Publisher: Electronic Arts, Activision, Sega
Total War strategy has won the love of gamers thanks to its detailed, large-scale battles. Total War can be played both in single-player mode and online. Players take the side of one of the factions, develop it to win the wars with artificial intelligence or other gamers.
Depending on the style of play, units acquire unique traits and skills. The characteristics of the army, generals, and faction rulers directly affect the ability to win in wars with opponents.
Release date: 2004
Genre: Fantasy MMORPG
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
MMORPG World of Warcraft has rightfully become one of the most massive in the history of world gaming. More than 100 million accounts, constantly filled servers, regular updates with new locations and characters - all this indicates the constant development of the game. World of Warcraft is focused on group play. Gamers, in order to pump and dress characters, need to constantly enter into alliances and conflicts with other people.
Results can only be achieved through perseverance and the ability to work in a team. Players are invited to visit raid dungeons and events daily to get top-notch equipment.
Release date: 2003
Genre: Fantasy MMORPG
Developer: NCSoft
Publisher: NCSoft
Unlike most MMORPGs, Lineage II does not throw the player into one of the factions immediately after character creation. By choosing a class, starting to pump, the gamer will be able to make an informed decision who he wants to join. PvP component in the game reserved large space, but players will also have to fight AI-controlled monsters.
A huge part of the gameplay is dedicated to duels between players. To win, you need to carefully use the proposed talents, gain experience in battles with AI and dress your character well.
Release date: year 2000
Genre: online team-based first-person shooter
Developer: Valve Corporation
Publisher: Valve Corporation, Sierra Entertainment
The multiplayer game Counter-Strike is a kind of arena with several polygons for battles. Players play for 2 sides: terrorists, special forces. To win, gamers need to complete the branded task of the card, destroy as many opponents as possible. The reward for kills and completed tasks are coins, for which you can purchase new equipment and weapons.
The better the weapon in the hands of the character, the easier it is for the player to succeed in the arenas. Requirements for gamers change on different servers, as does the number of factions available (you can not be an observer everywhere).
Release date: year 2013
Genre: MOBA
Developer: Valve Corporation
Publisher: Valve Corporation
One of the most popular games in the world is Dota 2. The action takes place in a battle arena where 2 teams of players (light and dark) collide. Each player controls one character. Dota 2 offers dozens of different characters with unique skills. Heroes must be controlled in different ways, so the overall outcome of the game depends on the skill of the gamer.
In case of victory in the arena, the player receives coins and a rating increase. For gold, you can buy new equipment and weapons for greater effectiveness in battle.
Release date: 2002
Genre: fantasy open world RPG
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Gamer love for Morrowind has been ubiquitous since the game's release. Morrowind- role-playing game, the main feature of which was the open world and the removal of restrictions from the gamer. The player is free to go where he wants and when he wants, without corridor locations. The storyline is present, its passage is mandatory for victory.
The player needs to choose a suitable character, dress and upgrade him. Exploration of the colorful world of Morrowind takes place along with battles with monsters, interesting side quests.
Release date: year 2012
Genre: open world first person shooter
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal, Massive Entertainment, Ubisoft Shanghai
Publisher: Ubisoft
Action with RPG elements has gained immense popularity among players. Far Cry 3 sends the protagonist to a picturesque tropical island where he will have to fight for survival. The main boss of the game is a charismatic psychopath who intrigues the player throughout the passage.
A cooperative mode is available, where players will have to unite to complete all tasks and battles. In the cooperative mode, a choice of various characters is available, not only the main character. The ultimate goal of the game is to survive by killing all ill-wishers.
Release date: 2015
Genre: open world third-person shooter, crime
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
A dynamic adventure game that combines elements from all popular genres of our time. In the fifth part, players got the opportunity to control not 1 protagonist, but three. To fully complete the plot of the game, you should switch between characters, use the unique abilities of each of them.
Also, the game has universal skills that are useful in combat. The outcome of an exciting story depends on how the gamer distributes talents between characters and what style of play he uses.
Each player chooses his favorite projects for himself, depending on his own preferences and, of course, positive emotions donated by a particular game. But developers think a little differently, and more often they focus their attention on those projects that bring maximum profit and attract investors. If you are interested in looking at the gaming industry from their point of view, we bring you the TOP 10 most profitable games in history.
10th place: Grand Thief Auto 5
This list is opened by the famous, released in 2013 and having collected approximately $4 billion in total. To this day, the game does not lose its popularity, and in total more than 60 million copies have been sold in the world, which allowed developers to receive $3.6 billion, not to mention profit , which was also brought by the client online version of this game.
The company posted several news reports about this, which said that in total it earned only $ 2.3 billion, but in fact this is only the profit of Take-Two, the developer of the game, while the rest of the amount went to stores, platform holders and other organizations. .
9th place: Donkey Kong
A fairly old game that appeared back in 1981 and ranks 9th on our list, providing its developers with a profit of about $4.5 billion. It is worth noting that this is the first game in which you could meet the famous Mario, who did not yet have a name , but was presented on a variety of arcade machines, which today are almost impossible to find anywhere.
For one game in Donkey Kong, you had to pay 25 cents, and such monetization today is even difficult to imagine. Over time, the game was also ported to various consoles, which also brought a lot of profit.
8th Place: Wii Fit
The 8th line of our list belongs to the game Wii Fit, which was revolutionary at the time. At the moment, Wii is known to many as a console, in games for which the player must really act, and not just press buttons, but not everyone knows that for those who do not really prefer video games, the company has released Wii Fit - special board designed for fitness enthusiasts. At the same time, this board cost more than $100 and brought the company the largest profit.
In fact, it turned out that the Wii Fit game does not replace real charging, which doctors around the world have repeatedly written about, but at the time of this “revelation”, the Japanese had already received an income of $ 5 billion.
7th place: Lineage
Lineage II in the CIS countries has received a dizzying success, still never ceasing to please fans. However, few people even know that the first “line” exists at all, and since it is unknown, it must have been absolutely unpopular and of no interest to anyone. In fact, Lineage, released back in 1998, brought NCSoft a fabulous profit of $ 6.5 billion, and at the moment it is also on the list, and all this despite the fact that in fact the game is not popular at all except in its homeland.
Actually, this fact, most likely, is an excellent explanation of why Lineage III nevertheless returns to the canons of the first part and is in no way connected with the second.
6th place: CrossFire
Another game that brought the Asians $7.5 billion in profit only thanks to the Asians themselves, because it is not popular in other countries. This one is almost a full-fledged Counter-Strike clone released in 2007, which is just as capable of running on any machine, and whose servers are assembled online by 6 million people, which is roughly comparable to the online presence of all Steam games combined.
5th place: Dungeon Fighter Online
Another game that once again shows us that Koreans care much more about gameplay than graphics or sound. Horrifying visual performance on the NES and Spectrum levels hasn't stopped hardcore oldfag fighter Dungeon Fighter Online from generating $8 billion in revenue for developers, and even now the game brings its publisher about $1 billion in revenue annually, from a couple of years ago it was the most profitable game among all existing ones.
4th place: World of Warcraft
It would be strange if the famous master would not be included in this list, because this is the most profitable in the history of the gaming industry. Various "WoW killers" have appeared for a long time, but in fact, no one has even approximately achieved the success of this project.
It is worth noting that at the moment there is no information about the exact income of the game, but already in 2013 it brought Blizzard $8.5 billion. Despite the fact that “WoW is not the same anymore”, the project is alive and well, and who knows how much more Blizzard will keep it in . Now, periodically there is information that the game's revenue has exceeded $ 10 billion.
3rd place: Street Fighter 2
Opens the TOP 3 Street Fighter 2, which in 1991 made a real revolution in the fighting game genre, providing a variety of characters, all sorts of combinations and secret moves.
Throughout its existence, Street Fighter 2 brought its developers a profit of more than $10.5 billion. Basically, this money was earned thanks to numerous machines, of which more than 60,000 were produced in the 90s, and when the game appeared on consoles, it sold more than 14 million copies.
2nd place: Pac-Man
A world-famous hit of the 80s, which was originally released only for slot machines (of which there were more than 350 thousand), and subsequently moved to consoles. Initially, the game was developed as a competitor to Space Invaders, but Toru Iwatani believed that it was not worth making a violent game and decided to develop his own project in which there would be no need to kill someone.
Despite the fact that the game was not appreciated in the developer’s homeland, it was incredibly popular in the USA, although now the opposite is true - they are actively buying in the USA, while in Japan this genre is of no interest to anyone. In total, the game brought in a profit of $12.8 billion.
1st place: Space Invaders
Space Invaders is the 1978 game that closes our list and is the highest grossing game in gaming history. Space Invaders arcade machines have become an absolute hit in Japan, and it is worth noting the fact that the popularity of this game provoked a shortage of 100 yen coins in the country, since this was the cost of one attempt here.
Subsequently, the game was ported to the Atari 2600, which also brought considerable profit to the developer. The total profit, equal to about $14 billion, was achieved at the time of 1982, that is, in just 4 years of the game's existence.
Thus, the TOP-10 included only 3 Western and 7 Asian projects - 3 from Korea and two from Japan. Probably, for many it will be a surprise that there is practically no modern hit here, and the most profitable games were created only at the beginning of the development of the gaming industry.
