2023 was a tumultuous year for gaming, full of layoffs and controversies that cast a veil of uncertainty over the industry. But the RPG and Indie sectors did spectacularly well, and the numbers behind Baldur’s Gate 3 and Lethal Company prove that a game being good is all it takes for success.
VGInsights published a report of its analysis of the gaming industry in 2023, and many familiar names cropped up in the top 10 best-selling games of the year. Broken down by number of units and revenue, the gaming world had a single king that reigned in 2023: Baldur’s Gate 3. This game sold the most units and earned the most money (nearly $650 million on Steam alone). BG3’s dominance has remained constant since release, and it comfortably maintains the number-one spot on Steam’s Top Sellers list nearly seven months after launch.
Baldur’s Gate 3 was praised for its characters, writing, and gameplay. Image via Larian Studios
Baldur’s Gate 3 also swept the Golden Joysticks and Game Awards ceremonies, earning the prestigious Game of the Year title from both organizations. When we look back at everything BG3 achieved in 2023, we can safely say it was one of the biggest and most successful gaming releases of all time, and it serves as a testament to the fact that single-player RPGs can be success stories if the quality is there.
Speaking of single-player games, five of the 10 best-selling games of 2023 are single-player titles with no microtransactions, indicating a shift away from all the free-to-play microtransaction-fueled online multiplayer games that were becoming increasingly pervasive in the industry.
On the other hand, the indie smash-hit Lethal Company, developed by a single person in the Unity engine, was the third most-sold game by unit, outperforming the likes of Starfield, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Armored Core 6, and many more big-budgeted AAA blockbusters developed by thousands of corporate employees. Though it ranked ninth in revenue, this is due to its low $10 price tag and not much else, and its raw sales numbers really put corporate gaming to shame.
Lethal Company and Baldur’s Gate 3 prove one thing: All gaming needs is good games. Budget, team size, and political affiliations have nothing to do with what makes a game good, and I hope these two titles serve as examples to all other studios and developers, big or small.
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