In the latest data from GfK, Spider-Man 2 has achieved a remarkable feat by securing the number one position on the UK boxed retail game charts, surpassing the highly anticipated Super Mario Bros Wonder.
This exclusive title for the PlayStation 5 had a powerful launch, becoming the largest boxed launch for the PS5 this year. Its sales are nearly 5% higher than the previous record-holder, Hogwarts Legacy, which debuted on the PS5 back in February.
It’s worth noting that Spider-Man 2’s launch sales are only slightly more than 3% lower than the PS5 launch of God of War Ragnarok, the largest PlayStation launch of all time, which was released last year.
However, these figures are specific to physical sales, and the full rankings may change once digital sales data is considered. It’s also essential to mention that God of War Ragnarok had a slight advantage, as it was launched on a Wednesday, allowing for a few extra days of sales compared to Spider-Man 2, which arrived on a Friday.
Spider-Man 2 now stands as the fourth most extensive boxed game launch of the year, trailing behind Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, EA Sports FC24, and Hogwarts Legacy.
Comparing Spider-Man 2 to its predecessor, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, released in 2020 for both PS4 and PS5, boxed launch sales for Spider-Man 2 have seen a significant increase of 41%. On the other hand, when comparing it to the original Spider-Man released in 2018, the new game’s sales are 38% lower. It’s essential to await the digital download data to obtain a complete picture of how Spider-Man 2 stacks up.
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The impressive success of Spider-Man 2 has shifted the balance in the physical games market, with Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros Wonder settling for second place.
Super Mario Bros Wonder’s launch is still a significant achievement for Nintendo, with sales slightly outpacing those of New Super Mario Bros Wii, released in 2009, making it the most substantial 2D Mario game launch in the history of the UK. While the launch is strong, it falls short of recent Zelda or Pokémon releases, with sales 62% lower than Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
The charts reveal that Super Mario games, particularly 2D titles, tend to have longer-term appeal and sales potential. Therefore, despite its lower launch sales, Super Mario Bros Wonder is expected to remain a popular choice for months to come.
As the fifth most extensive boxed game launch of the year, Super Mario Bros Wonder maintains its strong position.
Sonic Superstars makes its debut in the charts at number four. It’s curious that Sega opted to release a 2D Sonic game during the same week as a 2D Mario game, especially considering Sonic’s popularity on the Nintendo Switch.
Notably, the majority of Sonic Superstars’ sales came from the Nintendo Switch (49% of all boxed games sold), followed by PS5 (34%), Xbox (10%), and then PS4 (6%).
Comparing the launch sales of Sonic Superstars to last year’s 3D Sonic game, Sonic Frontiers, which was a more substantial budget release, reveals a decline of 63%. It’s likely that Sonic Superstars will play a significant role in Black Friday sales next month, which may have been part of Sega’s strategy all along.
The only other new release on the charts this week is Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged, entering at No.32.
Several games experienced a boost in sales due to pricing activity, with Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt Game of the Year Edition surging from No.47 to No.13 with a remarkable 144% increase in sales. Meanwhile, Mortal Kombat 11 re-entered the charts at No.16 with an impressive 863% sales leap.
The reign of EA Sports FC 24 at the top of the charts ended, with the football game sliding to No.3 and experiencing a 53% sales decrease week-on-week. However, it’s expected to make a return to the top spot. Meanwhile, Assassin’s Creed Mirage dropped to No.5 with a 49% sales decline.
In contrast, last week’s Lords of the Fallen saw a substantial drop from No.4 to No.18, with a significant 70% decrease in sales.
The GfK Boxed Top Ten for the week ending October 21, 2023, is as follows:
| Last Week | This Week | Title |
|---|---|---|
| New entry | 1 | Spider-Man 2 |
| New entry | 2 | Super Mario Bros Wonder |
| 7 | 3 | EA Sports FC 24 |
| New entry | 4 | Sonic Superstars |
| 2 | 5 | Assassin’s Creed Mirage |
| 7 | 6 | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe |
| 6 | 7 | Red Dead Redemption (Remaster) |
| 9 | 8 | Hogwarts Legacy |
| 5 | 9 | Minecraft (Nintendo Switch) |
| 9 | 10 | Nintendo Switch Sports |
