Call of Duty didn’t top the yearly sales charts for one of the first times since 2009

Just like death and taxes, you can usually rely on a Call of Duty game to top the sales charts each year. The various entries in Activision’s warfare simulation franchise have mostly done just that, going all the way back to 2009. This year’s a bit different. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III has fallen to second place, as reported by media research firm Circana. According to the list, Hogwarts Legacy topped the charts for 2023, selling around 22 million copies. This is despite the not insignificant controversy the game generated, both by its association with franchise creator JK Rowling — who has leveraged her celebrity position to espouse anti-trans views — but also tropes within the game itself which some (but not all) saw as drawing from antisemitic caricatures. Still, fans had been waiting for a high-quality AAA game set at the wizarding school for decades and Hogwarts Legacy delivered on the promise of a true open-world Harry Potter title. The sales obviously reflect that. As a matter of fact, there have been only two other occasions in which Call of Duty was knocked from first place. Those were the years in which Grand Theft Auto V (2013) and Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) were released. Both Rockstar titles absolutely dominated the conversation upon launch, becoming bona-fide cultural touchstones. Hogwarts Legacy, while very good, hasn’t approached that level of buzz, so maybe this data illustrates that players are finally getting sick of Call of Duty, or maybe it's... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2024-01-18 19:16:41 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "Call of Duty didn’t top the yearly sales charts for one of the first times since 2009"


Have we fallen out of love with celebrity memoirs?

The year’s autobiography big-hitters haven’t sold as well as expected, with buyers disenchanted by pricing and lack of feelgood topicsFrom actors and musicians to athletes and presenters, there are no shortage of celebrity memoirs on bookshop shelves. This year has seen new books published by a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-12-09 10:52:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Best Audiobook Thrillers to Listen to This Winter

Listen for the twists, turns, and secrets in ten of the best audiobook thrillers to listen to this holiday season! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-12-06 11:34:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


6 Winter and Christmas Manga to Read This Holiday Season

Let’s make Christmas an opportunity to explore some manga as part of that stack you curl up with by checking out these Christmas manga! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-12-02 11:31:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


For Ukrainian Refugee Kids, Books Offer Hope

Thousands of Ukrainian refugee children are about to spend their first Christmas away from home; while it's not the outcome that anyone would have wanted, publishers' efforts continue to ensure that books in their own language will comfort them through a holiday season in exile. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-01 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


I beg you, don’t buy a novelty notebook for the book lover in your life this holiday season.*

Seriously. They already have too many. They also have too many totes, “old book” candles, library card socks, custom bookmarks, LED book lights. Any number of these is basically too many, except the totes, which don’t count because usually they’re free. I know, this isn’t what you’ve been told.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-11-21 17:03:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this


How brands are keeping audiences engaged in a competitive content world

Arthur Gerigk, senior director of product management, Google Ads Today, consumers navigate a widening variety of digital content from text to image to video — and they choose to spend their time in the experiences that feel most natural and intuitive for them. Ahead of the holiday season, Google... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2022-11-16 15:33:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this


15 fiction books that follow their own rules — and make great gifts

We've rounded up the 15 best fiction books published this year to gift any lover of novels or story collections in your life this holiday season. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-11-02 16:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


I’m Proud of My Queer Fandom

The first time I felt possessed by a fantasy series, I was fifteen. It was 2004, and from my family’s small computer room, I spent the after-dinner hours in a web forum devoted to NC-17 Harry Potter fanfiction. This was the same room where my brother had constructed a secret liquor cabinet from... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2022-11-01 11:05:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


This Week's Bestsellers: October 31, 2022

Colleen Hoover has the #1 book in the country – and so much more – with 'It Starts with Us.' Plus new celeb memoirs include two by Harry Potter movie alums, and Jen Hatmaker and Phil Rosenthal each feed readers' need for new cookbooks. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


'Harry Potter' actor Tom Felton explains how an escape from rehab helped his sobriety

In his memoir 'Beyond the Wand,' Tom Felton shares behind-the-scenes tales from the 'Harry Potter' franchise and chronicles his struggle with alcohol. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-10-18 20:19:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Harry Potter and Cracker actor Robbie Coltrane dies aged 72

The actor, known for playing Hagrid in the Harry Potter franchise and Fitz in the series Cracker, has died aged 72. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2022-10-14 18:09:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid in Harry Potter films, dies at 72

Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane, who played a forensic psychologist on the TV series Cracker and Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies, has died. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2022-10-14 17:36:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Robbie Coltrane: a totally singular talent from Cracker to Harry Potter – cerebral, physical and unforgettable

From early comedy in Tutti Frutti to damaged psychologist Fitz, via Hagrid, Falstaff, Blackadder and finally National Treasure’s complex, hard-to-hate lead, Coltrane – who has died aged 72 – was a one-off“You’re a wizard, Harry!”For an entire generation all over the world, this was the key... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-10-14 17:08:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Morning After: Marvel is getting the 'Pokémon Go' treatment

I wasn’t sure Marvel could shoehorn its characters and stories anywhere else, beyond all the movies, TV shows, games and toys, but now it wants you thinking about those heroes wherever you go. It’s teamed up with Pokémon Go developer Niantic to create an augmented reality mobile game launching... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-09-12 11:15:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Get on Board with Taste of Home

Taste of Home offers three new home-cook compendiums to usher in a delicious fall and holiday season. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Morning After: The new gaming-subscription normal

PlayStation’s game-streaming scheme, at its top tier, is now competing directly with Xbox Game Pass, the service that proved the concept by earning 25 million-plus subscribers over the past five years. It’s now been over a month since PlayStation Plus Premium went live, offering similar cloud... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-08-15 11:15:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Quidditch is being renamed. But the sport will never lose its magic, say players

Three of the sport’s governing bodies recently announced that they’re officially changing the name to “quadball,” both out of trademark concerns and a desire to distance themselves from Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling in light of her... Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2022-08-13 08:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


'Hogwarts Legacy' is delayed until February 10th, 2023

Try as it might, Hogwarts Legacy developer Avalanche Software can't magically make its creation arrive any sooner. In fact, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has once again delayed the game, which at least now has a firm release date. It will hit PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-08-12 18:52:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this


From the Archive: July 30, 2007

Fifteen years ago, we reported on the publication of the final installment in J.K. Rowling’s megaselling Harry Potter series, which sold 8.3 million copies in the first day after its release. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Quidditch is now quadball, distancing game from J.K. Rowling, league says

Quidditch, a sport invented by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, is rebranding as “quadball” amid controversy over the author’s comments. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-07-20 13:42:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this