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Compared to last year, digital sales of video games increased by 5% in April, hitting $6.2 billion. PC titles saw increased sales, while both mobile and console sales slowed a bit. All three platforms did better this year than last, but were still a $100 million shy of March. PC games brought in $2.9 billion alone, with Dark Souls III raking in $45 million that month. It was the first game in the series to be optimized for PC play instead of console play.
Mobile games slipped by 6%, but social gaming lost 10% compared to last year. It seems that “casual gamers” who enjoy games like Candy Crush Saga or FarmVille, have been moving away from playing those games on sites like Facebook to playing them on their mobile phones. Console sales had the largest growth compared to last year.
Most of the games that appeared in the top five slots for either console or PC have robust multiplayer communities or allow players to buy additional content, and these keep those games in the market. Fallout 4, which came in fifth place for PC, has been releasing additional content which brings players back and, as the game feels more “complete” to people who haven’t played it yet, is bringing in new players. Call of Duty: Black Ops III has been around for a while now, but it still claimed the number one spot for console sales. That’s probably because it hasn’t been replaced with a new Call of Duty game yet, and as that’s the top selling franchise in the world, people keep getting into it, and will continue to do so, right up until the next game drops.
Overall, on PC and console, Dark Souls III and Tom Clancy’s The Division were the only newly released titles to claim spots in the top five, with Dark Souls III taking first and fifth respectively.