Microsoft becomes gaming industry leader: record sales in December
By ForGeeks In December 2024, Microsoft ranked first among global publishers on the PC, PlayStation and Xbox platforms, earning $465 million in game sales.
In December 2024, Microsoft ranked first among global publishers on the PC, PlayStation and Xbox platforms, earning $465 million in game sales.
Key releases and success of Call of Duty
According to analytics firm Ampere, a significant portion of that amount came from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which was the hit of the holiday season. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, released in December, also contributed to the success.
Ampere’s analysis shows that the game was a big hit during the holiday season.
It was Call of Duty, however, that provided the main breakthrough. According to Ampere, Call of Duty HQ, which includes Black Ops 6, attracted 38 million active users in November 2024, setting a strong base for December’s record-breaking release.
Ampere says Call of Duty HQ, which includes Black Ops 6, attracted 38 million active users in November 2024, setting a strong base for December’s record-breaking release.
Microsoft’s multiplatform strategy
Microsoft is aggressively pursuing a multi-platform release strategy for its games. In December, 64% of user spending on the company’s games was on PlayStation, fueled by the popularity of Call of Duty.
Microsoft has been aggressively pursuing a multi-platform strategy for its games.
Competing with Electronic Arts and the success of Chinese publishers
Electronic Arts came in second place, earning $366 million thanks to EA Sports FC 25, though the game’s results were behind last year’s.
December was also a landmark month for Chinese publishers. Ampere celebrates the success of Marvel Rivals (Netease) and Path of Exile 2 (Tencent), which brought in 29 million active users and $148 million respectively. These achievements put Tencent and Netease in Ampere’s top publishers for the first time.
Ampere’s top publishers.
The Impact of Chinese Games on the Global Market
Ampere research director Piers Harding-Rolls said the growing influence of Chinese publishers is adding a new dynamic to the console and PC games market, increasing competition in an already ultra-competitive industry.
Consoles sales and Microsoft’s view of the future
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Recent NPD data showed that PS5 sales are outpacing the PS4 in the US, while the Xbox Series is lagging behind the Xbox One. This underscores the growing gap between the platforms.
Last week, Microsoft’s head of gaming, Phil Spencer, gave a series of interviews discussing the place of Xbox consoles in the company’s new strategy focused on multi-platform game development.
