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March NPD: PS4 leads hardware sales, Titanfall rules software
The PS4 sold more than the Xbox One or any other console in March – making it the hardware leader for the third consecutive month – market research group NPD reports. The Xbox One and PS4 pushed US hardware sales in March up 78 percent from 2013, from $222 million to $395 million. Overall game sales in March were up 3 percent year-over-year. Five months in, the PS4 and Xbox One are out-performing initial sales of the PS3 and Xbox 360, NPD Group's Liam Callahan says: "When comparing the first five months of sales for the Xbox One and PS4 to their predecessor's first five months, total Xbox One and PS4 sales are up close to 60 percent." Xbox One has shipped 5 million Xbox One consoles, with 311,000 sales in the US in March alone, Microsoft announced today: "Of course, we're just getting started with this generation and the months ahead will bring several announcements we think you'll love. The team will continue to deliver regular improvements and new features based on your feedback through frequent system updates .... We can't wait to share more games with you in June at E3." On April 16, Sony announced that PS4 sales had passed 7 million. Titanfall was the top-selling game for the month, launching for Xbox One and PC on March 11. It is the second-highest selling game for Xbox One after just one month on the market. It was followed by Infamous: Second Son, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Call of Duty: Ghosts and Dark Souls 2. See the complete game sales list below. On PC, Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls sold the most on a unit and dollar-amount basis. Software sales declined 27 percent overall. "Year-over-year sales of every platform declined from March 2013, with the exception of the PS Vita, which saw sales grow due to the release of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster," Callahan said. Sales of video game accessories in March rose 4 percent, led by sales of controllers for Xbox One and PS4, NPD says. Other notable accessories included Turtle Beach headphones and headsets for next-gen consoles. Turtle Beach sales grew 50 percent year-over-year. [Image: Sony]
March NPD: BioShock Infinite rises to the top, Tomb Raider in second
The sales-tracking data hounds at NPD have released their figures for March 2013, which collectively place hardware sales down, physical software sales slightly up, and BioShock Infinite at the top of the best-selling pile.The physical retail sales sector of the U.S. video game industry pulled in 10 percent less coin than it did during the same five-week period in 2012, amassing a total of $992.5 million between March 3 and April 6, 2013. Hardware sales took the biggest hit out of the three monitored retail sub-categories, bringing in a total of $221.6 million, a 32 percent year-over-year decrease. Microsoft's Xbox 360 claimed its 27th month as the best-selling console in America, selling 261,000 units, down 13.5 percent from last month.Meanwhile, overall physical software sales (console, portable and PC games) outperformed March 2012 by two percent: $602.4 million in 2013, as compared with last a total of $592.2 million in sales last March.BioShock Infinite took an immediate victory over the rest of the period's release calendar, with Tomb Raider and Gears of War: Judgment rounding out the podium lineup. Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon placed sixth overall; we learned yesterday it has sold 415,000 units. Though that figure's retail-to-digital ratio remains undefined, the "vast majority" of sales took place at retail, according to Nintendo's Scott Moffit.As always, jump on through for the top 10 best-selling games of March, 2013.
March NPD: Mass Effect 3 tops sales, year-over-year decline continues
The sales figures for March have arrived, and despite several major, AAA releases, software and hardware sales were still down compared to March of 2011, continuing the year-over-year declines seen in both January and February.Total industry sales during March brought in $1.10 billion, 25 percent less than the same period in 2011. Breaking that total down further, hardware sales accounted for $323.5 million (down 35 percent) while non-PC software sales contributed $553.1 million (down 25 percent) and accessories chipped in $222.5 million (down eight percent).March marked the Xbox 360's thirteenth consecutive month of accounting for over 40 percent of total console sales, selling 371,000 units. It was also the console's fifteenth month as best selling console, and eighth month as best selling overall hardware platform.Predictably, Mass Effect 3 topped sales charts for the period, selling twice as well as Mass Effect 2 did during its January launch in 2010. [Update: It sold 943K on Xbox 360 alone, according to Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg.] BioWare's podium-finish was accompanied by two comparatively less expected releases, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City and MLB 12: The Show. As per usual, head on past the break for the list of March's top ten best selling titles.
Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft hop on the NPD merry-go-round
Following yesterday's explosive release of the March NPD video game sales results, both Sony and Nintendo have predictably constructed and delivered finely worded press statements celebrating their astoundingly magnificent results. There's plenty of fun to be had on the merry-go-round, but spinning too much may lead to uncontrollable nausea and projectile vomiting. In the interest of shielding you from an unexpected Technicolor yawn, we've decided to slow things down a bit. "Nintendo stays number one," declares the house of Miyamoto, rightly referring to the unstoppable DS. "Nintendo once again claimed the top two spots among the best-selling new video game systems in America in March, according to independent sales data gathered by the NPD Group." Hang on, weren't the top two spots shared by the DS and the PlayStation 2? Oh, the top two spots among the new video game systems, they say. Sorry PS2 pal, you only claim a spot among the old video game systems. An added bonus: Using this wording, Nintendo could claim the top two spots among new systems even if the the PS2 and original Xbox were to somehow become the best sellers for the month."Innovation is compelling both current gamers and new gamers to experience a new way to play. Nintendo is bringing gaming back to the masses," says Nintendo president and habitual posterior kicker, Reggie Fils-Aime. Ah yes, "the masses," they're the ones to blame for a critical Wii shortage. Remember, Wii systems are selling as fast as Nintendo can possibly crank them out. The 41% drop in sales since January, coupled with the promise here of "increased production" following the end of a successful financial year... isn't suspicious at all.
