10 best-selling video games (so far) of 2014

The next generation of consoles is starting to shake up the sales charts.

With the release of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, there's a new mid-year sales leader in the videogame industry—and it's not Call of Duty for a change.

This year's list, in fact, is full of changes—perhaps none so remarkable as the strong showing of Lego. A pair of games based on the children's toys are among the top-selling titles so far in 2014. And Minecraft, the little indie game that became a juggernaut (selling over 15 million copies life-to-date), has shoved some familiar franchises off the list.

Rankings for this mid-year list were taken from sales figures from January through the end of April, the most recent reporting period for The NPD Group.

Due to agreements with publishers, NPD does not publicly release hard sales numbers. But the rankings show that players are eager for new experiences, something that's bound to be encouraging to game publishers rolling out new intellectual properties in the next few months and years.

—By CNBC's Chris Morris

Videogames tied to the Lego franchise have been popular for a long while, in large part because the brand mixes humor with solid gameplay and hot pop culture touchstones.

So it was something of a no-brainer that a game based on the Marvel superhero universe would sell well.

Players appreciated the game's depth, giving them the ability to control up to 150 characters—including Marvel co-creator Stan Lee. It was a welcome break from the darker-themed shooters that have been hitting the industry of late.

Just when the PlayStation 4 needed a big game to keep its momentum going, inFAMOUS Second Son hit store shelves—and it was just what the doctor ordered.

It's a stylistic, graphically stunning open world adventure filled with superpowered heroes and villains.

It's proved so popular that it was credited with doubling PS4 sales in the UK during its first week—and sold 1 million copies in just nine days.

Take the incredibly popular "Assassin's Creed" franchise, add pirates and toss in an open environment, where players can break from the main storyline and adventure on the high seas and you've got a recipe for success.

Fans universally loved the game, but initial sales were weaker than its predecessor (something Ubisoft blamed on the console transition).

Life-to-date, though, the publisher says the game has shipped more than 11 million copies.

It came out last September, but demand for this long-awaited installment in the "Grand Theft Auto" series has remained strong in 2014.

That's due in part to the game's rich multiplayer mode, which has retained players long after they've finished the (extensive) single player mode.

Life to date, Grand Theft Auto V has sold more than 33 million units, according to publisher Take-Two Interactive Software.

When the history of the seventh generation of consoles (the era of the Xbox 360, Wii and PS3) is written, Minecraft may be the most interesting story.

This independent game was first released in 2009 in an incomplete state and has been constantly tweaked since that time.

In May 2012, its creator released a version for the Xbox 360—and it has been a steady seller ever since. Last year, it's sales topped Disney's highly publicized (and multiplatform) "Disney Infinity"—and it doesn't seem to be slowing down.

Life to date, Minecraft has sold over 35 million copies across various platforms.

The game had plenty of bugs and glitches when it was released, but Battlefield 4 is still one of the best looking games for any of the next generation systems—and that graphical prowess has helped keep it on the sales charts.

EA, meanwhile, has poured resources into resolving the problems (and the franchise's strong resonance with players hasn't hurt).

Everything is awesome for Lego games this year.

Building on the nearly $254 million the movie made at the box office, the gaming adaptation of the film has proven to be a big hit with players.

And with a cast of characters that include Batman, Abraham Lincoln, William Shakespeare and a character called "Where Are My Pants" Guy (who tosses his pants at enemies), the game has been quickly embraced by players looking to extend the fun.

The 2014 installment of this series had the strongest launch in the series' history, according to publisher Take-Two.

And EA's failure to make a worthy competitor has only helped the franchise grow. NBA 2K has become a cornerstone for its publisher—and, so far this generation, has outsold the industry's two other sports icons: Madden and Fifa.

Life-to-date sales have topped 6.5 million.

Activision's juggernaut franchise has consistently been in one of the top two spots in the mid-year rankings for the past five years.

Ghosts received good critical marks—and the addition of a playable German Shepherd named Riley to the squad certainly turned heads.

Developer Infinity Ward has blended in some fun with the usual post-release downloadable content, letting players play as Michael Myers (from the "Halloween" horror series) and the Predator from the "Predator" film series.

This new game, designed by the creators of Call of Duty, has not only been a success for publisher EA, it has been a godsend for Microsoft.

Exclusive to the Xbox, the companies bundled the game with the Xbox One as a promotion to boost hardware sales—and it worked.

Half of the Xbox One systems sold in April were bundled with the game—and BMO Capital Markets estimates more than 65 percent of Xbox One owners in the U.S. have Titanfall.