Top 11 Most Played Xbox 360 Games

Ever wondered how long a gamer plays Halo 3 or Gears of War 2 on average? You may be surprised by the results.

A few things before I get started: The games are listed in reverse order by playtime. I chose games that have been out for more than 6 months because newer games obviously won’t have as many hours. I also added possible explanations to why the hours are the way they are for the ‘OMGWTFBBQ WHY DOES HALO 3 HAVE SO LITTLE HOURS’ comments. Important note: this data is taken from the past year – so these are the top games from now to about the same time last year.

11.

Grand Theft Auto 4 – 10.1 Hours per player

First on the list is Grand Theft Auto 4. So it looks like people only play GTA4 for about 10 hours – that’s understandable. GTA4, IMO, is one of those games everyone tries, then gets bored of it quickly. Sure, there’s a bunch of DLC and replay content, but the “try-it-and-sell-it” crowd drag the average hours down.

10.   

Street Fighter 4 – 11.4 Hours per player

I can see why this game is on the list. Other fighting games don’t reach this high, but if I had to guess the reason (I always am taking guesses), I’d say it’s because of the competition factor – Street Fighter 4 has some intense competitions. If you looked at other popular fighting games such as Soul Calibur 4, you’d see that a lot of people own it, but lack of competitive play hurt it.

9.     

Resident Evil 5 – 13.1 Hours per player

Resident Evil 5 is a strange one. It only has one story mode and zero multiplayer, yet it makes it relatively high on the list. I think it’s because anybody who plays Resident Evil 5, finishes it. Unlike those other games where you can play a few hours of multiplayer, Resident Evil 5 makes  you want to finish the game. Also, the Co-op feature is pretty fun and allows for at least one more play through with a different friend.

8.     

Left 4 Dead – 16.4 Hours per player

Who doesn’t like hordes of zombies? Left 4 Dead keeps players through two modes: Versus and co-op survival levels. 8th most played is good, but I think it’s not higher is because survival can get a bit repetitive and you either love or hate versus.

7. 

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – 17.3 Hours per player

Call of Duty 4 is one of those “lots-of-people-have-it-but-some-stop-playing-it-and-others-play-it-hardcore” games. Most people who play it enjoy it, but it takes a certain player to take it to the next level; some move onto the next game, some play the heck out of it.

6.     

Fable 2 – 18.0 Hours per player

This was unexpected to me. Fable 2 is a decent game, but not widely well reviewed like many of the others on the list. Despite that, I have a few theories. People leave Fable 2 on to farm gold – even I’ve done it. DLC also plays a big part as well as replay-ability to try the other side (evil vs. good).

5.     

Halo 3 – 22.0 Hours per player

OMGWTFBBQ WHY DOES HALO 3 HAVE SO LITTLE HOURS. Once again, it’s a “lots-of-people-have-it-but-some-stop-playing-it-and-others-play-it-hardcore” game. One of the reasons I think it does better than Call of Duty 4 is because of the competition factor – with MLG and other brakets, Halo 3 is played a lot.

4.     

Rock Band 2 – 26.6 Hours per player

Who doesn’t like party games? Rock Band 2 is great for parties and it shows. The best part about Rock Band 2 is that you can play it with a seemingly limitless combination of friends. Also, if you’re going to pay $200 for a game, you better play it a lot.

3.     

Gears of War 2 – 28.2 Hours per player

Gears of War 2 gets number 3. I think it’s because of the following reasons: Horde mode – nothing gets more hours than a group of 5 surviving waves and waves of baddies. Less universal than Halo 3 – people who buy Gears of War 2 most likely played Gears of War 1. In contrast, I know many people who got 360s just for Halo 3 even though they didn’t play the previous ones. Bundles – Gears of War 2 was never bundled while Halo 3 was bundled with special editions and elites. DLC – Gears of War 2 has had several DLCs which have kept the fans coming back for more.

2.     

Fallout 3 – 31.2 Hours per player

Fallout 3… the only pure single player game on the list. This one is easy (I think) to explain: DLC and replay-ability. Fallout 3 has had several content packs that have added substantial value to the game. Also, with the variety of how you can build your character, most players go back for a second play through.

1.     

Call of Duty: World at War – 37.7 Hours per player

What? Call of Duty: World at War at number 1? At first it was a shocker to me, but after thinking about it, it’s not. World at War has had many downloadable map packs that not only add more levels to the game, but also more play styles. Also, similar to Gears of War 2, the game has a more “pure” audience. It looks like most World at War players enjoyed it and kept playing.

Well, that’s the list. Feel free to add different explanations to why some numbers are the way they are. I’ve played all of these games in one form or another, but some of your hardcore players may have more information than I. If you haven’t already, sign up for Raptr to automatically track your gameplay!
RT @Raptr Top 11 Most Played Xbox 360 Games