Greatest Hits

Overview

In the modern game industry, it is standard practice for console manufacturers to establish a label under which commercially successful games can be re-released. As with Game of the Year editions, which are not controlled by the platform holder, this is done in order to boost sales of older games, by refreshing customers' memories of the games and attracting attention to price drops.

The names of the labels differ between companies, as does the number of units a game must sell to earn a re-release.

Company-specific Labels

Sony

On Sony platforms, games that sell over 400,000 copies after one year are released as Greatest Hits in North America. In PAL territories this was called Platinum and later Essentials (or PSP Essentials for PSP games). In Japan, The Best has been used for all Sony platforms up to the PS3, although PlayStation games were more often released as PSOne Books, a label introduced in 2000. For the PlayStation 4 era, the PlayStation Hits label is now used in all territories, except in Hong Kong.

Xbox

On Xbox platforms, games that have sold 400,000 copies within nine months after release are called Platinum Hits. In PAL regions they are called Xbox Classics. There are also Best of Platinum Hits, which are the best-selling Platinum Hits.

Original Xbox games that were kid-friendly could also be designated as Platinum Family Hits. There was no PAL or Japanese equivalent to the category, and this sub-label did not carry on to the 360.

Nintendo

Games on the SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy Advance that sold over a million copies were called Player's Choice. GameCube titles had to sell only 250,000 copies to earn the same label.

On May 15th, 2011 Nintendo started using the name Nintendo Selects instead of Player's Choice for selected Wii games. The Wii games that are labeled as Nintendo Selects sell for a reduced price with a changed cover art. The first games selected to be a part of Nintendo Selects were:

• Animal Crossing: City Folk
• Mario Strikers Charged
• Mario Super Sluggers (Only a Nintendo Select in the US)
• The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess
• Punch-Out!!
• Super Paper Mario
• Super Mario Galaxy
• Wario Ware: Smooth Moves (Only a Nintendo Select in Europe)
• Wii Sports

Sega

Games on the Sega Dreamcast that sold very well (the requirement has never been specified) were called Sega All Stars. Only 17 titles were labeled Sega All Stars during the Dreamcast's short lifespan.