2008 in video games

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List of years in video games
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2008 has seen many sequels and prequels in video games. New intellectual properties include Army of Two, Dead Space, iRacing, Left 4 Dead, LittleBigPlanet, Mirror's Edge, Race Driver: Grid, and Spore.

Events[]

Month Date(s) Event
June 28 Blizzard Entertainment announces Diablo III in Paris, France.
July 29 Game developers Joseph and Melissa Batten die in a murder-suicide.
November 13 Zeebo was announced. The console is aiming for developing countries.

Business[]

Month Date(s) Event
July 15–17 E3 2008 in Santa Monica, California, United States.[1]
July 31 – August 3 QuakeCon 2008 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas, United States.
October 2–4 Nintendo conference held in San Francisco, United States and Tokyo, Japan.
December 1 National Amusements' Sumner Redstone sells his controlling stake in Midway Games
to private investor Mark Thomas, for $100,000 ($0.0012 a share), and assumes $70
million of senior secured and unsecured debt.[2]
9 Infogrames, Atari's parent company, purchases Cryptic Studios.[3]

Open to the public[]

Month Date(s) Event
August 21–24 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany.
October 3–5 E for All at the Los Angeles Convention center in California, United States.
9–12 Tokyo Game Show at the Makuhari Messe International Convention in Mihama-ku, Chiba, Japan.[4]
Games Convention Asia in Singapore.
10–11 BlizzCon 2008 in Anaheim, California, United States.

Hardware and software sales[]

Worldwide[]

The following are the best-selling games of 2008 in terms of worldwide retail sales. These games sold at least 5 million units worldwide in 2008.

Rank Title Sales Publisher Platform(s) Ref
1 Wii Sports 22,660,000 Nintendo Wii [a]
2 Mario Kart Wii 13,670,000 Nintendo Wii [6]
3 Wii Fit 12,960,000 Nintendo Wii [b]
4 Wii Play 11,680,000 Nintendo Wii [c]
5 Grand Theft Auto IV 10,000,000 Take-Two Interactive PS3 / X360 [7]
6 Super Smash Bros. Brawl 8,100,000 Nintendo Wii [6]
7 Call of Duty: World at War 5,890,000 Activision Blizzard PS3 / X360 / PC [8]
8 Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! 5,110,000 Nintendo Nintendo DS [d]

Canada[]

  • Based on figures from the NPD Group:

Video game console sales in Canada (first seven months of 2008)[9]

Place Console Units sold
1 Wii 376,000
2 PlayStation 3 200,000
3 Xbox 360 154,000

Japan[]

  • Based on figures from Enterbrain:

Video game console sales of 2008 in Japan (December 31, 2007 – December 28, 2008)[10][11][12]

Place Console Units sold
1 Nintendo DS 4,029,804
2 PlayStation Portable 3,543,171
3 Wii 2,908,342
4 PlayStation 3 991,303
5 PlayStation 2 480,664
6 Xbox 360 317,859
7 Other 9,575

Best-selling video games of 2008 in Japan (December 31, 2007 – December 28, 2008)[10][11][12]

Place Title Platform Publisher Units sold
1 Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G PSP Capcom 2,452,111
2 Pokémon Platinum NDS Pokémon Company 2,187,337
3 Wii Fit Wii Nintendo 2,149,131
4 Mario Kart Wii Wii Nintendo 2,003,315
5 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Wii Nintendo 1,747,113
6 Rhythm Heaven NDS Nintendo 1,350,671
7 Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride NDS Square Enix 1,176,082
8 Animal Crossing: City Folk Wii Nintendo 895,302
9 Kirby Super Star Ultra NDS Nintendo 855,427
10 Wii Sports Wii Nintendo 841,736
  • Based on figures from Dengeki:

Best-selling video games of 2008 in Japan (December 31, 2007 – December 21, 2008)[13][14][15]

Place Title Platform Publisher Units sold
1 Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G PSP Capcom 2,507,400
2 Pokémon Platinum NDS Pokémon Company 2,125,348
3 Wii Fit Wii Nintendo 2,024,113
4 Mario Kart Wii Wii Nintendo 1,973,089
5 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Wii Nintendo 1,808,709
6 Rhythm Heaven NDS Nintendo 1,320,047
7 Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride NDS Square Enix 1,228,014
8 Kirby Super Star Ultra NDS Nintendo 724,608
9 Animal Crossing City Folk Wii Nintendo 709,640
10 Wii Sports Wii Nintendo 694,765

United States[]

  • Based on figures from the NPD Group:

Video game console sales in the US (first six months of 2008)[16]

Place Console Units sold
1 Wii 3.5 million
2 PlayStation 3 1.6 million
3 Xbox 360 1.34 million

Best-selling video games of 2008 in the US[17][18]

Place Title Platform Publisher Units sold
1 Wii Play Wii Nintendo 5.28 million
2 Mario Kart Wii Wii Nintendo 5.00 million
3 Wii Fit Wii Nintendo 4.53 million
4 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Wii Nintendo 4.17 million
5 Grand Theft Auto IV X360 Rockstar Games 3.29 million
6 Call of Duty: World at War X360 Activision 2.75 million
7 Gears of War 2 X360 Microsoft 2.31 million
8 Grand Theft Auto IV PS3 Rockstar Games 1.89 million
9 Madden NFL 09 X360 Electronic Arts 1.87 million
10 Mario Kart DS NDS Nintendo 1.65 million
  • Based on figures from the NPD Group via IGN;[19][20] the games' publishers are listed in brackets:

Best-selling video games of 2008 in the US (by platform)[a]

Place NDS[21] PC[22] PS3[23]
1 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
(Sega)
Spore
(Electronic Arts)
Grand Theft Auto IV
(Rockstar Games)
2 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and
Explorers of Darkness

(Nintendo)
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
(Funcom)
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
(Konami)
3 Guitar Hero: On Tour
(Activision)
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
(Electronic Arts)
Madden NFL 09
(Electronic Arts)
4 Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
(LucasArts)
The Sims 2: FreeTime
(Electronic Arts)
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
(Sony Computer Entertainment)
5 Kirby Super Star Ultra
(Nintendo)
Spore Creature Creator
(Electronic Arts)
MLB 08: The Show
(Sony Computer Entertainment)
6 Professor Layton and the Curious Village
(Nintendo)
Sins of a Solar Empire
(Stardock)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
(LucasArts)
7 Kung Fu Panda
(Activision)
The Sims 2: Apartment Life
(Electronic Arts)
NCAA Football 09
(Electronic Arts)
8 Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
(Nintendo)
The Sims 2: Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff
(Electronic Arts)
Army of Two
(Electronic Arts)
9 Crosswords DS
(Nintendo)
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Soulstorm
(THQ)
Soulcalibur IV
(Namco Bandai)
10 Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
(Square Enix)
The Sims Castaway Stories
(Electronic Arts)
Devil May Cry 4
(Capcom)
Place PSP[24] Wii[25] X360[19]
1 Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
(Square Enix)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
(Nintendo)
Grand Theft Auto IV
(Rockstar Games)
2 God of War: Chains of Olympus
(Sony Computer Entertainment)
Mario Kart Wii
(Nintendo)
Madden NFL 09
(Electronic Arts)
3 MLB 08: The Show
(Sony Computer Entertainment)
Wii Fit
(Nintendo)
Fable II
(Microsoft)
4 Iron Man
(Sega)
Rock Band
(MTV Games)
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
(Ubisoft)
5 Patapon
(Sony Computer Entertainment)
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
(LucasArts)
Army of Two
(Electronic Arts)
6 Madden NFL 09
(Electronic Arts)
Mario Super Sluggers
(Nintendo)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
(LucasArts)
7 Lego Indiana Jones
(LucasArts)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
(LucasArts)
Battlefield: Bad Company
(Electronic Arts)
8 Major League Baseball 2K8
(2K Games)
Deca Sports
(Hudson Soft)
NCAA Football 09
(Electronic Arts)
9 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
(LucasArts)
Endless Ocean
(Nintendo)
Rock Band 2
(MTV Games)
10 Need for Speed: ProStreet
(Electronic Arts)
Unknown Ninja Gaiden II
(Microsoft)

^ a: In the IGN articles used as sources, IGN lists the titles as the "Top 10 Sellers in 2008"; however, the IGN articles were published on December 9–12, 2008, so the articles might not take into account November and December sales figures, as the NPD Group did not release November's console game sales figures until December 11, 2008.[26]

  • Based on figures from the NPD Group:

Best-selling console games of all time in the US (as of May 1, 2008)[27]

Note: This list only includes games that were released after NPD started tracking video game sales data.

Place Title Units sold
1 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 9.40 million
2 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock 8.20 million
3 Madden NFL 07 7.70 million
4 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 7.30 million
5 Madden NFL 06 6.70 million
6 Halo 2 6.61 million
7 Madden NFL 08 6.60 million
8 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 6.25 million
9 Grand Theft Auto III 6.20 million
10 Madden NFL 2005 6.10 million

Other[]

  • Based on figures from Enterbrain, GfK Chart-Track, and the NPD Group, respectively:

Best-selling video games in Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States combined (January–July 2008)[28]

Place Title Units sold in Japan Units sold in the UK Units sold in the US Total units sold
1 Grand Theft Auto IV 1,582,000 4,711,000 6,293,000
2 Super Smash Bros. Brawl 1,681,000 213,000 3,539,000 5,433,000
3 Mario Kart Wii 1,601,000 687,000 2,409,000 4,697,000
4 Wii Fit 1,547,000 624,000 1,433,000 3,604,000
5 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock 26,000 412,000 3,037,000 3,475,000

Best-selling video games in Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States combined (July–September 2008)[29]

Place Title Units sold in Japan Units sold in the UK Units sold in the US Total units sold
1 Madden NFL 09 1,000 35,000 2,958,000 2,994,000
2 Wii Fit 346,000 460,000 1,283,000 2,089,000
3 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 321,000 1,417,000 1,738,000
4 Pokémon Platinum 1,482,000 1,482,000
5 Mario Kart Wii 218,000 394,000 856,000 1,468,000

Game releases[]

Video game platforms
iPod Unknown platform
Lin Linux
Mac Classic Mac OS / macOS
NDS Nintendo DS
PS2 PlayStation 2
PS3 PlayStation 3
PSP PlayStation Portable
Wii Wii
Win Microsoft Windows
X360 Xbox 360
Xbox Xbox
  
Release Date Title Systems
January 1 FlatOut 2 Mac
January 2 Metal Slug 3 XBLA
January 3 Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon NDS
January 8 Brain Challenge NDS
Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law PS2, PSP, Wii
Jackass: The Game NDS
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom X360
Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity PS2, Wii
January 9 Omega Five XBLA
January 15 CSI: Hard Evidence Wii
Nanostray 2 NDS
Nitrobike Wii
Samurai Warriors: Katana Wii
January 16 Rail Simulator Win
January 17 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games NDS
Tori-Emaki PS3
January 21 Advance Wars: Days of Ruin NDS
January 22 Burnout Paradise PS3, X360
No More Heroes Wii
Pirates of the Burning Sea Win
January 24 PixelJunk Monsters PSN
January 29 The Sims Castaway Stories Win, Mac
January 30 Rez HD XBLA
January 31 Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice PS3
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Japan) Wii
We Ski Wii
February 4 Sins of a Solar Empire Win
Zoo Tycoon 2 DS NDS
February 5 Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles NDS
Culdcept Saga X360
Devil May Cry 4 PS3, X360
Turok PS3, X360
February 7 Go! Puzzle PS3, PSP
L the Prologue to Death Note -Rasen no Wana- NDS
The Club PS3, Win, X360
February 8 Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None Wii
February 12 Conflict: Denied Ops PS3, Win, X360
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic X360
Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon PS2
Jumper: Griffin's Story PS2, Wii, X360
Lost Odyssey X360
Penumbra: Black Plague Lin, Win
Wipeout Pulse PSP
February 14 Dream Chronicles 2: The Eternal Maze Win
February 18 MX vs. ATV: Untamed Wii
Need for Speed: ProStreet PSP
February 19 Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors Wii
Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts NDS, PSP
Dynasty Warriors 6 PS3, X360
Pimp My Ride Wii
The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific PS3
February 20 N+ XBLA
February 21 Lost Planet: Extreme Condition PS3
Space Invaders Extreme NDS, PSP
February 22 Barnyard Blast: Swine of the Night NDS
February 25 Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed Wii
Frontlines: Fuel of War Win, X360
February 26 Bubble Bobble Double Shot NDS
Lost: Via Domus PS3, Win, X360
Naruto: Ninja Destiny NDS
Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection PS2, PSP, Wii
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty PS3, Win, X360
Universe at War: Earth Assault X360
February 27 Blokus Portable: Steambot Championship PSP
Triggerheart Exelica XBLA
February 28 The Idolmaster Live For You! X360
The Sims 2: FreeTime Win
March 1 Trials 2: Second Edition Win
March 3 Bully: Scholarship Edition Wii, X360
Major League Baseball 2K8 PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360
March 4 Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery NDS
Army of Two PS3, X360
Eco Creatures: Save the Forest NDS
God of War: Chains of Olympus PSP
MLB 08: The Show PS2, PS3, PSP
Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer NDS
Ninja Reflex Wii
Silent Hill: Origins PS2
March 5 Harvest: Massive Encounter Mac, Win
Rocketmen: Axis of Evil XBLA
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Soulstorm Win
March 6 Flow PSP
Yakuza: Kenzan! PS3
Rocketmen: Axis of Evil PSN
March 9 Super Smash Bros. Brawl (NA) Wii
March 10 Worms: A Space Oddity Wii
March 11 Buzz!: The Hollywood Quiz PS2
Condemned 2: Bloodshot X360
George of the Jungle and the Search for the Secret NDS, PS2, Wii
Insecticide NDS, Win
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters PS2
The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return Wii
Wild Arms XF PSP
March 12 Bliss Island XBLA
March 18 Condemned 2: Bloodshot PS3
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Mac
Everybody's Golf 5 PS3
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 Wii
Sega Superstars Tennis NDS, PS2, PS3, Wii, X360
Target: Terror Wii
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 PS3, Win, X360
March 19 Deca Sports Wii
SimCity DS 2 NDS
March 20 Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia (Japan) NDS
March 24 Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath Win, X360
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII PSP
M&M's Kart Racing NDS
March 25
ObsCure II Wii
Opoona Wii
Viking: Battle for Asgard PS3, X360
March 26 GoPets: Vacation Island NDS
March 28 Dark Sector PS3, X360
Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword NDS
April 1 Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 Wii
April 2 Mr. Driller Online XBLA
Star Ocean: Second Evolution PSP
April 4 FlatOut: Head On PSP
April 8 Assassin's Creed Win
Baroque PS2, Wii
Supreme Commander X360
April 9 Ikaruga XBLA
April 10 Arcana Heart PS2
Mario Kart Wii Wii
April 15 Ōkami Wii
Rondo of Swords NDS
Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys! NDS
April 16 Win
April 18 Legacy of Ys: Books I & II[30] NDS
April 20 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness NDS
April 21 Metal Arms: Glitch in the System X360
April 22 High School Musical 2: Work This Out! NDS
Persona 3 FES PS2
The World Ends with You NDS
Turok Win
April 24 Valkyria Chronicles PS3
April 25 King's Bounty: The Legend Win
April 27 Wii, PS3, X360
April 29 Grand Theft Auto IV PS3, X360
Let's Yoga NDS
April 30 Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor Win
May 1 Echochrome PSN, PSP
May 2 Iron Man NDS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Win, X360
May 5 Chameleon PSP
Crosswords DS NDS
The Destiny of Zorro Wii
May 6 Boom Blox Mobile, Wii
Speed Racer NDS, Wii
May 12 LostWinds WiiWare
May 13 Castle of Shikigami III Wii
Drone Tactics NDS
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian NDS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Win, X360
May 15 Dark Mist PSN
Luminous Arc 2: Will NDS
May 17 Monster Madness: Grave Danger PS3
May 19 Critter Round-Up WiiWare
May 20 Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Win
SingStar PS3
May 21 Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Lin, Mac, Win, X360
Wii Fit (America) Wii
May 23 Haze PS3
May 26 Cross Edge PS3
Dr. Mario Online Rx WiiWare
May 27 Death Jr. II: Root of Evil Wii
Emergency Heroes Wii
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars PS3, X360
Super Dodgeball Brawlers NDS
May 28 Mass Effect Win
May 30 Commando: Steel Disaster NDS
Race Driver: Grid PS3, Win, X360
June 3 Chaos Wars PS2
Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2' PSP
Kung Fu Panda NDS, PS2, PS3, Wii, Win, X360
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures NDS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Win, X360
Ninja Gaiden II X360
Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy PS3, X360
Summon Night: Twin Age NDS
June 4 Roogoo XBLA
June 5 Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit PS3, X360
PS3, X360
Fushigi no Dungeon – Furai no Shiren 3: Karakuri Yashiki no Nemuri Hime Wii
The Incredible Hulk NDS, PS2, PS3, Wii, X360
June 9 My Pokémon Ranch WiiWare
June 10 Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy Wii
Don King Presents: Prizefighter X360
Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit PS3, X360
NASCAR 09 PS2, PS3, X360
Win, PS2, PS3, NDS, Wii, X360
The Incredible Hulk Win
June 11 Frogger 2 XBLA
Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles NDS
June 12 Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots PS3
June 13 Civilization Revolution PS3, X360
Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard NDS
June 17 Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm X360
NDS, PS2, PS3, X360, Wii
Secret Agent Clank PSP
Supreme Ruler 2020 Win
Wacky Races: Crash and Dash NDS, Wii
June 18 Elements of Destruction XBLA
Fishdom NDS
June 19 Fatal Inertia EX PS3
Mario Super Sluggers Wii
June 20 Alone in the Dark PS2, Wii, Win, X360
Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A. NDS
Top Spin 3 PS3, Wii, X360
June 22 Guitar Hero: On Tour NDS
Rock Band Wii, Win
June 23 Battlefield: Bad Company PS3, X360
Gyrostarr WiiWare
Top Spin 3 NDS
June 24 WALL-E NDS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Win, X360
Big Beach Sports Wii
Hellboy: The Science of Evil PS3, PSP, X360
Mega Man Star Force 2 NDS
June 25 Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm X360, Win
June 26 Disgaea DS: Prince of the Demon World and the Red Moon NDS
Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World Wii
June 29 Guitar Hero: Aerosmith PS2, PS3, Wii, X360
June 30 Journey to the Center of the Earth NDS
Magnetica WiiWare
July 1 Elements of Destruction Win
Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 NDS
Soul Bubbles NDS
July 3 1 vs. 100 NDS
Initial D Extreme Stage PS3
Nanashi no Game NDS
Unreal Tournament 3 X360
July 7 Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes iPod
SPOGS Racing WiiWare
Zen Pinball: Rollercoaster iOS
July 8 Beijing 2008 PS3, X360
Civilization Revolution NDS
Devil May Cry 4 Win
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon Wii
July 10 Critter Crunch iOS
Resident Evil Zero Wii
Persona 4 PS2
July 11 Dynasty Warriors 6 Win
July 14 Major League Eating: The Game Wii
July 15 Mister Slime NDS
NCAA Football 09 PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360
Space Chimps NDS, PS2, Wii, Win, X360
We Love Golf! Wii
July 16 Double D Dodgeball XBLA
July 17 Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride NDS
Elefunk PSN
Rayman PSN
Tears to Tiara: Kakan no Daichi PS3
July 22 New International Track & Field NDS
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor NDS, PS2, Wii
July 23 1942: Joint Strike XBLA
Go! Go! Break Steady XBLA
July 24 1942: Joint Strike PSN
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock X360
Siren: Blood Curse PS3
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension Wii
July 28 Pong Toss! Frat Party Games WiiWare
July 29 MLB Power Pros 2008 PS2, Wii
Soulcalibur IV PS3, X360
Spectral Force 3: Innocent Rage X360
July 30 Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 X360
July 31 Fatal Frame IV Wii
Phantasy Star Portable PSP
Rhythm Heaven (Japan) NDS
August 1 Race Driver: Grid NDS
August 4 Reset Generation Win
Wild West Guns WiiWare
August 5 PS2
August 6 Braid XBLA
August 7 Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon NDS
Hannah Montana: Spotlight World Tour PS2
Tales of Vesperia X360
August 12 Bangai-O Spirits NDS
Space Siege Win
August 13 Bionic Commando Rearmed XBLA
Madden NFL 09 NDS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360, Xbox
August 14 Bionic Commando Rearmed PSN, Win
August 19 The Cheetah Girls: Passport to Stardom NDS
Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm Win
Too Human X360
August 21 Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty PS3
Sigma Harmonics NDS
August 22 Inazuma Eleven NDS
August 25 Helix WiiWare
MLB Power Pros 2008 NDS
August 26 Digimon World Championship NDS
FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage Win
From the Abyss NDS
My Chinese Coach NDS
N+ NDS, PSP
The Quest Trio NDS
The Sims 2: Apartment Life Win
The Sims 2: Apartment Pets NDS
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360
August 27 Castle Crashers X360
August 28 Afrika PS3
Asphalt 4: Elite Racing iOS
Captain Rainbow Wii
The Last Guy PS3
August 29 Spy Fox in "Dry Cereal" Wii
August 31 Mercenaries 2: World in Flames PS2, PS3, Win, X360
September 2 Infinite Undiscovery X360
Rapala Fishing Frenzy 2009 PS3, Wii, X360
Vampire Rain: Altered Species PS3
Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise X360
September 3 Shred Nebula XBLA
September 4 Blue Dragon Plus NDS
September 5 FaceBreaker PS3, X360
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Win
Spore Mac, mobile, NDS, Win
Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise NDS
September 8 Air Traffic Chaos NDS
Lock's Quest NDS
NHL 2K9 PS2, PS3, Wii, X360
September 9 Hell's Kitchen: The Game NDS, PS2, Wii, X360
NDS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360
NHL 09 PS3, Wii, X360
TNA iMPACT! PS2, PS3, Wii, X360
Yakuza 2 PS2
Zoids Assault X360
September 11 One Piece: Unlimited Cruise: Episode 1 Wii
September 12 Crysis Warhead Win
September 13 Pokémon Platinum (Japan) NDS
September 14 NDS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Win, X360
Rock Band 2 X360
September 15 Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition NDS
September 16 Armored Core: For Answer PS3, X360
Battle Fantasia X360
PS3, Win, X360
Crysis Warhead Win
Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2 Wii
Dance Dance Revolution X PS2
Speed Racer: The Videogame PS2
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed NDS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Win
Pure PS3, X360, Win
September 18 Dragon Ball: Origins NDS
Eternal Sonata PS3
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Win
September 19 Igor: The Game NDS, Wii, Win
September 22 Civilization IV: Colonization Win
De Blob NDS, Wii, Win
Di-Gata Defenders NDS, PS2, PS3, Wii, X360
Kirby Super Star Ultra NDS
Mega Man 9 WiiWare
SimCity Creator Wii
EA Sports 08 Collection Win
September 23 B-Boy PSP
Brothers in Arms: Double Time Wii
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway PS3, X360
Buzz!: Master Quiz PSP
Dinosaur King PS2, NDS, Wii, X360
Hi Hamtaro! Little Hamsters Big Adventure NDS
Lego Batman: The Video Game NDS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Win, X360
Microsoft Tinker Win
Shaun the Sheep NDS
Time Hollow NDS
September 24 PS2
Duke Nukem 3D XBLA
September 25 Aquanaut's Holiday: Hidden Memories PS3
Cross Edge PS3
Disaster: Day of Crisis Wii
Geon PS3
Mega Man 9 PSN
Sands of Destruction NDS
Wipeout HD PSN
World Destruction: Michibikareshi Ishi NDS
September 30 Silent Hill: Homecoming PS3, Win, X360
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood NDS
Tornado NDS
Unsolved Crimes NDS
October 1 Mega Man 9 XBLA
October 2 Dynasty Warriors 6 PS2
Ikki Tousen: Eloquent Fist PSP
Work Time Fun PSN
October 5 Fieldrunners iOS
October 7 Bleach: Dark Souls NDS
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Win
Crash: Mind over Mutant NDS, PS2, Wii, X360
Fracture PS3, X360
Guilty Gear 2: Overture X360
NBA Live 09 PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360
NBA 2K9 PS2, PS3, Wii, X360
Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals NDS
October 8 MLB Stickball XBLA
The Legend of Kage 2 NDS
October 9 Linger in Shadows PS3
Macross Ace Frontier PSP
Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars PS3
Snoopy DS: Let's Go Meet Snoopy and His Friends! NDS
October 13 Avatar: The Last Airbender – Into the Inferno NDS, PS2, Wii
Blitz: The League II PS3, X360
Cubello WiiWare
Prey the Stars NDS
Tak: Mojo Mistake NDS
World of Goo Win, Wii
October 14 Dead Space PS3, X360
FIFA 09 Mobile, NDS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Win, X360
Rock Revolution NDS, PS3, Wii, X360
Saints Row 2 PS3, X360
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation PS3
Golden Axe: Beast Rider PS3, X360
Boogie Superstar Wii
October 15 Age of Booty XBLA
October 16 Culdcept DS NDS
Wii Music Wii
X3: Terran Conflict Win
October 19 Rock Band 2 PS3
October 20 Back at the Barnyard: Slop Bucket Games NDS
Celebrity Sports Showdown Wii
Midnight Club: Los Angeles PS3, X360, PSP
NHL 09 Win
Dead Space Win
SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom PS2, Wii, NDS
The Naked Brothers Band: The Video Game NDS, PS2, Wii, Win
October 21 Bully: Scholarship Edition Win
BioShock PS3
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia NDS
Crash: Mind over Mutant PSP
Dance Dance Revolution Universe 3 X360
Disney Think Fast Wii
Far Cry 2 PS3, Win, X360
Fable II X360
Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 Wii
Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ NDS
Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 Wii
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows NDS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Win, X360
The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon NDS, PS2, PS3, Wii, X360
Transformers Animated: The Game NDS
NBA 2K9 Win
What's Cooking? with Jamie Oliver NDS
October 23 Prince of Persia Classic PSN
October 26 Casper's Scare School NDS
Guitar Hero World Tour Mac, PS2, PS3, Wii, Win, X360
October 27 MySims Kingdom NDS, Wii
October 28 Ben 10: Alien Force NDS, PS2, PSP, Wii
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 Win
Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess NDS, PS2, Wii
Fallout 3 PS3, Win, X360
Go, Diego, Go!: The Great Dinosaur Rescue NDS, PS2, Wii
Goosebumps HorrorLand NDS, PS2, Wii
LittleBigPlanet PS3
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift PS3
MySims Win
Ninjatown NDS
October 29 Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness – Episode 2 Lin, Mac, Win, X360
October 30 Away: Shuffle Dungeon NDS
Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume NDS
October 31 NDS
November 3 Alien Crush Returns WiiWare
November 4 PS2, PS3, Win, X360
Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World PS2
Dragon Ball: Origins NDS
Bratz Kidz NDS, Wii
KORG DS-10 NDS
Legendary PS3, Win, X360
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa PS3, PS2, X360, Win, Wii, NDS
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm PS3
Tom Clancy's EndWar NDS, PS3, PSP, X360
Resistance 2 PS3
Namco Museum Virtual Arcade X360
November 5 Exit NDS
Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors NDS, Wii
November 7 Gears of War 2 X360
Men of War Win
Sacred 2 Fallen Angel Win
November 10 Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia (North America) NDS
November 11 Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts X360
Call of Duty: World at War NDS, PS3, Wii, Win, X360, PS2
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 X360
Eternal Poison PS2
FaceBreaker Wii
Guinness World Records: The Videogame NDS, Wii
Mirror's Edge PS3, X360
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 Mobile, NDS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Lightsaber Duels Wii
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Jedi Alliance NDS
Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff NDS
November 12 Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Win, X360
The Naked Brothers Band: The Video Game PS3, PSP, X360
November 13 World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Win, Mac
November 14 Football Manager 2009 Win, Mac, PSP
November 16 Animal Crossing: City Folk Wii
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe PS3, X360
Shaun White Snowboarding PS3, Wii, Win, X360
November 17 Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades NDS
Robocalypse NDS
Skate It NDS, Wii
November 18 Alone in the Dark: Inferno PS3
Avatar: The Last Airbender – Into the Inferno PS3, X360
Bolt NDS, PS2, PS3, Wii, Win, X360
Cooking Mama: World Kitchen Wii
Cradle of Rome NDS
Ultimate Band NDS, Wii
Castlevania Judgment Wii
Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine NDS
Left 4 Dead Win, X360
Need for Speed: Undercover Mobile, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Win, X360
Sonic Unleashed PS2, PS3, Wii, X360
SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom PS3, PSP, X360
Tomb Raider: Underworld NDS, PS2, PS3, Wii, Win, X360
Tony Hawk's Motion NDS
Rayman Raving Rabbids: TV Party NDS, Wii
Naruto: The Broken Bond X360
CSI: NY Win
You're in the Movies X360
November 19 Weapon of Choice XBLA
November 20 Gallop & Ride Wii
The Last Remnant X360
November 21 LocoRoco 2 PSP
Beyond Protocol Win
November 23 Brothers in Arms: Hour of Heroes iOS
November 25 Chrono Trigger NDS
Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force NDS
Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine Wii
Neopets Puzzle Adventure NDS
Winter Sports 2: The Next Challenge NDS, PS2, Wii, X360
November 27 Patapon 2 PSP
Rune Factory Frontier Wii
November 30 PS3
December 1 Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon X360
Space Invaders Get Even WiiWare
December 2 Prince of Persia: The Fallen King NDS
Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars Wii
Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi NDS
Grand Theft Auto IV Win
Prince of Persia PS3, X360
Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories PS2
Safecracker: The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure Wii
December 4 428: Shibuya Scramble Wii
Everyday Shooter PSP
Rygar: The Battle of Argus Wii
Söldner-X: Himmelsstürmer PSN
December 5 X3: Reunion Lin
December 7 Prey Lin
December 8 Defense Grid: The Awakening Win
Hockey Allstar Shootout WiiWare
December 9 Prince of Persia Win
December 10 Meteos XBLA
PowerUp Forever XBLA
December 11 Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero NDS
PowerUp Forever PSN
December 14 I Love Katamari iOS
December 15 Big Kahuna Party WiiWare
December 17 Dash of Destruction XBLA
December 18 Rise of the Argonauts PS3, Win, X360
Dissidia: Final Fantasy PSP
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 PS2, PS3, X360
Suikoden Tierkreis NDS
Tales of Hearts NDS
December 23 Crystal Defenders iOS
Lumines Supernova PS3
December 25 White Knight Chronicles PS3
RIZ-ZOAWD NDS
December 29 MaBoShi: The Three Shape Arcade WiiWare

Critically acclaimed titles[]

Metacritic (MC) and GameRankings (GR) are aggregators of video game journalism reviews.

2008 games and expansions scoring at least 88/100 (MC) or 87.5% (GR)[31][32]
Game Publisher Release Date Platform MC score GR score
Grand Theft Auto IV Rockstar Games April 29, 2008 PlayStation 3 98/100 97.04%
Grand Theft Auto IV Rockstar Games April 29, 2008 Xbox 360 98/100 96.67%
LittleBigPlanet Sony Computer Entertainment October 27, 2008 PlayStation 3 95/100 94.75%
World of Goo 2D Boy October 13, 2008 Wii 94/100 94.04%
BioShock 2K Games October 17, 2008 PlayStation 3 94/100 93.66%
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Konami June 12, 2008 PlayStation 3 94/100 93.53%
Gears of War 2 Microsoft Game Studios November 7, 2008 Xbox 360 93/100 93.32%
Fallout 3 Bethesda Softworks October 28, 2008 Xbox 360 93/100 92.85%
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Nintendo January 31, 2008 Wii 93/100 92.84%
Braid Number None August 6, 2008 Xbox 360 93/100 92.15%
Flipnote Studio Nintendo December 24, 2008 Nintendo DS 93/100[33] 91%[34]
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Blizzard Entertainment November 13, 2008 Microsoft Windows 91/100 92.68%
Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor Stardock April 30, 2008 Microsoft Windows 92/100 92.33%
Persona 4 Atlus July 10, 2008 PlayStation 2 90/100 92.28%
World of Goo 2D Boy October 13, 2008 Microsoft Windows 90/100 92.27%
Rock Band 2 MTV Games September 14, 2008 Xbox 360 92/100 92.25%
Chrono Trigger Square Enix November 20, 2008 Nintendo DS 92/100 91.98%
Rock Band 2 MTV Games September 14, 2008 Wii 92/100 91.33%
Rock Band 2 MTV Games September 14, 2008 PlayStation 3 91/100 91.5%
God of War: Chains of Olympus Sony Computer Entertainment March 4, 2008 PlayStation Portable 91/100 91.44%
Fallout 3 Bethesda Softworks October 28, 2008 Microsoft Windows 91/100 90.85%
Fallout 3 Bethesda Softworks October 28, 2008 PlayStation 3 90/100 90.52%
Ōkami Capcom April 15, 2008 Wii 90/100 90.02%
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 Microsoft Game Studios July 30, 2008 Xbox 360 90/100 89.77%
Portal: Still Alive Valve October 22, 2008 Xbox 360 90/100 88.55%
Grand Theft Auto IV Rockstar Games December 2, 2008 Microsoft Windows 90/100 88.48%
Mass Effect Electronic Arts May 28, 2008 Microsoft Windows 89/100 89.7%
Left 4 Dead Valve November 18, 2008 Xbox 360 89/100 89.44%
Left 4 Dead Valve November 18, 2008 Microsoft Windows 89/100 89.43%
Dead Space Electronic Arts October 13, 2008 Xbox 360 89/100 89.07%
Dead Space Electronic Arts October 13, 2008 PlayStation 3 88/100 89.05%
Rez HD Microsoft Game Studios January 30, 2008 Xbox 360 89/100 88.62%
Fable II Microsoft Game Studios October 21, 2008 Xbox 360 89/100 88.5%
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Capcom November 26, 2008 Xbox 360 88/100 88.79%
NHL 09 EA Sports September 9, 2008 Xbox 360 88/100 88.78%
Burnout Paradise Electronic Arts January 22, 2008 Xbox 360 88/100 88.36%
FIFA Soccer 09 EA Sports October 13, 2008 Xbox 360 87/100 88.21%
Bionic Commando Rearmed Capcom August 13, 2008 Xbox 360 85/100 88.07%
NHL 09 EA Sports September 9, 2008 PlayStation 3 88/100 87.97%
Burnout Paradise Electronic Arts January 22, 2008 PlayStation 3 87/100 87.89%
Race Driver: Grid Codemasters May 30, 2008 Microsoft Windows 87/100 87.87%
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Capcom November 25, 2008 PlayStation 3 87/100 87.82%
Bionic Commando Rearmed Capcom August 13, 2008 PlayStation 3 87/100 87.67%
Wipeout HD Sony Computer Entertainment September 25, 2008 PlayStation 3 87/100 87.52%
Sins of a Solar Empire Stardock February 4, 2008 Microsoft Windows 87/100 87.52%

Notes[]

  1. ^ Wii Sports sales in 2008:
    • January–March – 3.71 million[5]
    • April–December – 18.95 million[6]
  2. ^ Wii Fit sales in 2008:
    • January–March – 800,000[5]
    • April–December – 12.16 million[6]
  3. ^ Wii Play sales in 2008:
    • January–March – 2.28 million[5]
    • April–December – 9.4 million[6]
  4. ^ Brain Age sales in 2008:
    • January–March – 1.27 million[5]
    • April–December – 3.84 million[6]

References[]

  1. ^ "Attendance and Stats". IGN. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
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  3. ^ James Brightman (December 9, 2008). "Atari to Acquire Cryptic Studios". GameDaily. Archived from the original on December 12, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  4. ^ Le TGS 2008 en octobre
  5. ^ a b c d "IR Library - Earnings Release: FY 2007 (ended March 2008)". Nintendo Co., Ltd. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Financial Results Briefing for the Nine–Month Period Ended December 2008: Supplementary Information" (PDF). Nintendo. January 30, 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  7. ^ "Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Reports Record Third Quarter Fiscal 2008 Financial Results". Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. September 4, 2008. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  8. ^ "2008 Video Game Software Sales Across Top Global Markets Experience Double-Digit Growth". NPD Group. February 2, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  9. ^ Neil Davidson (August 26, 2008). "Nintendo Wii surpasses mark of one million consoles sold in Canada". The Canadian Press. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved September 8, 2008.
  10. ^ a b "Japanese 2008 Market Report". MCV. January 9, 2009. Archived from the original on August 17, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2009.
  11. ^ a b 2008年国内ゲーム市場規模は約5826億1000万円(エンターブレイン調べ). Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. January 5, 2009. Archived from the original on January 30, 2009. Retrieved January 14, 2009.
  12. ^ a b Brian Ashcraft (January 5, 2009). "Last Year, Japanese Game Market Experienced Shrinkage". Kotaku. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved January 14, 2009.
  13. ^ "【3分ランキング号外】2008年ベストヒットゲーム発表! 1位は『MHP 2nd G』!!" (in Japanese). Dengeki. December 26, 2008. Archived from the original on December 30, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  14. ^ Eric Caoili (December 31, 2008). "Monster Hunter, Nintendo Top Japan's 2008 Bestselling Software". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved January 22, 2009.
  15. ^ Michael McWhertor (December 30, 2008). "Japan's Best Selling Games Of 2008 Are..." Kotaku. Archived from the original on December 31, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
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  19. ^ a b IGN Xbox 360 Team (December 12, 2008). "Xbox 360 2008 Year in Review". IGN. p. 2. Archived from the original on December 31, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  20. ^ IGN Xbox 360 Team (December 12, 2008). "Xbox 360 2008 Year in Review". IGN. p. 1. Archived from the original on January 1, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  21. ^ IGN Nintendo Team (December 9, 2008). "Nintendo DS Year in Review 2008". IGN. Archived from the original on December 27, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  22. ^ IGN PC Team (December 11, 2008). "PC Year in Review 2008". IGN. Archived from the original on December 27, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  23. ^ IGN PlayStation Team (December 10, 2008). "PlayStation (3) 2008 Year in Review". IGN. Archived from the original on December 31, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  24. ^ IGN PlayStation Team (December 10, 2008). "PlayStation (Portable) 2008 Year in Review". IGN. Archived from the original on January 13, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  25. ^ IGN Nintendo Team (December 11, 2008). "Nintendo Wii Year in Review 2008". IGN. Archived from the original on January 2, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  26. ^ Tom Magrino (December 11, 2008). "NPD: Wii sales top 2M during $2.9B month". GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  27. ^ Tom Magrino (June 5, 2008). "NPD: San Andreas caps US best-seller list". GameSpot. Archived from the original on January 26, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  28. ^ "Leading Market Research Firms Join Forces to Provide First Multi-Continent View Of Video Game Software Sales" (Press release). NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track, Enterbrain. August 21, 2008. Retrieved September 25, 2008.
  29. ^ "Third Quarter 2008 Sales Results From Top Global Video Games Software Markets Released" (Press release). NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track, Enterbrain. November 10, 2008. Retrieved November 14, 2008.
  30. ^ "Legacy of Ys: Books I & II Release Information for DS - GameFAQs". Archived from the original on April 16, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  31. ^ "Best Video Games for 2008". Metacritic. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  32. ^ "Highest-Ranking Games of 2008 (with at least 5 reviews)". GameRankings. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  33. ^ "Best Video Games for 2009". Metacritic. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  34. ^ "Highest-Ranking Games of 2009 (with at least 5 reviews)". GameRankings. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
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