America versus Europe

For our final slice of the data, let's look at the 20 top-selling titles and break their sales down by region: either U.S. sales or UK/European sales.



Immediately one notices the obvious popularity differentials in “football” – American football and then the real football (or soccer, to the Yanks). Madden NFL sales are nonexistent outside of the U.S. while sales of FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer are strong with Europeans and Brits.

However, there are other things to notice, like the European base of fans for racing games like Forza Motorsport 2 and NFS: Pro Street. The success of The Simpsons Game is another interesting find, suggesting that non-Americans enjoy playing American games poking fun at American foibles.