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December NPD: Xbox One leads consoles in December, hardware sales surge in 2014

Danny Cowan
Contributing Editor
Updated ·3 min read
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Video game hardware sales saw a significant uptick last year in comparison to 2013, but software sales at retail continue to chart a decline, the NPD Group's latest report states.

Hardware sales saw a slight drop to $1.31 billion in December compared to the $1.37 billion earned during the same period last year. Annual hardware sales for 2014 peaked at $5.07 billion, however, representing a 20 percent increase over the $4.24 billion reported in 2013.

Software sales at retail channels totaled $5.30 billion in 2014, dropping 13 percent compared to 2013's reported $6.11 billion.

Though console-specific sales numbers are not available, Microsoft notes that the Xbox One emerged as 2014's "best-selling console in the U.S. in November and December."

"The past year was a fantastic one for the video game industry - and Xbox One ended 2014 with an unprecedented holiday season, becoming the best-selling console in the U.S. in November and December," Microsoft's press site states. "In fact, weekly average sales during these months outpaced Xbox 360 by 50 percent at the same point in its lifecycle."

Microsoft's statement continues: "Thanks to a strong, diverse portfolio of titles, Xbox One sold more games throughout November and December in the U.S. than any other current-generation platform [...]. Also this holiday, Xbox 360 became the best-selling seventh generation console of all time in the U.S."

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare took top honors in December's sales charts, and ranked as last year's biggest-selling software title overall. EA's Madden NFL 15 finished as 2014's second-best selling game across all platforms, and Activision's Destiny followed at third.

Upgraded PS4 and Xbox One ports ensured Grand Theft Auto 5 a returning spot in the NPD's annual software sales chart, and games like Minecraft, Super Smash Bros, and FIFA 15 also report strong monthly and annual sales. A full breakdown of this year's top sellers is available after the break below.

Top Ten New Physical Retail Sales: December 2014

  1. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (360, XBO, PS4, PS3, PC)**

  2. Grand Theft Auto V (XBO, PS4, 360, PS3)**

  3. Madden NFL 15 (360, XBO, PS4, PS3)**

  4. Super Smash Bros.(NWU, 3DS)**

  5. NBA 2K15 (360, XBO, PS4, PS3, PC)

  6. Minecraft (360, XBO, PS3, PS4)

  7. Far Cry 4 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3, PC)**

  8. Just Dance 2015 (Wii, 360, NWU, XBO, PS4, PS3)

  9. Destiny (XBO, 360, PS4, PS3)**

  10. FIFA 15 (360, XBO, PS4, PS3, Wii, 3DS, PSV)**

Annual 2014 Top Ten Games (New Physical Retail)

  1. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (360, XBO, PS4, PS3, PC)**

  2. Madden NFL 15 (360, PS4, XBO, PS3)**

  3. Destiny (XBO, PS4, 360, PS3)**

  4. Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)**

  5. Minecraft (360, PS3, XBO, PS4) 5

  6. Super Smash Bros.(3DS, NWU)**

  7. NBA 2K15 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3, PC)

  8. Watch Dogs (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3, PC, NWU)**

  9. FIFA 15 (360, PS4, XBO, PS3, Wii, 3DS, PSV)**

  10. Call Of Duty: Ghosts (360, PS3, XBO, PS4, NWU, PC)**

**denotes titles with special editions, which are included in data tracking

[Image: Activision]