Shooters Outsold by Action Games in the United States Last Year

Considering how popular and prominent the shooter genre always seems to be, you’d think they’d be the best selling genre overall between games. Turns out that in 2012 they weren’t, at least not in the United States.

[jcnba28]

What is it with Americans and guns? lol

[Abriael]

Looks like they've been beaten by swords this time around :D

[shoddy]

American only like shoota

[fabiani]

yeA CUZ SWORDS TAKE STYLE AND SKILL TO KILL

[EVILDEAD360]

Lol @ the comments pretending the US somehow is the only country that likes shooters when other than Japan Call of Duty still dominates most of the console world.

Evil

[BISHOP-BRASIL]

Frankly, it has nothing to do with America, it's gaming industry itself... Guns are just a visceral, simple and effective way of interaction for a game. You know what a gun is supposed to do (kill) and how to do it (point and shoot), so it works well in games. That's not to say other forms of interactions aren't just as well implemented or that we don't need more of those, but I'm tired of all those arguments trying to create some deep psychological connection between gamers and shooting stuff... Stop overthinking it, when I play Monopoly or War boardgames no one tries and assume I'm some dominant prick aiming for supremacy, it's just a freaking game.

[SilentNegotiator]

@evildead

There's so much blind hatred for the US. It's quite sad and pathetic.

Some will even throw in a "LOL 'MERICKA AND GUNS" comment, even when the article is about action games outselling shooters in the US. No sense.

[RioKing]

Funny when you looks at pictures of the Middle East...it looks like half of the civilians walk around with AK47's on them. In America, people all walk around with iPhone's in their hands lol.

But NO America loves the guns because we have the most advanced Military in the world and a few nutjobs decided to go on shooting sprees (happens in other countries all the time), and a stupid government that should pay attention to its' own countries' problems, not the Middle East.

[ATi_Elite]

American and Gun goes hand in hand (preferably a gun in each Hand).

Silly Pie Chart cause most action Games involve characters with Guns just not in the First person view.

[Abriael]

Third person shooters are counted in shooters.

[BISHOP-BRASIL]

Still, plenty of action games use third person shooter gameplay mechanics... Look at the chart, there's no subgenres, obviously stuff like stealth, horror and action-adventures are all included in action, and most of the time those games have guns.

[solidt12]

I prefer third person action and shooting in single player games. Online FPS is the way to go for me though.

[NYC_Gamer]

Guns are a big part of American culture and also many took up in arms to win many freedoms

[Abriael]

Nothing wrong about that. I wish it was like that here as well. Here if you shoot a thief in your house you go to jail unless he tries to shoot you first.

Edit @Mt: nah Italy.

[mt]

@abriael
you must live in an arab country because that is how it works in some of them.
even if you hit a thief you might get into trouble which is pretty retarded if you ask me.

[HammadTheBeast]

Actually in Arab countries there's sme pretty harsh consequences for stealing. Some bank robbers were executed in Saudi Arabia a few weeks ago.

[Narutone66]

In China in the early days, traffic violators are beheaded and their heads are put inside a cage and displayed on top of the traffic lights as a warning for potential traffic violators.

[Grap]

they didn't just steal they also killed officers. i wouldn't call that a harsh justice.

[GameSpawn]

My only comment on the article at hand:
'Merica...nuff said.

Off-topic
@Narutone66
There is so much irony in that as Asia (specifically China) statistically has the worst drivers and the most accidents in the world. (Note China has been caught flubbing their numbers in the past.)
http://www.washingtonpost.c...
https://sites.google.com/si...

Hell, many traffic accidents in China don't even involve an exchange of insurance information and police report either because they don't have insurance or just don't want to hassle with it and just either shrug it of or exchange some money on the spot and quickly get on their way. In the US EVERYONE owning a vehicle and driving MUST have some form of insurance BY LAW and every major traffic accident must have a report filed with the police (first two questions from insurance companies here "Were they on a cell phone?" and "Was a police report filed?"). Minor accidents, say in a parking lot, do not require a police report filed (though if serious enough damage was done the one most affected would definitely file one).

[WarThunder]

@HammadTheBeast

Saudi Arabia is not the only "Arab countries"!

So don't use Saudi Arabia as example for all Arab countries.. Saudi Arabia is worst Arab country....

[WarThunder]

@NYC_Gamer

Freedoms? What freedoms? you live in more dept and slavery like never before....

[M1chl]

Abriael: It's same here too (Czech Republic). Guess, that Europe stand on the side of outlaws, but I am actually glad that almost no one have a gun in his possession...

[Ser]

@WarThunder

Riiiiight...oh, my.

[Rob_From_GopRant]

The media likes to exaggerate the gun violence in the U.S. Gun violence has actually gone down since the 90s. It is the mass killings by those nut jobs that get a lot of attention from the world. Many see this in other nations and some think we are flooded with guns and everyday is like the Wild West.

[RioKing]

War Thunder: You're ignorant.

Saudi Arabia is the worst Arab country...riiight.

People in America live like slaves...riiiiiight. Actually I laughed out loud to that one....don't confuse privacy with "freedom". Marijuana's completely legal in some states now, and gay marriage is legalizing everywhere. Now THATS freedom.

Gays still get hung in some Arab countries and woman still get stoned to death...and not in the good way either.

[Thatguy-310]

Whats the difference? Of action and shooters?

[Abriael]

AFAIK: Shooters are entirely based on the mechanic of shooting, both in first and third person. IE: Battlefield, gears of war and so forth.

Action games may or may not have some shooting element, but they're more focused on other element, IE: Assassin's creed, Watch Dogs, Metal Gear...

[wishingW3L]

even games like Mario are counted as "action" games.

[SolidStoner]

Some games are way too good to be in just one category....

games like GTA, MGS, Fallout, Hitman etc..

I could put them in 10 categories at the same time.. its just how YOU play the game... :) damn I could call GTA game a murder simulation or Sports game if I want to, and play it that way :)

anyways.. what I wanted to say is that in modern games player can choose what type of game it will be for him....

for me Hitman is not a shooter.. :) I simply dont shoot a bullet in that game..

and you cant call it stealth action game either.. some one might run and shoot everyone everywhere... then its a shooter :)

I'am wrong and right at the same time!!! ;)

[Doctor_Freeman]

@jcnba28; If you have to ask then you don't understand.

>>>>>>>& gt;>>>>

I thought shooters and action were one in the same.

[showtimefolks]

I just want shooters to advance pass the generic america is under attack we need a. Super hep who will kill hundreds of people to save the nation

Where Konami announce that six days in fallujah it was amazing how much back lash it got, how about a shooter whe America is the bad guy?

Or maybe more Shooters like halo or killzone where it's not about America or any other real country

[Neoprime]

It's called a "Gun Culture", that's why games like Call of Duty and Battlefield sell a lot.

[SilentNegotiator]

...including in the UK.

Must be because the UK is gun crazy.
/s

[ALLWRONG]

Other countries hate America and it's guns, until they need help. War and guns are very unpopular right now in the US. So when Iran or North Korea starts dropping bombs on their neighbors, don't be surprised if the US starts saying "to hell with it! you're on your own" Then the US will be hated for not doing anything. So it ends up "hate if you do, hate if you don't" kinda like it is now.

As for the article: Shooters have been the most popular genre in gaming for the past 20 years, so this is nothing new.

[jakmckratos]

I hate the rest of the world man...bunch of generalizing hypocrites. I'm American and my favorite games are Kingdom Hearts and God of War..neither of which are shooters..and it's not like people in the rest of the world aren't buying shooters either ya jerks.

[Godlovesgamers]

They help to win wars. Please refer to how "guns" helped us liberate EUROPE during the World Wars.

[SilentNegotiator]

Looks like you don't understand what "outsold by" means.

+1 off-topic for your "US and teh guns" comment.

[RiPPn]

Glad to see it, a more diverse library next gen sounds good to me!

[Prcko]

i trust to this info same as i trust vg chartz...

[Abriael]

Yeah, of course NPD and VGcharts have exactly the same level of trustworthyness. /s

[Simco876]

Good, get these shooters outta here!

Fallout 4! lol

[SpideySpeakz]

Fallout 4.
.
.
.
All I care about is Fallout 4.

That is all.

[Qrphe]

>Fallout
>shooter

RIP pre-Fallout 3

[webeblazing]

and what are these best selling action games main character's weapon. is it a gun. does t'he shoot tit.

[Trago1337]

When is another genre gonna dominate the industry?

[MidnytRain]

When is a single genre gonna STOP dominating the industry?

[BATRA]

they need more strategy games like rts,tower defense games,mmo games and dungeon games for the wii u

[Abriael]

I'm curious as of why you're mentioning the Wii U in particular...

[BATRA]

i have a wii u thats why

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

They need a new Fire Emblem game.
but SMT X FE will have to do.

The WiiU GamePad would be Top Hats for Strategy games.

[MrTrololo]

Shooter game now a day is so stale & shallow. We need more survival horror and real time strategy game

[Tales RPG addict]

Finally COD is losing it's steam.

[Jagsrock]

pew pew pew!

[whitesoxfalife1976]

Nice try goofy

[danny818]

Wow thats amazing.

[sfalexl21]

And then BF4, COD, Killzone and GTAV come out later this year. Shooters are far from being dehtroned, they just had a lack of quality titles last year. BF4> medal of honor any day.

[Red_Devilz]

Feel really sorry for strategy games. #LoveRTS

[Tatsuya]

Next gen is all about RPG with advanced AI. I say bring them on!

[plaZeHD]

I don't know, but from what I have seen so far next gen games have pretty dumb AI compared to some current gen games.

[RioKing]

^lol

[mydyingparadiselost]

This chart makes me very uneasy about the future of gaming.

[FanboyCrusher]

Considering how many shooters there are, and the best selling games are shooters it's not hard to see. Even for other places around the world, not just the States.

[Soplox]

I hate shooters

[Gaming_Guru]

Who ever wrote this was an idiot, shooters games are a sub-genre of actions games so this is saying shooters were outsold by the same genre it belongs in.

[Halochampian]

No. It still is saying that it was outsold by other non-shooter action games.

[Gaming_Guru]

No it doesn't because Shooters belong to the Action genre, in order to say it was outsold by another Action game you would have to put another sub-genre that belongs to the Action genre.

Using the genre as a whole is including everything that is an Action game, so the title doesn't even make any sense.

It would be like saying the Harry Potter films were outsold by the fantasy movie genre.

[Halochampian]

Look at the percentages though. If what you said is true. Then you would have more than 100%. Therefor you can take into account that there were two distinct classifications. It's not hard. Most gaming sites distinguish the two.

[mafiahajeri]

The beginning of the end for COD... Yeah right...

[solidt12]

Journalist have talked about Casual Games in the past like its the next big thing but I sure can't tell by looking at this Pie chart. No worries.

[SephirothX21]

How are rpgs only 6.5%? What is wrong with people?

[TuxedoMoon]

Guns are a huge part of American's History. It helped free them from the Brits and Helped them conquer the rest West. It's very much a culture thing, that's why the common American Stereotype is a cowboy.

Action games are a little too vague, imo. The might be counting only FPS games and not 3rd person shooters. What big action games came out last year?

[djthechamp24]

Damn, sad day in america