Top 10 most popular PC gaming genres

August 6th, 2010

Think you can guess the most played genres in PC games over the last year? The results may surprise you, as given to Alienware Arena by NPD, the official tracker of U.S. video game sales.

Based on unit sales for the 12 month period ending in June, the most popular PC gaming genres are as follows (sample games in parenthesis):

1. Strategy (StarCraft II, Total War, Worms)
2. Family Entertainment (Plants vs. Zombies, Spore, The Sims)
3. Role-Playing (World of Warcraft, Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age)
4. Adventure (Assassin’s Creed II, Lego, Lost Planet)
5. Shooter (Modern Warfare 2, Bad Company 2, Left 4 Dead 2)
6. Action (Grand Theft Auto IV, Just Cause 2)
7. Other Games/Compilations (Re-releases, bundles, game of the year editions)
8. Flight (Blazing Angels, IL‐2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey)
9. Sport Games (FIFA, NBA 2K10, MLB 2K10)
10. Children's Entertainment (Dysney titles, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Bookworm)

As a long-time PC favorite, Strategy Games were expected at the top. As were Role-Playing Games. But I was surprised to see Family Games at no. 2, above even role-playing ones. Perhaps it's a testament of how far mainstream games have come in recent years.

I was also surprised to see Adventure Games take the fourth spot over Shooters and Action. Granted, this list only represents sales over the last 12 months, and genre popularity ebbs and flows depending on yearly release schedules. But it’s hard to imagine a genre selling more than Modern Warfare 2, Bad Company 2, and Left 4 Dead 2 -- big-sellers all released within the last 12 months. Nevertheless, collective Adventure Games did precisley that, according to the NPD.

As for the rest of the list, it’s obvious Sport Games and Children’s Games are still lacking on PC when compared to other platforms. Anything else jump out?

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