FIFA 19 leads slow yet crucial week at retail

After a hectic Black Friday week, things now look much calmer at retail, as FIFA 19 remained at the top of the charts. Sales for the title were down 39 per cent week-on-week, with the majority of the sales still going to the PS4 version (64 per cent share, against 26 per cent for Xbox One and nine per cent for Switch).

Overall, the market was down 8.3 per cent in units and 4.5 per cent in value compared to the same period last year. As we’ve properly entered the run-up to Christmas, games sales don’t seem to be going as well as they could be in what are the biggest weeks of the year for retailers. Hopefully, the few big releases remaining (with Super Smash Bros Ultimate leading the pack) will drive up the figures before the end of the year.

Red Dead Redemption 2 gained one spot to No.2 despite sales decreasing 24 per cent week-on-week, while Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 lost one spot following a 64 per cent drop in sales and charted at No.3.

Battlefield V had a decent second week, holding on to No.4 with its sales only decreasing 48 per cent week-on-week. Its sales are still 65 per cent down compared to where Battlefield 1 was after two weeks, though some of it will be down to the digital shift – unfortunately EA hasn’t released any digital figures yet for Battlefield V.

There are very few changes in the Top Ten, apart from Fortnite: Deep Freeze Bundle re-entering at No.10 as Fallout 76 fell to No.11 after a 50 per cent drop in sales for its third week in the charts.

There’s only one new entry in the charts, THQ Nordic’s Darksiders III, debuting at No.32.

Here’s the Top Ten for the week ending December 1st 2018 (data courtesy of GfK/Ukie):