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FIFA 22's boxed launch down 35% over FIFA 21 | UK Boxed Charts

Bullet Club

Member

FIFA 22's boxed launch down 35% over FIFA 21 | UK Boxed Charts​


Sonic makes third place, while Hot Wheels speeds in at No.4

It is the biggest game launch of the year, but FIFA 22 continues a sharp downward trend for the franchise at UK boxed games retail.

Launch week boxed sales of FIFA 22 are down by more than 35% compared with FIFA 21, which was itself down by more than 42% over FIFA 20.

This is based on physical game sales data supplied by GfK.

This doesn't mean FIFA underperformed. Indeed, last year, FIFA 21's launch download sales were up 31% compared with the year before, marking the first time more people downloaded FIFA in the UK than bought it in a box. We will see the download performance for FIFA 22 later in the week when the GSD charts are released.

It's worth noting that FIFA does tend to dip during the early years of new consoles, with consumers split across two generations of hardware.

41% of FIFA 22 sales were on PS4, 27% were on Xbox One, 23% on PS5, 5% on Nintendo Switch and 4% on Xbox Series S and X.

It means last week's No.1, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, unsurprisingly drops to No.2. But it was still a good week for Mario Kart, which enjoyed a 15% sales rise week-on-week. It is the third consecutive week of sales growth for the Nintendo game.

At No.3 is a new entry in the form of Sonic Colours Ultimate. 53% of sales were on Nintendo Switch, 32% for PS4 and 15% on Xbox One. The Sega game just about holds off Hot Wheels Unleashed at No.4. The Milestone racing title performed best on PS5, which represented 39% of sales. 27% of Hot Wheels sales were on Switch, 14% on PS4, 11% on Xbox One and 8% on Xbox Series X and S.

More PS5 consoles were released at retail last week, which has caused a surge in sales for Sony-developed games on the platform. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is at No.6 after a 165% sales rise, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart jumps back into the charts at No.11 thanks to a 321% sales spike. Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut also returns to the charts (at No.19) after a 134% sales rise.

Last week's new releases all dropped heavily. Lost Judgment falls from No.4 to No.40 after a 76% sales decline, while Death Stranding: Director's Cut has disappeared from the charts entirely.

Recent PS5 hit Deathloop falls to No.12 after a 41% sales fall.

Finally, one more new release lands at No.13 in the form of Insurgency: Sandstorm. The Focus Home Interactive game sold best on PS4, with Sony's console representing 58% of sales and Xbox One making up the remainder.

Here is the GfK top ten for the week ending October 2, 2021:

Last WeekThis WeekTitle
New Entry1FIFA 22
1 2Mario Kart 8: Deluxe
New Entry3Sonic Colours Ultimate
New Entry4Hot Wheels Unleashed
25Minecraft (Switch)
96Spider-Man: Miles Morales
37Animal Crossing: New Horizons
88 F1 2021
69Grand Theft Auto 5
710Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

Source: Game Industry
 

godhandiscen

There are millions of whiny 5-year olds on Earth, and I AM THEIR KING.
As much as I wish this meant a decline in the popularity of FIFA, I bet it has to do with the move to digital. I haven’t bought a boxed game since the 360 gen.

People buying digital, relinquishing their only right to sell this yearly junk to fund their next installment. I mean, who touches older fifa. ?

An old version of FIFA is worth less than a soda at the gas station. At least you waste less plastic with the digital version.
 
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Nitty_Grimes

Made a crappy phPBB forum once ... once.
Maybe people just aren’t falling for the same old EA Sports shit this time? The fifa zealots at my work that buy it every year, several of them have said this time nah fuck it, enough is enough.
 
If only this meant that people are waking up to the scam.

But nah we'll probably just see Digital sales making up for lost boxed sells.

Also who the hell would buy Sonic Colors on Switch? after seeing how buggy the game is on Switch or the other systems for that matter.
 
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game isnt even cross platform between ps4/ps5 even though they run at the same 4k/60 fps .....splitting the userbases even more and forcing people to buy the ultimate editions or buy 2 seperate versions
 

cormack12

Gold Member
There is no chance Fifa just loses a third of its players lol - even moreso when PES shits the bed as badly as it has done.

Is this the first time a cross-gen game has sold more on PS4 than PS5?

It's not really cross gen. You can't share things like VOLTA, BAP and FUT across platforms. They are effectively two different releases like Fifa 19 for PS3 and Fifa 19 for PS4 for example. They obviously have the same issue as every FIFA in wtf has changed but yeah
 

reksveks

Member
Probably too small to make a significant difference but also interesting to remember that there was a bunch of series s plus digital fifa bundles out last week. I am not sure how that effects the tracking for boxed sales.
 
Probably too small to make a significant difference but also interesting to remember that there was a bunch of series s plus digital fifa bundles out last week. I am not sure how that effects the tracking for boxed sales.
Not counted.
Only digital codes in hard bundles.
 

Bojanglez

The Amiga Brotherhood
Definitely indicates that digital sales are likely rising to account for this drop in physical. Games like FIFA that have a heavy online or replayablility are just more convenient to have digitally so you're not swapping discs out, plus the release value of FIFA on disc is likely next to worthless (I don't know that bit but I remember asa kid this being the case).
 

SkylineRKR

Member
You might as well buy FIFA digital since physical isn't worth shit a few months down the line. These are the usual games you'll find in the used market. Its always been like this, way back when I still found some old 16-bit stuff in a dark corner of a store it were always annual sports games no one wants.
 

ripeavocado

Banned
Could be a good news but it's actually a confirmation that the game industry is going to shit.

FIFA 22 is an awful game, shouldn't sell but it's selling digital and earn the usual billions with FUT.
 
I love fifa but my god does 22 suck ass ,it's goddamn aweful
The graphics are same, the gameplay is slower literally it's a copy paste of last year
 

Portugeezer

Gold Member
Buying digital.

Like me, thanks to peer pressure... then complain about legacy glitches in modes which are not Ultimate Team.
 
I'm not sure EA will be too concerned when all those FUT bux keep rolling in and surpass anything boxed sales could ever even dream of.
 

reksveks

Member
but digital sales haven't risen to 1/0.65 = 1.54x
do we have digital sales numbers for fifa yet?

also give than digtial seems to be have been bigger than physical for the last year, i don't think the ratio has to be matched.

E.g. in the case it's
40:60 last year (phyiscal vs digital)

if physical went down 34% percent (0.65*40)
26:X then digital only has to go up 74/60 = 23%
 
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I saw a PS5 copy in CEX's window on Saturday. Unless CEX now sell new stuff someone must have bought FIFA 22 and played it for a day then traded it in?

Was it Jay from Inbetweeners? Was it a glitch in the Matrix?

Possibly stolen I guess but otherwise I can't understand it.
 

reksveks

Member
I saw a PS5 copy in CEX's window on Saturday. Unless CEX now sell new stuff someone must have bought FIFA 22 and played it for a day then traded it in?

Was it Jay from Inbetweeners? Was it a glitch in the Matrix?

Possibly stolen I guess but otherwise I can't understand it.
Pretty sure that they do sell a limited amount of stuff new
 

MrFunSocks

Banned
As the article says, digital increase more than makes up this loss so again - these figures are as close to irrelevant as you can get.
 

JLB

Banned
I love fifa but my god does 22 suck ass ,it's goddamn aweful
The graphics are same, the gameplay is slower literally it's a copy paste of last year

Not at all. this is the best fifa in years. much slow paced, passing is key, at least for now (hopefully ea doesnt update the game). Last year was all about having fast players, now players like kross or de bruyne are again useful.
 
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do we have digital sales numbers for fifa yet?

also give than digtial seems to be have been bigger than physical for the last year, i don't think the ratio has to be matched.

E.g. in the case it's
40:60 last year (phyiscal vs digital)

if physical went down 34% percent (0.65*40)
26:X then digital only has to go up 74/60 = 23%


For the full year, FIFA 2021 sold 2.23m units
51.9% digital.
 
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b0uncyfr0

Member
I've played an hour - gameplay seems unchanged, so not really surprised. What I was expecting was some nice gfx improvements:

-- Why are the menus still 30 fps, like wtf? Surely these can be 60 fps now?
-- Where is the 120hz option? This is not a demanding game, 1440/1620p @ 120hz should be very doable

So yeah, it's a meh from me.
 

JLB

Banned
I've played an hour - gameplay seems unchanged, so not really surprised. What I was expecting was some nice gfx improvements:

-- Why are the menus still 30 fps, like wtf? Surely these can be 60 fps now?
-- Where is the 120hz option? This is not a demanding game, 1440/1620p @ 120hz should be very doable

So yeah, it's a meh from me.

Definitely a 120hz option would be great and doable.
I'd suggest you to play more online matches. Gameplay is radically different as of now. But the disgusting FUT community is already pushing EA to make changes so its more like 21 (that is, you have the faster players = you win).
 
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lils

Member
is there any evidence to support this assumption?

there's no explanation that i can see as to why:

1. this particular game would have a drastically different ratio of physical to digital sales compared to the average

2. this particular game would have a drastically different ratio of physical to digital sales compared to the previous game in the series

also: lol that profile picture coming in to defend EA and their sportsball game

This is a win for EA, the margins on digital are much better.

what makes you think digital sales are higher
 

reksveks

Member


For the full year, FIFA 2021 sold 2.23m units
51.9% digital.

For FIFA 21
The digital performance almost makes up for a decline in physical sales, which were down by 42% as reported by GfK
So this year's trend wouldn't be a huge variation from the previous one lils lils
 
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lils

Member
For FIFA 21

So this year's trend wouldn't be a huge variation from the previous one lils lils

that is interesting, but since that was a new console launch it would explain the shift to more digital sales, since some of them dont have disc drives. although i guess you could argue that there are still more people with those than last year, which might explain this
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Isnt digital sales now about 70%?

If you use that as a metric as compare against years when hardly anyone did digital, the sales will probably be pretty close.
 

GHG

Gold Member
but surely wouldn't this affect physical and digital sales the same?

Fifa has shown a consistent YoY decline for physical sales while digital has increased exponentially.

Let's wait for them to release a statement once they reach a sales milestone but I wouldn't be surprised if this years version sells better than last years.
 
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elliot5

Member
If you are buying the game new on release because you're a fan of the series, I do not understand why you would opt for a disk.

You get 10% off EA Play discount and an additional 10% off if you purchase through FIFA 21. 20% off the new retail price at the convenience of your own home. Easiest sale in the world. Even just the 10% from FIFA 21 would be enough for me.
 
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