It’s The State of Gaming Podcast, Popzara’s in-depth look at what’s shaking up the gaming landscape delivered on a monthly basis. Our hosts Cory Galliher and Nate Evans guide you through the best, worst, and everything else making headlines and headway in the world of interactive entertainment.
The Games of March 2022
Our hosts discuss the biggest new releases for March, of which there were many, including: Square Enix’s Babylon’s Fall, Sony’s Gran Turismo 7, Nintendo’s Triangle Strategy, Bethesda’s Ghostwire: Tokyo, Nintendo’s Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Square Enix’s Strange of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, and 2K Games’ Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.
NPD: February 2022
NPD remains the gaming industry’s best snapshot of what’s moving and shaking up both physical and digital retail shelves across the country. All stats are for entertainment purposes only.
Total sales of new gaming hardware and software topped $4.67 billion, a 6 percent drop from last year. Sales were down all around as a lingering pandemic, supply shortages, and *ahem* world events contributed to the decline. It seems that people really (really!) want to snatch up new console hardware like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S…they just can’t seem to find them, outside of scalpers.
At least games are selling! March was a huge month for high-profile debuts on the Top Twenty charts, and none more huge than Bandai Namco’s latest entry in the Souls series, Elden Ring. It’s a massive smash, easily reaching the top spot for both the month and the entire year (so far). It’s rare for such a critically acclaimed game to reach such lofty heights so early, and our hosts discuss this significance in detail.
Other games making strong showings include Sony’s Horizon Forbidden West sequel debuts strong in second, while Nintendo’s Pokemon Legends: Arceus (last month’s chart-topper) drops to third. Square Enix’s long-awaited zombie killing simulator Dying Light 2: Stay Human debuts high in fourth, with Sega’s Total War: Warhammer III debuting in fifth.
Everything Else
Sony’s long gestating Uncharted live-action movie, starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, is a hit, grossing over $300 million (so far) at the box-office! Speaking of gaming movies, did you see the poster for the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie? Sure does look familiar! Are the reviews for Valve’s mobile console/PC hybrid Steam Deck just a little too premature at this point?
