August video game hardware sales were, like most of 2009, down from the previous year. But at least PlayStation 3 sales were up considerably from the month prior, selling almost twice the amount thanks to a mid-month price drop.
According to the NPD Group, Sony sold 210,000 PlayStation 3s in the U.S. last month. With a $100 drop taking effect at some retailers as early as August 18th, that likely translates to a price conscious boost in sales. The Xbox 360, which also experienced a late August drop, got a minor boost.
https://kotaku.com/surprise-playstation-3-price-drops-100-5340053
In fact, every platform, with the exception of the PlayStation 2, saw a rise in sales, but it was the PS3’s that stands out from the pack. Leading that pack, however, was the Nintendo DS, which more than half a million units in August, DS Lite and DSi combined.
Overall, though, it was bad news for the industry, which saw its sixth consecutive month-to-month decline.
Nintendo DS – 552,900
Wii – 277,400
Xbox 360 – 215,400
PlayStation 3 – 210,000
PSP – 140,300
PlayStation 2 – 105,900
Total hardware spend for August was $297.60 million, according to the NPD Group. That’s down from $395.34 million from August 2008.
