June NPD: Hardware sales up, Watch Dogs and Mario Kart top games
June was a big month for the gaming industry, according to the NPD, as hardware sales shot up by more than 100 percent, and collective sales of hardware, software and accessories grew by 24 percent.
"The 106 percent increase in hardware sales was lifted entirely by console hardware sales, which were up by over 200 percent," notes NPD analyst Liam Callahan. Sony claims the PlayStation 4 was yet again the highest-selling console (for the sixth consecutive month), and Microsoft says that the Kinect-less Xbox One doubled its sales in June. Nintendo's Wii U has experienced a 48 percent growth in hardware sales for the first half of 2014, a feat the company attributes primarily to the success of Mario Kart 8. Despite a decline in overall portable console sales, the 3DS saw a 55 percent increase in sales over May, according to Nintendo.
Though Mario Kart 8 has been very successful, it did not take the top software sales spot for June.
The NPD claims that honor goes to Ubisoft's Watch Dogs. Mario Kart 8 fills the number two spot, while Minecraft's console iteration, EA Sports UFC and FIFA 14 round out the remainder of the top five. "In terms of software titles, many of the top games in June 2014 mirrored those of May 2014, with six of the same games ranking in the top ten," Callahan stated. "Three of these top ten games were also new launches from May 2014 (Watch Dogs, Mario Kart 8, and Wolfenstein: The New Order), indicating the weakness of new launches in June."
You'll find the NPD's list of the top selling software for June 2014 below.
1. Watch Dogs (PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PC)
2. Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)
3. Minecraft (Xbox 360, PS3)
4. EA Sports UFC (PS4, Xbox One)
5. FIFA 14 (PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, Vita)
6. NBA 2K14 (Xbox 360, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, PC)
7. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
8. Call Of Duty: Ghosts (Xbox 360, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Wii U, PC)
9. Tomodachi Life (3DS)
10. Grand Theft Auto 5 (Xbox 360, PS3)
