U.S. Game Industry Pulled In $1.33 Billion In February

BEANS DON'T BURN ON THE GRILL February was what financial experts call a "damn good month" for the video game industry, with $1.33 billion in sales, according to the NPD Group. That's better than January's take and a 34% boost over the previous February. The billion-plus haul was made possible by $480 million hardware spending, $668.7 million in software spending and $185.3 million spent on accessories. That's a lot of millions.

The year to date sales, just January and February, are 12% above the same period in 2007, according to NPD analyst Anita Frazier. Industry sales indicates things aren't slowing, even as the US economy shows signs of softening. And good for them, I say. Who doesn't love to see billions of dollars going to our entertainers?

5:40 PM on Thu Mar 13 2008
By Michael McWhertor
1,156 views
22 comments

Comments

Buttah at 06:10 PM on 03/13/08
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Well, we need something to keep us busy during the recession. Who needs food when you can have SSBB.
jkanownik at 06:15 PM on 03/13/08
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I looked at the comps (i.e. January and Feb. LY) and was shorting everything on the simexchange. Goddamn all you economically irrational people!
RlGmr1 at 06:15 PM on 03/13/08
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too bad most of this industry only caters to casual so called 'gamers' it's ruining the industry and the gaming community as a whole

Rules of Gaming

as written by several people I know

1. any game that does not appeal to hard core gamers is not a REAL video game, these include a) anything availible on any nintendo system b) anything that appeals to a broad range of people, c) anything MARKETED to casual gamers

2. if it takes less than 80 hours to complete then it's not worth playing

3. when you start a game you are REQUIRED to play it until you finish, (by finish we mean unlocked every secret gotten every endiong, in short do everything that is possible to do in the game)

4. if you have played a game 5 times but finished it 4 that means you never finished it at all

5. you are not allowed to play any other game until you finish the one you are on

6. you will NEVER under any circumstances use a walkthrough, cheat code ask a friend for help consult the instruction manual, ect. if you cannot figure it out on your own you are not worthy of playing it, you are a pathetic loser who has no buisiness gaming

7. games are to never be purchased in big box stores or online equivalent thereof, forbidden are Walmart, Toys R Us, Target, ect, also forbidden are Amazon, eBay ect, ideally you will import your game directly from japan or the manufacterers website, failing that gamestop or EB is ok....I guess

8. above all remember this, games are never played for fun, they are for bragging rights over how superior a gamer you are to everyone else, after all, gaming is Serious Buisiness

if you do not abide by all 8 rules you are NOT a Real Gamer
ph15h needs a nu job at 06:17 PM on 03/13/08
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@Buttah: SSBB was March.

We're moving on up... To the East Side. Aww, the Jeffersons. Never can catch them on Nick at Nite (if they are still on.
evirustheslaye at 06:28 PM on 03/13/08
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they aren't going bankrupt from piracy? fancy that!
yashichi8bit at 06:29 PM on 03/13/08
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So are Xbox live subscriptions considered Hardware or Software as part of those numbers?
GregoriusH at 06:32 PM on 03/13/08
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MONEY FIGHT!
KM91 at 06:33 PM on 03/13/08
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I wonder what it is going to be for March, since Brawl came out...
AnthraxJunkie at 06:34 PM on 03/13/08
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George & Wheezy, hell fucking yes.
FIRST!!! at 06:35 PM on 03/13/08
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And that was slow month too.
Knuckler at 06:49 PM on 03/13/08
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Movin' on up!!
Earthslide at 06:53 PM on 03/13/08
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My $1k is in there somewhere.
schizorogue at 07:12 PM on 03/13/08
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so wheres the breakdown of console sales?
peAr_nectAr at 07:36 PM on 03/13/08
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@yashichi8bit: I'm thinking it might count as accessories, but I'm not positive. That's a good point, though. What about all the games and movies sold on Xbox Live? Do they count those?

@schizorogue: Why ruin the good news by starting a fanboy war?
NPC at 08:27 PM on 03/13/08
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Well we're movin' on up....
To the east side...
To a deluxe apartment in the sky....

...what?
Sabre_Justice: Okay,... at 09:15 PM on 03/13/08
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@RlGmr1: I'm pretty sure that's sarcasm, but it's so brilliantly written than I can barely tell.
gstatty at 11:09 PM on 03/13/08
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@NPC: we finally got a piece of the pie
boopadoo at 12:45 AM on 03/14/08
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Alright! Pentium TWOs for the whole office! Hooray!
The Commissar at 01:29 AM on 03/14/08
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Its official - we're bigger than Hollywood.
Teeif at 02:46 AM on 03/14/08
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With $1.3 bn and 30% - 40% market share, I bet Microsoft Games Division STILL posts a loss! ;)
Kimiko at 09:38 AM on 03/14/08
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@Sabre_Justice: Okay, no more long name.:

Yes of course its just 8 rules that he made up =P
psychobaka at 10:01 AM on 03/14/08
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@yashichi8bit: NPD does not track internet transactions. Unless you buy your subscription through a retail store like EB Games (which I assume would count as accessories), those numbers won't show up in the final count.

Glad to know I'm not the only one going broke from this wave of great games.