Call of Duty: Vanguard
Game
Documents about Call of Duty: Vanguard
Playfully Anachronistic and Historically Inauthentic: Understanding Resistance to Diverse Representation in Call of Duty: Vanguard
The discourse surrounding Call of Duty: Vanguard reveals a systemic pattern where claims of historical inaccuracy function as a rhetorical shield for exclusionary attitudes toward diverse character representation.
- Analysis of the r/CODVanguard subreddit, which hosts over 105,000 members, reveals that 31.76% of history-oriented discussions focus on historical accuracy and authenticity as primary benchmarks for the game's success.
- Discourse within the community frequently uses 'historical accuracy' as a proxy to criticize the inclusion of marginalized identities, with 17.82% of posts focusing on symbolic representation and 2.04% explicitly debating identity politics.
- Players often frame diverse character representation as 'tokenism' or 'pandering,' reinforcing a status quo that prioritizes white, cisgender, and masculine protagonists as the standard for World War II gaming.
US Gaming Industry: July 2022 Market Performance
US consumer video game spending in July 2022 totaled $4.2 billion, a 9% decline from the prior year, according to NPD Group data covering the four-week tracking period from July 3 to July 30.
- US video game revenue in July fell by 9% year-over-year to $4.2 billion, according to NPD data.
- Video game software sales experienced a 10% year-over-year decline, totaling $3.7 billion.
- Hardware spending increased by 12% year-over-year to $362 million, with the PlayStation 5 leading in spending and the Nintendo Switch selling the most units.
March Spend Down 15% to $4.9 Billion, Q1 Down 8% to $13.9 Billion: US Monthly Charts
US video game spending continued to decline in March 2022, with NPD Group reporting that total spending on games, hardware, and related products fell 15% year-on-year to $4.9 billion.
- US video game spending in March 2022 decreased by 15% year-over-year to $4.9 billion, with Q1 2022 spending down 8% to $13.9 billion, indicating a continued decline across all categories.
- Elden Ring was the best-selling game in March and for the year-to-date, outperforming eight new releases and showing double-digit percentage growth in dollar sales compared to its February launch.
- Hardware spending dropped 24% to $515 million in March, though Xbox Series X|S led in dollar sales for both March and Q1, setting new March records for the platform in both dollars and units.
A Better-verse: Playing to Win What Exactly?
This April 2022 newsletter argues that the emerging Metaverse should be shaped deliberately rather than left to corporate interests, using the hype around it as an opening to reflect on lessons from social media.
- The interactive entertainment industry is entering a volatile transition period as pandemic-era growth cools, forcing legacy publishers like Electronic Arts and Activision Blizzard to contend with production delays and softening consumer demand.
- Rising capital costs are driving industry-wide consolidation as major publishers face disappointing earnings in the post-pandemic market.
- Netflix is pivoting toward gaming and ad-supported subscription tiers to combat subscriber losses, market saturation, and the impacts of inflation.
The Cards Hold the Future: Some Things Change; Others Stay the Same
Physical collectibles markets suggest a durable future for digital collectibles and blockchain-enabled games, according to this February 2022 industry newsletter.
- The North American collectible games market reached $2.9 billion in 2021, marking a 216% increase since 2014, while comic book and graphic novel sales grew 65% year-over-year to $2.1 billion.
- Long-term industry growth favors digital distribution and sustainable ownership models, exemplified by Take-Two’s successful transition to 88% digital bookings.
- Despite high digital engagement on platforms like Steam and Twitch, major publishers including Sony, Nintendo, and Activision Blizzard reported earnings below estimates during the 2021–2022 period.
Old Games, FIFA and Switch Dominated Europe in 2021: European Market Report
European game sales in 2021 were dominated by established titles and Nintendo hardware, according to GSD data covering physical and digital sales across the continent.
- Over 170 million games were sold in Europe in 2021, a 9.5% drop from 2020, but a 12.3% increase compared to 2019.
- FIFA 22 was the top-selling game in Europe in 2021, selling almost double the second-place title, Grand Theft Auto 5.
- The Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console in Europe in 2021, with sales declining only 6% from 2020, while PS5 and Xbox Series X/S sales were limited by stock shortages.
U.S. Consumer Video Game Spending Totaled $60.4 Billion in 2021
U.S. consumer spending on video games reached $60.4 billion in 2021, an 8 percent increase over 2020's $56.1 billion, according to data released in January 2022 by the Entertainment Software Association and The NPD Group.
- U.S. consumer spending on video games reached $60.4 billion in 2021, representing an 8% increase over the $56.1 billion recorded in 2020.
- Content spending, which includes full-game, post-launch, and subscription revenue across all platforms, grew 7% to reach $51.7 billion.
- Hardware sales saw the highest growth rate among major segments, rising 14% to $6.1 billion, while accessory spending grew 2% to $2.7 billion.
36 Million Games and 3.4 Million Consoles Sold in the UK in 2021: UK Annual Report
The UK games market in 2021 saw 35.8 million digital and physical games, 3.36 million consoles and 10.6 million accessories sold, based on GSD software data and GfK hardware and accessories data.
- In 2021, the UK sold 35.8 million games, 3.36 million consoles, and 10.6 million accessories.
- The Nintendo Switch was the UK's best-selling console in 2021, surpassing the PlayStation 5 in the final weeks of the year, with console sales overall up 14% compared to 2020.
- Game software sales declined by 16% in 2021 compared to 2020, but were up 38% compared to 2019, with 20.5 million digital games and 15.3 million physical games sold.
2021 US Games Spending: Annual Report
US consumer spending on games reached a record $60.4 billion in 2021, an 8% increase over 2020, according to NPD Group tracking data published in January 2022.
- US consumer spending on games reached a record $60.4 billion in 2021, an 8% increase year-over-year, with software accounting for $51.7 billion (85%) of this revenue.
- Call of Duty: Vanguard was the best-selling game of 2021 in the US, marking the 13th consecutive year a Call of Duty title topped the annual charts.
- The Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console in 2021 in terms of both unit and dollar sales, contributing to a 14% increase in hardware revenue to $6 billion.
November Spending Down 10% Compared to 2020: US Monthly Charts
US consumer video game spending fell 10% year-on-year in November 2021 to $6.3 billion, according to NPD Group data covering the four-week tracking period from October 31 to November 27.
- US consumer spending on gaming in November 2021 decreased by 10% year-on-year to $6.3 billion, though year-to-date spending increased by 9% to $52.9 billion.
- Hardware sales in November 2021 dropped by 38% compared to 2020, reaching $883 million, the lowest November total since 2016 due to console inventory shortages.
- Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console in November 2021, selling 1.13 million units in the US, and has been the top-selling console for 35 out of the last 36 months.
The Holiday Period and What It Means for Retail
The Q4 holiday window, defined as weeks 39 to 52 (week 53 in 2020), is the most important stretch of the year for video game software sales in Europe, and this analysis examines how it has shaped physical and digital full game unit sales ahead of the 2021 season.
- The Q4 period (weeks 39–52) is the most critical window for video game sales, historically driven by the release of major titles like FIFA and holiday gift-buying.
- Physical retail sales are in a long-term decline, with a cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of -8% between 2018 and 2020.
- Digital network sales experienced a significant surge in Q4 2020, with unit sales increasing by 54% compared to 2019, largely fueled by demand for FIFA and Call of Duty.
Plus: Back to the Jurassic Forza Era?
Steam is not the whole PC picture, and the early-November 2021 launch slate shows both what the platform's Hype charts capture and what they miss.
- Forza Horizon 5 is the top-hyped upcoming title with approximately 96,000 Steam followers, projecting to reach nearly one million wishlists.
- Jurassic World Evolution 2 is positioned for strong performance, building on the success of its predecessor which achieved nearly two million total sales.
- The indie title Unpacking significantly outperformed expectations, securing over 900 positive reviews shortly after its early November 2021 launch.
Companies behind it
As the documents state it.