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.