Gaming's most fun sales data is full of old and obscure games

"But he doesn't just share data about what is selling the most; as of late, he's also posted delightful lists of games that have sold just a single physical copy over a certain period of time, and the lists often include retro games that take me down memory lane or titles that I didn't even know existed. The list of games that sold one physical copy in October, for example, includes the Xbox 360 version of Burnout Paradise and Hasbro Family Game Night 3 for the PS3."

"On Thursday, Piscatella posted the " 2025 Circana Thread for Sickos" highlighting games that only sold one physical unit over the whole year across various handhelds and consoles. That list of games that sold a single unit in October was born out of a question from a user on Bluesky, Piscatella tells The Verge. "People seemed to enjoy the combination of journey down memory lane and the treasure hunting idea of these games being out there somewhere," Piscatella says. Then people started asking him about it, so he thought it'd be fun to keep doing it."

"Circana is able to track the data because it has agreements with "all major retailers" that let it compile and analyze point-of-sale data, Piscatella says. "I​​f a retailer's point-of-sale system scans a product as a sale, it will show up in the data." That means all the games he has mentioned in these threads "had one new unit floating around out there somehow that was sold through a register or via an online purchase. Perhaps it was a unit that had been lost somewhere in the back, or was buried under a display, or who knows.""

Monthly point-of-sale data reveals video game sales trends, including November's historically weak hardware sales and Battlefield 6's strong October launch. Separate lists identify games that sold only one new physical copy over a given period, often featuring retro or obscure titles and surprising entries. Examples include the Xbox 360 version of Burnout Paradise and Hasbro Family Game Night 3 for PS3. A year-spanning compilation highlights single-unit sellers across handhelds and consoles. The lists originated from a user prompt on Bluesky and grew because people enjoyed nostalgia and the treasure-hunting aspect. Data comes from retailer point-of-sale scans that record individual sales, meaning single reported units may have been found in backstock or under displays.

Read at The Verge