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Forums - Sales Discussion - Ghostbusters (1984 game) sold more than 2 million copies in the UK between 1984 and 1989

I just read a quote from Charles Cecil the former development manager at Activision from that time.
It comes from the recent issue of Retro Gamer (load 219).

Prior to this quote he talks about the lead up to the Ghostbusters 2 film in 1989 and their work on the 2nd game.

"The previous Ghostbusters game, from 1984, had sold more than two million copies and had become the best selling game of all time - a title it still held five years later."

So would this be correct that it was the best selling game of all time until 1989.

I'm sure there's someone far better at looking up this kind of thing than me but I thought it would be nice to post this here as information from print magazines rarely reach internet forums these days unless someone big on twitter posts about it.

Now it could be that they were talking about it being the best selling UK video game, as Charles Cecil worked at the UK division of Activision. Alas, all we have is a little quote.

UPDATE: It was the best selling game of all time in the UK between 1984 and 1989.

Last edited by Soren0079 - on 11 April 2021

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I don’t think it’s worldwide since the Atari 2600 had several games that sold over 2 million. Pac-Man sold nearly 8 million on the 2600 alone. Legend of Zelda was famous for selling 2 million copies during the first year of its release - that would be by 1988 since it came out in 87. I’d also be surprised if Mario didn’t sell over 2 million before 1989 considering the first game ended up selling over 40 million copies total. Coleco’s Donkey Kong was Nintendo’s first major console success, released in 1982 and selling 6 million copies.

I’m not sure if about the UK, but it seems a strange game to be the best selling of all time in the UK, above Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Super Mario Bros.



I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.

Soren0079 said:

I just read a quote from Charles Cecil the former development manager at Activision from that time.
It comes from the recent issue of Retro Gamer (load 219).

Prior to this quote he talks about the lead up to the Ghostbusters 2 film in 1989 and their work on the 2nd game.

"The previous Ghostbusters game, from 1984, had sold more than two million copies and had become the best selling game of all time - a title it still held five years later."

So would this be correct that it was the best selling game of all time until 1989.

I'm sure there's someone far better at looking up this kind of thing than me but I thought it would be nice to post this here as information from print magazines rarely reach internet forums these days unless someone big on twitter posts about it.

Now it could be that they were talking about it being the best selling UK video game, as Charles Cecil worked at the UK division of Activision. Alas, all we have is a little quote.

Bolded: Nope

Not only does this ignore Atari 2600 games, Mario and Zelda both sold more than 2M on the NES - and I'm sure they're not the only NES (and possibly even some Sega Master System titles like Phantasy Star) games that passed that mark.



I was just about to go and update this to say that YES it was the best selling game of all time in the UK between 1984 and 1989.

I'll update the post at the top of the thread.

I think my brain was still half asleep earlier in thinking it could possibly be a best seller across the world.
It does make wonder what took it's crown in 1989 though.
Ah, Robocop came out in 1988 and 1989, so that probably outsold it in the UK.

Last edited by Soren0079 - on 11 April 2021

I played it on the Commodore 64, it and the loading screen space invaders may be my first games ever.



Hmm, pie.

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Two million in the UK alone seems like a lot. Does anyone have sales info on the top selling games in the UK? I wouldn't even know how much GTA or Minecraft sold there.



The Fury said:

I played it on the Commodore 64, it and the loading screen space invaders may be my first games ever.

Played it a lot at a friends house on his Sega Master System.

For those who want to sing along, here's the title screen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlZf1HBHWu4

Btw, did you know that the game was one of the first instances, if not the first, of a modern New Game+? Once you finished the game, you could save the amount of cash you had and use it for your next playthrough, thus possibly buying the better equipment options right from the start.



Mar1217 said:

Wait .. the 1984's Ghosbuster game for the NES ?! Isn't it the reputable crappy game with one of the most horrible staircase section in gaming ? How does that manage to sell over 2M copies 0_0

I am sure that is across all platforms.  Also the NES wouldn't have been available in the UK in 1984.  It is probably mostly the computer versions that are being counted.



The_Liquid_Laser said:
Mar1217 said:

Wait .. the 1984's Ghosbuster game for the NES ?! Isn't it the reputable crappy game with one of the most horrible staircase section in gaming ? How does that manage to sell over 2M copies 0_0

I am sure that is across all platforms.  Also the NES wouldn't have been available in the UK in 1984.  It is probably mostly the computer versions that are being counted.

Also, I'm fairly sure this 2M number is more like the install base than actual sales numbers. Because had it sold that well, it would have been much more widely known.

Also FYI: The game released on Amstrad CPC, Atari 8bit, Sega Master System, NES, Apple ][, ZX Spectrum, C64, Atari 2600 and Tandy 1000 (incompatible with later models). While they all combined got a respectable install base in the UK, it would still mean an install base close to what Nintendo is managing right now with their top-tier titles. And that doesn't really sound right or even plausible to me.



Bofferbrauer2 said:
The_Liquid_Laser said:

I am sure that is across all platforms.  Also the NES wouldn't have been available in the UK in 1984.  It is probably mostly the computer versions that are being counted.

Also, I'm fairly sure this 2M number is more like the install base than actual sales numbers. Because had it sold that well, it would have been much more widely known.

Also FYI: The game released on Amstrad CPC, Atari 8bit, Sega Master System, NES, Apple ][, ZX Spectrum, C64, Atari 2600 and Tandy 1000 (incompatible with later models). While they all combined got a respectable install base in the UK, it would still mean an install base close to what Nintendo is managing right now with their top-tier titles. And that doesn't really sound right or even plausible to me.

I don't really know, because I don't know total sales in the UK for most games.  However, it doesn't sound too unreasonable.  FIFA sold over 2m last year in the UK.  GTA5 sold 1.1m last year in the UK and it's a very old game at this point.  So, 2m in the UK across all platforms doesn't sound too unreasonable.
https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/2020s-top-10-best-selling-games-in-the-uk-revealed/