Video games often take you into fantasy worlds unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Games like Zelda, Mario, Crash Bandicoot, and many others have become classics for going beyond what we as humans can do and putting us in the shows of a hero. There are, however, other gaming series’ that are based in reality, such as sports simulation games. Sports sims have become gigantic over the years so I have decided to put together this list of the 5 best selling sports game franchises in gaming today.
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Best Selling Sports Game Franchises Ever
WWE 2K/WWE/Raw vs Smackdown
Sports Entertainment is a larger-than-life spectacle that lends itself very well to the world of video games. Dating back to classics like No Mercy to today with WWE 2K, pro wrestling games have been big sellers.
Every year there is a new release that updates rosters, provides new storylines, allows for more customisation and keeps people playing all year round. With recent editions, it would appear that 2K games has gone all in on revamping the WWE games to make them better than ever so it is possible that we will see this series grow even more in years to come.
PES/eFootball
The long-time rival to FIFA was at one point considered the greatest soccer simulator in the business. Over the years it lost out to FIFA with the advent of Ultimate Team turning the tides in the favor of EA SPorts for good. Despite that, this is one of the most successful sports franchises in the history of video gaming and has completely reshaped how it works in recent years.
Now known as the free-to-play eFootball, the former PES is an online game focused on packs and training up your cards to put together the best team possible. To this day it remains a visible brand in the gaming world and likely drives a lot of revenue for Konami.
NBA 2K
The recent growth of basketball has been in no small part due to the popularity of NBA 2K. Its MyCareer mode has become one of the most anticipated things in gaming every single year as players rush to live the life of a burgeoning basketball star to make it to the NBA and eventually become a hall of fame player.
You can get in on the real-life NBA action at NBA betting sites but virtually, NBA 2K is the best way to get your fix of basketball action. It even has its own answer to FIFA Ultimate Team in the form of MyTeam which is loaded with content in comparison to Ea Sports’ offering.
Madden NFL
This may surprise some international readers but the NFL is a part of the culture in America. It is by far the most popular sport in the country with the Super Bowl being more of a cultural event than a sporting one. It comes as no surprise that the sport has translated to a popular video game series. Since inking an exclusive rights deal with EA the two have never looked back with EA pumping out new titles every single year with no competition leading to the series racking up sales.
FIFA
Unsurprisingly the number one on the list of the best selling sports game franchises of all time is FIFA. The soccer simulation game has been released on an annual basis for over two decades now with the game becoming one of the biggest titles of the 2010s.
While repetitive gameplay and an overt focus on the gambling-style packs on Ultimate Team have led to many souring on the series it is still one of the highest sellers every year.
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Check out the rest of our tips & guides to find our other builds and tips for games across all genres including NBA 2K, MLB: The Show, Smalland: Survive the Wilds, Demonologist, and more.
