Research has revealed that the NBA 2K basketball video game series, is the most popular sports game in America right now. The research comes from sports gaming experts at OHGamblers. They did so by analyzing Google searches (via Google Keywords Planner) and search terms related to the games. From this they were able to establish the most popular sports video games in America. NBA 2K took the top spot.
NBA 2K soars in popularity
According to the research, NBA 2K was searched the most times in 30 states within the last year. It was the second-most searched game in 20 states.
This is no coincidence, considering the level of detail and polish Take-Two Interactive puts in its basketball simulation series. MyCareer mode is the most in depth story mode out of any sports game. The presentation is phenomenal, featuring real NBA personalities like Doris Burke and David Aldridge. The game also always being updated with new and exciting content to keep gamers coming back.
NBA 2K23, the newest installment, is releasing Season 7 soon. It unleashes a whole new wave of content for players to unlock. Read more about it here. Players on new generation systems can also explore the City, a massive area full of locations your player can visit.
Aside from presentation and graphical fidelity, NBA 2K's controls and gameplay have always been the benchmark of the series. It's simply just fun to pick up and play.
The latest installment, NBA 2K23 is available for Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Madden NFL
Close but too far behind NBA 2K was the Madden NFL series, which was searched the most in 20 states. It was the second most searched game in 23 states, which only cements its popularity even more. Only Madden NFL and NBA 2K were the two most searched games in states, which comes as no surprise considering the popularity of the sports.
But what is surprising is that the NFL is the most popular sport in America. So it's interesting to see the video game series not be able to replicate the same kind of success.
The Madden NFL game series is one that's seen a lot more downs than ups in recent history, but it still stands as the definitive football-simulation experience. Despite each new installment not getting enough improvements, fans are still lining up to buy the newest copy. Ultimate Team is also one of the most lucrative game modes, and brings EA Sports enough dough to keep rolling out an annual release.
EA Sports' exclusive deal with the NFL also bought them the luxury of being the only NFL video game developer. They're the only company (as of now) who can use officially licensed teams, stadium, and artwork.
But the legacy and popularity of the sport is what propels this series to be the second-most popular sports game in America right now.
The latest installment, Madden NFL 23, is available for Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
FIFA
If you told us 10-15 years ago that FIFA would be the third most popular sports game series in America, we'd probably scratch our heads in confusion. But with the success of the Men and Women's National Teams and rise of European soccer leagues here in the U.S., it should come as no surprise.
While FIFA wasn't the most searched sports game in any state, it had the third highest sports search volume in 33 states. It was the second-most searched game in 7 states. Slowly but surely catching up to Madden, FIFA's popularity is growing more and more. The FIFA game series is also one that has many great titles. Whether it's the PS2 era or current generation games, there's a FIFA game for everyone.
FIFA Ultimate team, like Madden Ultimate Team, is a huge money maker and another big reason that helps propel its popularity among gamers everywhere. Streamers and content creators have also propelled the game's success, bringing in new fans to the sport.
It'll be interesting to see if it can hold its spot, with EA Sports ending their partnership with FIFA. The new series will be rebranded as EA Sports FC.
The latest installment, FIFA 23, is available for Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC (previously available for Google Stadia)
MLB The Show & NHL Hold 4th and 5th Place
MLB The Show is a baseball video game series that deserves a lot of credit. It's fun, accurate to the game, has nice presentation and graphics, and is easy to play. Developer San Diego Studio has done a great job fine-tuning the gameplay over the years. It was the fourth-highest searched game in 37 states (nearly 75% of the country), and third highest in 10 states.
The latest installment, MLB The Show 23, is available for Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC.
NHL comes as no surprise, as professional hockey hasn't captured the same number fans as these other leagues have. Still, it's an honor for the NHL franchise to still be among the top most searched sports game in the U.S. now. It means it's doing something right, and nothing that's plunging them down. It was the fourth highest searched game in 24 states, and was apparently a close contender with the PGA Tour series.
The latest installment, NHL 23, is available for Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Once again, we'd like to thank the hard working experts at OHGamblers, who provided us with this information. You can check out there website here. They are a group of trusted sports statisticians and valued trusted gaming source.
For more information on sports video game news, check out ClutchPoints Gaming for more.
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