The sales dominance of the FIFA video game franchise has been apparent for year, though it became most noticeable in October 2011. According to Gamespot, that’s when FIFA 12 was able to move an impressive 3.2 million copies following its launch in the United States. That figure was unprecedented for the game’s developer, Electronic Arts (EA), which stated that FIFA 12 had “the most successful launch in EA Sports history.” That stat has pretty much remained true in the ensuing years, even if FIFA 14‘s launch week didn’t equate to the massive sales of its predecessors. That fact doesn’t really matter to EA, though, because they have made up for it—and then some.
The sales numbers for the latest instalment in this beloved franchise remain strong despite the fact it’s been out for several months. For reference, it was released on the PS3 and Xbox 360 in September while the versions for PS4 and Xbox One hit shelves in November. In the U.K., for example, FIFA 14 came in at the number-one spot for individual formats sales and all formats sales. The Metro reports that the game sold 28,088 across the various consoles in the week ending January 25. That was enough to beat out Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4 (another EA title), and Lego Marvel Super Heroes, the last of which is getting a boost because of the newly announced LEGO Movie.
Similarly, FIFA 14’s sales have remained strong over the weeks thanks to entertaining play right now and in the near future. There’s the second leg of the Colombian Super Cup, loads of Premier League action as we move closer to the end of the season, and much more. Beyond that, there’s the highly anticipated (and FIFA-sponsored) 2014 World Cup. Set to take place in Brazil from June 12 through July 13, it is without question the biggest sporting event in the world. The very fact that we’re leading up to the World Cup is reason enough to get excited about the sport and, for many, learn more about it through a game like FIFA 14.
What’s more, this means great things for EA. The developer was able to capture 35 percent of total game sales for both the PS4 and Xbox One. That number was also boosted by the aforementioned Battlefield 4. VentureBeat argues that EA is touting these figures as a big deal because they underperformed (sales-wise) on the PS3 and Xbox 360. But the fact of the matter is that EA was looking to become a leader on the next-generation consoles—and it’s clear that they have accomplished exactly that. Can you even imagine how spectacular FIFA 15 will be this fall? The anticipation would be too much if we weren’t still loving the current game.