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[Draxon Gamer]

I found some data that might interest some folks. I was cruising on some ancient gamer boards and found someone who linked to an archive of old PC Data information detailing the best selling PC games from 1993-1998:

Timelapse - Specials: Top 10 Selling Computer Games of All Time

#​	Game​	Publisher​	#Sold​
1.​	Myst​	Broderbund​	3,822,638​
2.​	Microsoft Flight Simulator​	Microsoft​	2,369,906​
3.​	Doom II​	GT Interactive​	1,815,882​
4.​	Doom Shareware​	id Software​	1,361,943​
5.​	Riven: The Sequel to Myst​	Broderbund​	1,061,226​
6.​	Warcraft II​	Cendant​	1,020,623​
7.​	SimCity 2000​	Electronic Arts​	1,019,345​
8.​	The 7th Guest​	Virgin Interactive​	929,611​
9.​	Star Wars: Dark Forces​	LucasArts​	928,469​
10.​	Monopoly​	Hasbro Interactive​	869,709​

I then found this image later through link hopping that shows sales information from 1993-1999, adding an extra year from the same source:

The user uploaded the image with Imgur, so I saved it to reupload it again later when it gets taken down on the 15th 3 days from now when Imgur erases all images not attached to a registered account.

The biggest differences between both lists is that 7th Guest is knocked off in the last one and Diablo is added.

I never realized how big Myst and Microsoft Flight Simulator actually were, and I'm surprised people huddled around a 1990 era PC monitor to play Monopoly. I am glad Dark Forces made the list, as that was one of the key revolutionary FPS games of the time alongside Terminator Future Shock that launched the same year.

It's US-based sales and only the top 10, but I suppose that's better than nothing. I know there's a complete list with 100 games, but I don't know if there's anyone who's archived and uploaded the full list to the internet.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Who knew FS sold that much back then.

 

[demigod]

Starcraft not on there? FAKE!

 

[BennyBlanco]

Pretty sure I owned every one of these. 90s PC gaming was so weird. I remember renting Doom 2 from this little PC store in hoboken, and I just never uninstalled it.

Why is Doom Shareware on there? It was free.

 

[Draxon Gamer]

Pretty sure I owned every one of these. 90s PC gaming was so weird. I remember renting Doom 2 from this little PC store in hoboken, and I just never uninstalled it.

Why is Doom Shareware on there? It was free.

It's talking about the paid version of that game. Whether if that was at retail or mailing in through the shareware address. Only part of Doom was free legally and you had to pay for the rest.

 

[BennyBlanco]

It's talking about the paid version of that game. Whether if that was at retail or mailing in through the shareware address. Only part of Doom was free legally and you had to pay for the rest.

Honestly shareware was a brilliant idea.

 

[Wildebeest]

I'm surprised that Deer Hunter isn't on the list. It always used to be fun to make fun of the US market when that was tearing up the charts.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

It's talking about the paid version of that game. Whether if that was at retail or mailing in through the shareware address. Only part of Doom was free legally and you had to pay for the rest.

I'm not so sure. Doom shareware was free but how would you actually get a hold of it? The barely existing and used internet? A local BBS? Some floppies from a friend? Those were your options really. Doom shareware was definitely for sale, in many ways, back then. Hell, it was very common to see CDs sold that had like "10,000 shareware titles!!!!!!" and so forth.

I just don't know how they would have numbers specifically for Doom though.

 

[Topher]

Microsoft Flight Simulator was a big game starting in the mid 80s. One of my first PC games ever was Flight Simulator for the IBM PCjr

 

[SEGA_2012]

YEAH ! MYST IN FIRST ! YAHOOOO !

 

[Drizzlehell]

Crazy to think that among the two top selling games it was a dull point and click adventure game and a flight simulator.

PC gaming was such a different world back in the 90s.

 

[Draxon Gamer]

Honestly shareware was a brilliant idea.

Depended on the game type and the implementation. Because several of the best selling PC games for the most part never used it, and Doom was the biggest success that did use it.

 

[Draxon Gamer]

I'm not so sure. Doom shareware was free but how would you actually get a hold of it? The barely existing and used internet? A local BBS?

I think you are greatly underestimating network use in 1993. Yes, I'm sure if you brought a compilation disc it would count as a sale but most of those are Doom sales tracked at retail or reported to PC Data likely from mail ins to the Shareware address or network distribution orders.

PC Data was company that tracked all that. Then they got worse when NPD brought them and became defunct later. There used to be an archive with all their stuff that was taken down many years ago by NPD so these lists are the left overs we have left. Unless there's a guy out there who saved all the archives.

Microsoft Flight Simulator was a big game starting in the mid 80s. One of my first PC games ever was Flight Simulator for the IBM PCjr

It was definitely an app frequently mentioned as a killer app for the Peanut, was a show piece to convince people that it meant you could play games without going to the office or going broke.

I am surprised to see that it still was very popular throughout the 1990s though. Makes me wonder how popular it is currently.

 

[Topher]

I think you are greatly underestimating network use in 1993. Yes, I'm sure if you brought a compilation disc it would count as a sale but most of those are Doom sales tracked at retail or reported to PC Data likely from mail ins to the Shareware address or network distribution orders.

PC Data was company that tracked all that. Then they got worse when NPD brought them and became defunct later. There used to be an archive with all their stuff that was taken down many years ago by NPD so these lists are the left overs we have left. Unless there's a guy out there who saved all the archives.

It was definitely an app frequently mentioned as a killer app for the Peanut, was a show piece to convince people that it meant you could play games without going to the office or going broke.

I am surprised to see that it still was very popular throughout the 1990s though. Makes me wonder how popular it is currently.

Props for knowing the "Peanut" nickname. That's a piece of trivia most don't know at all.

 

[SeraphJan]

Starcraft not on there? FAKE!

I believe because that data collection ended in 1999, Starcraft still needed more time for the sales to grow

 

[mrmustard]

I'm surprised that there is no Command & Conquer, Diablo, Duke3D or Half Life.

 

[existensmaximum]

Myst was such a shockingly boring game. Wasn't it bundled with a lot of computers? Maybe that's why it's on top?

Anyway, I'm sad to see none of the classic Lucasarts point and click games are on the list. Would have expected Diablo as well but what do I know.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

I'm not so sure. Doom shareware was free but how would you actually get a hold of it? The barely existing and used internet? A local BBS? Some floppies from a friend? Those were your options really. Doom shareware was definitely for sale, in many ways, back then. Hell, it was very common to see CDs sold that had like "10,000 shareware titles!!!!!!" and so forth.

I just don't know how they would have numbers specifically for Doom though.

Early 1990s Poland, universities holding software days where you went to get games on floppies copied over by students before proper copyright law was passed. Man, those were the times.

 

[Draxon Gamer]

I'm surprised that there is no Command & Conquer, Diablo, Duke3D or Half Life.

Diablo is on the 2nd list. Half-life was late 1998 iirc.