Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (video game)

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was a commercial blockbuster.[4][7] In the United States, it debuted at #2 on PC Data's list of the best-selling computer games for the week of November 21, at an average retail price of $20.[8] Disney Interactive reported that the game "virtually sold out across the country" by Thanksgiving, the day after its release.[9] Rising to first place on PC Data's charts in its second week,[10] it proceeded to hold a four-week streak at #1 through November 28–December 25.[11] By December 19, it had shipped 1 million units to retailers.[1] At the time, Amer Ajami of GameSpot theorized that the game's "US$19 price tag has to be one of the reasons" for its success.[12] It dropped to position 2 during the final week of 1999, behind RollerCoaster Tycoon.[13] Following a 15th-place finish for the month of November,[14] Millionaire claimed first place for December overall.[15]

According to PC Data, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire's sell-through reached 592,655 units and its revenues $11.4 million in the United States by the end of 1999.[16][17] This made it the region's fastest-selling, third-highest-selling and seventh-highest-grossing computer game of the year.[16] A writer for PC Gamer US called the game's sales "scary" given its late-year launch, and predicted that its "full potential" was not yet realized.[17] GameSpot's Steve Smith remarked of Millionaire's performance, "Most hard-core gamers probably gnash their teeth at the thought of Regis Philbin and his simple-minded trivia game outselling every other supposedly respectable game on the market."[4]

Sales continued in 2000.[18] PC Data ultimately ranked Who Wants to Be a Millionaire as the United States' fourth-largest computer game hit of 2000, with 942,978 units sold and $15.67 million revenues earned.[19]

Chris Tarrant in 2009

Günther Jauch in 2016

Chris Tarrant and Günther Jauch appeared in the British and German versions of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, respectively.

The United Kingdom edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire proved to be a massive hit for Eidos Interactive. After four months on shelves, it became the first game developed in Britain to reach domestic sales of 1 million units, according to Chart-Track. This made it the United Kingdom's best-selling game of 2000.[20] Its million sales amounted to 347,000 units of its computer version, 39,000 Dreamcast units and 624,000 PlayStation units.[21] By 2016, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire still held the record for the longest streak at #1 in the United Kingdom, with 18 consecutive weeks.[22]

In the German market, Eidos Interactive released Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (known as Wer wird Millionär) during the middle of December 2000. It became an instant hit and, within two weeks of release, among the region's best-selling games of the year. Andreas Philipp of Gameswelt noted that it "immediately made it to No. 1 on the Media Control Charts" and remained there by January of the following year.[23] While it dropped to second place on the monthly charts for February and March,[24] by October it had maintained a 10-month streak on Media Control's rankings. It secured 13th that month.[25]

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire's computer version quickly received a "Gold" sales award from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD),[26] indicating sales of at least 100,000 units across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.[27] It rose to "Platinum" status, for 200,000 sales, after less than a month on shelves.[28] In March 2001 the VUD awarded the computer version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire its "Double-Platinum" prize,[29] for sales of 400,000 copies,[30] while its PlayStation release collected a "Gold" honor. The committee remarked that it was a "game that cannot be classified in the common genres, but has become a complete success."[29]

The game was followed by a number of sequels, beginning with Who Wants to Be a Millionaire 2nd Edition, another commercial hit.