The State of Gaming October 2023: Spider-Man 2, Mario Wonder, AC Mirage, Alan Wake 2, Detective Pikachu, Sonic Superstars, Five Nights at Freddy’s, PS5 Slim, and Circana

It’s The State of Gaming Podcast, Popzara’s in-depth look at what’s shaking up the gaming landscape delivered on a monthly basis. Our hosts Cory Galliher and Nate Evans guide you through the best, worst, and everything else making headlines and headway in the world of interactive entertainment.

The biggest games of the month include: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Alan Wake 2, Lords of the Fallen, Detective Pikachu Returns, Forza Motorsport, Sonic Superstars, and Ghostrunner 2.

Other notables include: Cities: Skylines II, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 1, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged, Wizard With a Gun, Gargoyles Remastered, and Resident Evil Village (iOS).

Circana remains the gaming industry’s best snapshot of what’s moving and shaking up both physical and digital retail shelves across the country. All estimates are for entertainment purposes only. Total sales of new gaming hardware and software topped $4.4 billion, a sizable ten percent rise over last year.

It was a month of debuts on the Top Twenty software charts Microsoft scored a winner with Starfield in first, with Warner Bros’ arcade fighting reboot (?) Mortal Kombat 1 high in second. EA’s newly-renamed EA Sports FC 24 (formally Fifa) came in third. Plaion’s Payday 3 was in fifth, Take 2 Interactive’s NBA 2K24 in sixth, and Ubisoft’s The Crew: Motorfest in seventh. The rest of the charts was a healthy mix of old and new heavy-hitters, showcasing the strength of having great software that consumers actually want to buy.

But there’s more! Sony makes their long-awaited, trimmed back PlayStation 5 Slim official! It’s smaller, sleeker, but not cheaper (but Blu-ray is now optional). The Five Nights At Freddy’s Movie is breaking nearly every box-office record out there! And finally, just in time for the month of all-things-spooky, you can snag your own bespoke “Halloween Fatality” for Mortal Kombat 1 for $10, because the only thing scarier than pumpkin kills are microtransactions!