More details are emerging from The NPD Group about how the video game industry performed in 2018. Sales in the United States were healthier than ever, with last year producing a record-breaking $43.4 billion in revenue. NPD also revealed the top twenty software titles of the year, with Red Dead Redemption 2 coming up on top.Close behind the Western game was Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, which included a battle royale mode titled "Blackout." Both of these action titles are followed by sports titles NBA 2K19 and Madden NFL 19 from 2K and EA, respectively.Despite releasing in December, it wasn't difficult for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to reach number 5 of top-selling 2018 games. Although Sony made waves with their PlayStation-exclusive titles Marvel's Spider-Man and God of War, they couldn't match to the sales power of Nintendo's all-star platform fighter. Third-party blockbusters that broke the top ten included Far Cry 5, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and Monster Hunter: World, the last being the only Japanese title of these three games.In the bottom ten for 2018, older games proved to have staying power. Nothing will keep Grand Theft Auto V down, even with fellow Rockstar title Red Dead Redemption 2 in the mix. The 2013 game (released in 2014 on current consoles) sold better in 2018 than actual 2018 titles Battlefield V, Super Mario Party, and Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu!Check out the full list below:

  1. Red Dead Redemption 2
  2. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
  3. NBA 2K19
  4. Madden NFL 19
  5. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
  6. Marvel’s Spider-Man
  7. Far Cry 5
  8. God of War
  9. Monster Hunter: World
  10. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
  11. Grand Theft Auto V
  12. Mario Kart 8*
  13. FIFA 19**
  14. Battlefield V**
  15. Super Mario Odyssey*
  16. Call of Duty: WWII**
  17. Dragon Ball: FighterZ
  18. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
  19. Super Mario Party*
  20. Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu!*

*Does not include digital sales

**Does not include PC digital sales

In other NPD news from the year as a whole, the Nintendo Switch ended up as the top-selling hardware platform in both total units and dollars. Nintendo as a whole was also the highest software revenue generating publisher of the year, for the first time since 2009. NPD expects the Switch's success to continue well into 2019.

The list of software titles itself isn't too big a surprise—still, seeing those comparatively higher numbers in 2018 is a healthy signal for the industry as a whole. Just wait until new hardware starts popping up to really throw a wrench into these charts!