Written by Rhiannon Fillingham | Data Science Student

Why Do Some Video Games Sell More Than Others?

The video game industry is highly competitive, generating over $100 billion annually, yet not all games achieve commercial success. Developers and retailers face a critical challenge: How can they predict which games will be best-sellers?

Game success depends on multiple factors, including platform choice, genre popularity, and regional preferences. Understanding these patterns helps publishers optimize marketing strategies and maximize revenue, while also reducing risks when launching new titles.

As part of my TripleTen Data Science Bootcamp, I analyzed historical video game sales data to uncover key trends. This study provides data-driven insights that can help game publishers make informed decisions about where and how to invest their marketing efforts.

Data Sources & Preprocessing

This analysis is based on historical video game sales data collected from open sources. The dataset includes:

• Game titles and their respective platforms.
• Year of release and sales across multiple regions (North America, Europe, Japan, and Others).
• Review scores from critics and users.
• ESRB ratings (Entertainment Software Rating Board classifications).

Data Preparation

• Column names were standardized (converted to lowercase for consistency).
• Total sales were calculated by summing up sales across all regions.
• Missing values were handled, particularly where scores were labeled as 'TBD'.
• Older, irrelevant years were removed to focus on recent gaming trends.

This preprocessing step ensured that our analysis would yield accurate and meaningful insights.

How Has the Video Game Market Evolved Over Time?