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Npd: Game Industry Sales Hit $1.33 Bil.

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NPD: Game Industry Sales Hit $1.33 Billion in February

 

GameDaily BIZ has received the February video game sales data from The NPD Group and software sales were even higher than analysts had predicted. Total software sales came to $668.7 million, up 47 percent, while hardware sales grew 19 percent to $480 million. Accessories also grew 36 percent, totaling $185.3 million. Overall, total industry sales increased 34 percent to $1.33 billion.

 

In terms of hardware, it was once again pure Nintendo domination. The DS sold a whopping 587.6K units while the Wii sold 432K units. The Xbox 360, which Microsoft said would likely trail the PS3 because of supply constraints, sold 254.6K units. The PS3 sold 280.8K units. Surprisingly, the old PS2 put up very respectable numbers with 351.8K units. Finally, the PSP also fared decently with another 243.1K units sold.

 

"So far this year the growth volume has surprised me a bit especially considering the state of the economy right now." - Anita Frazier, NPD

 

On the software side, Activision's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare continues to show its long legs, securing the top spot with more than 296,000 copies sold. Capcom's Devil May Cry 4 (on Xbox 360) was hot on its heels with 295.2K units sold. The Xbox 360 version of the game outsold the PS3 version by more than 60,000 units. Nintendo's Wii Play was also once again near the top, showing that packaging a Wii remote controller with some mini-games is a winning combination.

 

Here's the top 10 (ranked by units) as provided by NPD:

 

1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - Xbox 360 – Activision – 296.2K*

2. Devil May Cry 4 - Xbox 360 – Capcom – 295.2K*

3. Wii Play w/remote - Wii – Nintendo – 289.7K

4. Devil May Cry 4 - PS3 – Capcom – 233.5K*

5. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock - Wii – Activision – 222.9K*

6. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games - DS – Sega of America – 205.6K

7. Lost Odyssey - Xbox 360 – Microsoft – 203.6K

8. Turok - Xbox 360 – Touchstone – 197.7K

9. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock - PS2 – Activision – 183.8K*

10. Rock Band - Xbox 360 – MTV Games/EA – 161.8K

 

* Includes Collector's, Limited, Legendary, Bundles (Guitars) Editions

 

BIZ: The PS2 hardware sales figure is surprisingly high to me. It's the system that never dies. What are your thoughts on PS2 sales and how long this aging system can keep this up?

 

Anita Frazier: Yes, while I continue to expect strong PS2 sales for some time, the number surprised me as well. I think a number of things - price, promotional activity, and strong "mass-friendly" titles like Guitar Hero and Rock Band to name a few - are contributing to the robust sales of PS2 hardware. I've said for awhile that I see the PS2 continuing to be a strong foundation for the video games market, and my opinion is only strengthened by these latest figures. In fact, PS2 hardware, software & accessories sales accounted for nearly 14% of total dollar sales this month.

 

BIZ: What kind of growth are you seeing from Rock Band? It's in the top 10 but Guitar Hero is still ahead.

 

AF: I don't see why there has to be a race between Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Both games are generating terrific sales, and players are enjoying the experiences that both of them provide. What is more interesting to me is that in what many are now deeming a recession, that games with such a premium price point are thriving. It's certainly a testament to the experience that both of these games deliver.

 

BIZ: Judging by the large growth in software vs. the growth in hardware this month, 2008 will really been driven by software, right?

 

AF: Yes, while hardware sales are still closely followed, at this point in the console lifecycle the focus once again returns to the heart of this industry - the games. There are some big games yet to drive sales in the first half of the year so I think we'll see more and more attention paid to games and how they affect the entire games ecosystem.

 

BIZ: Any big surprises for you in February or trends you want to point out?

 

AF: At the end of 2007 I expected 2008 to again be a record-breaking year for the video games industry, but with more modest growth than what was realized in 2007. So far this year the growth volume has surprised me a bit especially considering the state of the economy right now.

 

Source(s): http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/npd...n-in-february-/

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