Kotaku: only in the u.s.

U.S. Celebrates Independence With $1.9 Billion Game Shopping Spree

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:40:02 MDT

According to NPD figures, the video game industry racked up $1.19 billion in hardware, software and accessory sales in July. You could do worse, I suppose. Last year's take from the same month failed to crack the billion mark, but $446.9 million worth of hardware purchased by U.S. consumers and $591.1 in software, you make it close to a billion pretty easily. That $149.1 million in accessories just pushes you right over the edge.

The overall take for the month was up 28% for you percentage fetishists, making the year to date take $9.47 billion. Expect another record breaking year for the industry.

NCAA 09 [Insert Football Pun]s U.S. Software Sales In July

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:20:00 MDT

Nintendo may have reigned supreme in U.S. hardware, but it's the Xbox 360 that enjoys the best selling software for the month of July, as NCAA Football 09 moved close to 400,000 copies on Microsoft's platform. Wii Fit wasn't far behind, as it helped 369,000-plus Wii owners become that much healthier.

NCAA Football had a strong showing on the PlayStation 3 as well, garnering a fifth place showing in the top ten, beating out the month's other new debut, Soulcalibur IV. Namco Bandai's fighter sold better on the 360 than it did on the PS3 to the tune of about 60,000 units. With only three days of sales accounted for in July, 375,000 or so copies sold isn't too shabby.

One top ten surprise, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution, adds a bit of variety to the NPD best sellers, which are after the jump.

01. NCAA Football 09 (Xbox 360) - 397,600
02. Wii Fit (Wii) - 369,600
03. Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS) - 309,700
04. Wii Play (Wii) - 284,000
05. NCAA Football 09 (PS3) - 242,500
06. Soulcalibur IV (Xbox 360) - 218,900
07. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 174,500
08. Rock Band Special Edition (Wii) - 165,800
09. Soulcalibur IV (PS3) - 155,800
10. Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (Xbox 360) - 147,600

Thanks to NPD for providing us with monthly sales data.

Nintendo Dominates U.S. July Sales, Sells Another Million

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:40:00 MDT

Nintendo hardware absolutely crushed the competition in July, selling over 1.1 million units across the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms. That total Wii plus DS figure outnumbers all other competitors combined, as the NPD Group reports that all hardware sales saw a substantial drop from June, with the DS and PlayStation 3 being hit hardest.

The Xbox 360 continues to lounge in second to last place, but it saw the least substantial month-to-month drop. Those drops may be chalked up to a shorter window of accounting, as June saw a five week month sales period, with July consisting of four weeks of sales.

Nintendo DS - 608,400
Wii - 555,000
PlayStation 3 - 224,900
PSP - 221,700
Xbox 360 - 204,800
PlayStation 2 - 155,500

Video Game Industry Has $1.2 Billion April, Confirms It's Made Of Money

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:40:00 MDT

According to the latest NPD Group sales data, April 2008 was pretty darn good for the video game industry, with $1.23 billion dollars in sales in the United States. Yes, cigars are being lit with hundreds, champagne corks are being sabered and who knows what's being snorted off what based on the news. Oh, a refreshing Coors Light may even be knocked back. That billion-plus April is a big improvement—47% to be exact—over the previous April, which saw a paltry $839 million sum from American consumers. April's billion and change take contributes to a year-to-date $5.47 billion for the industry so far. In case you're wondering that's a lot of money.

Here's how it all breaks down. Brace yourself for more millions and more percentage growth talk.

Hardware - $426.2 million (+26%)
Software - $654.7 million (+68%)
Accessories - $154 million (+39%)

GTA IV Whacks The April Competition, Mario Kart Grabs Second

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:00:57 MDT

It comes as little surprise to see Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto IV sitting atop the NPD Group's April software sales chart, with the Xbox 360 version scoring 1.8 million-plus sales alone. Mario Kart Wii, however, keeps GTA IV from total chart domination, as it outsold the PlayStation 3 version by an estimated 120,000 copies. Combined, however, both GTA IV's had a stronger debut month than March's chart topper, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Nintendo didn't just have a good month on the hardware side, as Wii games Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wii Play and Guitar Hero III all landed in the top ten. New Pokemon action helped two DS titles grab pre-break billing.

Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360) - 1,850,000
Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 1,120,000
Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3) - 1,000,000
Wii Play (Wii) - 360,000
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) - 326,000
Gran Turismo 5: Prologue (PS3) - 224,000
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (DS) - 202,000
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (DS) - 202,000
Guitar Hero III (Wii) - 152,000
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360) - 141,000

Total software sales reached $654.7 million for April '08. That's a 68% boost over the previous year, which saw just $389.4 million in software spending. Yeah, just.

NPD analyst Anita Frazier notes that GTA IV saw an attach rate equal to 20% of the total Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 install base. She also reiterated that next month we may see far more impressive sales of Rockstar's crime epic, but that its April sales were nothing to sneeze at, writing "With only 5 days at retail during the reporting month, GTA IV is one of the fastest-selling titles in video games history."

Wii Dominates April, PS3 & Xbox 360 In Dead Heat On GTA IV Sales

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:40:00 MDT

Nintendo had an amazing April, pushing over 700,000 Wiis in the United States. That's a massive difference from its "current gen high definition console" competition, as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were neck and neck, only a thousand units difference between the two. If you were expecting a big boost from Grand Theft Auto IV's release, you're going to leave disappointed. Maybe next month. Nintendo's other platform, the DS continued to impress, more than doubling sales of the PSP.

Wii - 714,200
Nintendo DS - 414,800
PSP - 192,000
Xbox 360 - 188,000
PlayStation 3 - 187,100
PlayStation 2 - 124,400

Totals were down across the board, with the Wii taking the least hit from March to April, each piece of hardware showing in the same position as the previous month. Despite that month to month drop, hardware was up 26% over April of last year.

Total hardware spending in April amounted to $426.2 million, compared to $339.2 million spent in April of 2007.

NPD analyst Anita Frazier pointed out that more Wiis at retail, obviously, means more Wiis sold. And while some Wii owners may bemoan a lack of new releases—Mario Kart Wii aside—Frazier writes that "With a couple of blockbuster games already in the market this year, and with Wii Fit and Rock Band still to come in the next two months, the pipeline of content to continue to drive hardware acquisition looks very good"

Frazier also points out that less than spectacular sales on PS3 and 360 hardware may not be indicative of underperformance, noting that "[S]ince the game was only in the market for 5 days during this reporting period, that sales lift could very well be evident in May data." To May, then!

Study: Violent TV, Video Games Make Adults More Violent

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:40:00 MST

Researchers at the University of Michigan have "found that repeated exposure to violent television shows and video games have a stronger influence on aggressive behavior than being poor, having a substance abuse or growing up with abusive parents", according to a Fox Business report on the findings. Based on over thirty years of research on a sample set of 856 third graders, the study contends that exposure to violent content has "a stronger influence on aggressive behavior than being poor, having a substance abuse or growing up with abusive parents." Virtual violence, researchers found, has "profoundly serious implications for society."

The University of Michigan researchers findings indicate that men who are exposed to violent television in video games were more likely to assault their spouses. Women were comparably more likely to have thrown things at their spouses or assaulted another adult.

The study's fact sheet makes note of the fact that as the popularity of video games has increased since the 1990s, violent crime has decreased. Furthermore, it points out that European gamers, who also enjoy the same content, have a much lower propensity for crime.

A very interesting study, one that I'll have to read more closely after I've finished prepping the mailman for the woodchipper.

Researchers Link Video Games to Adulthood Violence [Fox Business]

NPD: 2007 Sales So Far

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:40:00 MST

How is 2007 looking for the video game industry so far? Pretty damn good, having crossed the $10 billion revenue mark as of the end of October, with its two biggest revenue generating months still to come. If that's a tough number to wrap your brain around, try to imagine an ocean made of cash. It's a lot like that. October '07 saw the industry pull in $1.1 billion, across hardware and software, ensuring that this year will be its best. Much of that revenue can be chalked up to higher console prices for the Wii and PlayStation 3, plus some very strong selling software.

The best selling games, across all platforms, for the year are as follows, with more year-to-date sales data after the jump.

Halo 3 - 3,700,000
Madden NFL 08 - 3,200,000
Guitar Hero II - 2,800,00
Wii Play (w/ Remote) - 2,500,000
Pokemon Diamond - 2,100,000
Pokemon Pearl - 1,500,000
Spider-Man 3 - 1,400,000
Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock - 1,400,000

The year-to-date total revenue is actually at $10.5 billion, up from $7 billion at the same point last year, making for a 49% increase year over year. Total video game hardware sales are now at $4.1 billion, up from $2.2 billion from the previous year. Finally, video game software sales are at $5.0 billion, up 23% from the previous year's take. It's slightly less impressive than the 85% increase in hardware, especially considering the higher price points for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 software, not to mention various flavors of Guitar Hero, which can run up to $99 per SKU.

Anita Frazier from the NPD Group points out that "This year sales have already achieved the annual sales number for 2005 - and the two biggest months are yet to come. I think we'll see not only record-breaking revenues but record-breaking year-over-year growth when the final numbers are tallied."

Yay! Yachts and parking spaces for everyone!

Halo 3, Guitar Hero Rule October Software Sales

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:20:00 MST

Bungie's Halo 3 was once again master chief of the sales charts, despite a 92% drop in sales from its 3.3 million seller debut in September. Activision and Red Octane's Guitar Hero III also had a good month, pushing 1.4 million units across multiple platforms. While the lead platform goes to the Xbox 360 this month in individual SKU terms, with the Wii version far behind, over 500,000 copies of the PlayStation 2 version were sold last month, across the standalone and guitar bundled editions.

The top ten games sold in the U.S. for the month of October are below, with additional numbers after the jump.

01. Halo 3 (Xbox 360) - 433,800
02. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock w/ guitar (Xbox 360) - 383,200
03. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock w/ guitar (Wii) - 286,300
04. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock w/ guitar (PS2) - 271,100
05. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS) - 262,800
06. Wii Play (Wii) - 239,700
07. The Orange Box (Xbox 360) - 238,400
08. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PS2) -231,700
09. FIFA Soccer 08 (PS2) - 129,700
10. Brain Age 2: More Training In Minutes A Day (DS) - 116,900

Total video game software sales checked in at $513.9 million, up 39% from the previous October's at $369.3 million. Of that $513.9 million, $412.5 million was spent on console software, with $101.5 million dedicated to portable game software. Both are also up from the previous October.

Anita Frazier, analyst at the NPD, commented on Guitar Hero III's sales, saying "Very few games sell in excess of 1 million units in their first month in market, but Guitar Hero III did easily with combined sales of 1.4 million units in only 6 days. Since it has broad appeal, it's also the type of game that should continue to do very well throughout the holidays."

Guess that means a sequel is likely.

Wii, DS Reclaim Hardware Lead, PS3 Takes Up Rear

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:00:59 MST

The NPD Group today revealed its findings for U.S. hardware and software retail sales for the month of October, following a brief scare that led us to believe that NPD would no longer provide precious, life-giving hardware figures. Last month, Microsoft's Xbox 360 pushed its way to number one, boosted by strong Halo 3 sales. For the month of October, however, Nintendo's Wii surges past the 360, with the PlayStation brand resting uncomfortably in the lower half of the chart. Next month, we'll know tangibly how successful Sony's recent price drop for the PlayStation 3 was, as it went into effect on November 2nd.

Monthly sales follow, with more hardware numbers after the jump.

Wii - 519,000
Nintendo DS - 458,000
Xbox 360 - 366,000
PSP - 286,000
PlayStation 2 - 184,000
PlayStation 3 - 121,000

Total video game hardware sales reached $469.7 million for the month of October 2007, compared to $207.1 million for the year prior. That 127% increase can largely be attributed to the higher cost and availability of the latest hardware generation, specifically the Wii and PlayStation 3.

Of that $469.7 million, $349.6 million was spent on console hardware and $120.1 million was earmarked for portable hardware. All numbers were up considerably over the year prior as more consumers made the transition to new platforms.

In addition to all that impressive spending, some $130 million worth of accessories were purchase by gamers in the U.S.