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April NPD: PS4, Titanfall lead sales again
The PS4 outsold the Xbox One in the US in April, NPD reported. This was the fourth month in a row that PS4 sales out-performed Xbox One sales. Xbox One was the second-highest-selling piece of gaming hardware on the market for the month, and total hardware sales were up 76 percent, to $192.8 million. Microsoft reported Xbox One sales of 115,000 in April. Microsoft noted that it led software sales for the month: "April NPD Group figures released today showed that Xbox One continues to lead in software sales with the most cumulative units sold for any eighth generation home console platform life-to-date. Combined, Xbox One and Xbox 360 held eight of the top 10 spots on the generation eight and generation seven console game lists in the US." In April, Xbox One sold 447,000 games, while Xbox 360 sold 2.2 million games. Software sales overall were down 10 percent year-over-year. NPD analyst Liam Callahan said, "New physical software is in a transition period as software for new consoles are doing well, but collectively not offsetting declines." Titanfall was the No. 1 game for the second month in a row, followed by Call of Duty: Ghosts, NBA 2K14 and Minecraft for Xbox 360. See the full software top ten below. According to Callahan: "There were five SKU's in the top 10 not represented in the top 10 when ranked on a title basis (combination of SKUs across platforms), which were: 3DS Yoshi's New Island; PS4 Infamous: Second Son; PS3 MLB 14: The Show; XBO Kinect Sports Rivals; 360 Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare." [Image: EA]
Analysts: 75 percent of US core gamers prefer physical copies
According to sales and marketing analyst NPD Group, 75 percent of American core gamers prefer physical game copies to digital distribution. The firm surveyed 7,900 core gamers to arrive at its conclusion. It defines "core gamer" as someone who plays at least five hours worth of action, adventure, fighting, flight, MMO, racing, RTS, RPG, shooter, or sports games per week on PCs, Microsoft or Sony consoles, or Macs. The firm concludes that 34 million US gamers fall under its core definition, with the average core gamer playing 22 hours per week. NPD's report also claims that while the overwhelming majority of its survey participants favor physical game copies, digital distribution is up five percent year-over-year.
Joystiq Weekly: NPD sales data, Trials: Fusion review, A Realm Reborn tips and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. It seems like there are two brands of Trials riders - those who try the series and bail, seeing it for the inevitable, rage-induced heart attack it is, and those that persevere and conquer every track. We're not sure where we fit just yet - some of Trials Fusion's stages give us flashbacks to Super Meat Boy, and our patience is finite. Still, the triumph in each small victory reminds us that we can get the best of gravity, that we can guide motorbikes over ridiculous terrain with the best of them ... until we reach the next stage and the cycle of emotions renews. We've got plenty of resources for anyone that needs a sanity break from Fusion, though! You can brush up on this month's NPD data, read our verdict on Atlus' baby-making RPG, Conception 2: Children of the Seven Stars, or gain some insight on what's next for GaymerX's future. All that and more is laid out in tidy little bulletpoints for you after the break!
Titanfall pushes Xbox One sales to 5 million total, but it can't pass PlayStation
Sony and Microsoft's console sales were neck and neck for awhile, but the gap is starting to widen: according to the latest NPD numbers, Sony is winning the race. Yesterday, the Japanese hardware manufacturer announced that it has moved more than seven million PlayStation 4s worldwide -- today Microsoft countered with a total of five million, trailing Sony in both monthly and lifelong sales. A stark difference, sure, but it's not all bad: the Xbox exclusive Titanfall is the industry's top-selling title right now, and the second highest selling for the platform overall. The new console is also outpacing the Xbox 360's first-year sales by more than 60 percent; it's doing well, it's just not top dog. The latest inFamous game (a PS4 exclusive) ranked the second highest selling game for the month of March, followed by multiplatform titles like South Park: The Stick of Truth, Call of Duty Ghosts and Dark Souls II.
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]
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Joystiq Weekly: Titanfall review, BAFTA Awards, NPD data and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Titanfall is one of those games that's fun even if you're not playing it. Watching a group of friends suffer the fallout from a crumbling strategy plan is easy to laugh about, especially as the final pilot from their crew gets run over by a Titan. It seems that, despite a few hiccups on Xbox Live's side of things, fans have also been able to enjoy a relatively smooth launch. An online-oriented experience that doesn't stumble its way into functionality? We know, it's crazy. We've got a review of both the game and the online experience, but if giant robots aren't really your thing, we've got our take on Dark Souls 2, Towerfall: Ascension and Yoshi's New Island, too. This week also brought us fresh NPD data, a Costume Quest 2 reveal and more, all of which is neatly compiled for you after the break in the Joystiq Weekly. [Image: Respawn]
PlayStation 4 tops US console sales in February, but Xbox One narrows the gap
It looks like Sony's commanding lead in next-gen console sales didn't last long in the US. The NPD Group reports that the PlayStation 4 was the top-selling game console in the country this February, but only just -- the Xbox One managed to get over 90 percent of the PS4's sales volume. Microsoft says that it sold 258,000 units of its flagship, which suggests that Sony moved roughly 287,000 PS4s. Neither of these figures compare to what we saw during the systems' launch windows, but they're very healthy. Total hardware sales were up 42 percent year-over-year, and 44 percent over January. While Nintendo isn't divulging its numbers, it may have performed relatively well when analysts saw "double-to-triple digit increases" in month-to-month sales for most consoles.
February NPD: PS4 sells more, Xbox One leads in dollar amount
The PS4 outsold the Xbox One in the US during February, with the Xbox One selling 90 percent of what the PS4 did, consumer research group NPD reports. The Xbox One costs $100 more than the PS4, meaning it led sales by dollar amount in February. The Xbox One sold 258,000 units in February, surpassing comparable Xbox 360 launch sales by 61 percent, Microsoft says. Xbox 360 sold 114,000 units in its 100th month on the market, "more than any other seventh generation console." Xbox One owners buy an average of 2.75 games per console, with a total of 772,000 sold in February. Xbox 360, meanwhile, sold 2.46 million games. Sales of video game hardware in the US were $347 million in February, up 42 percent compared with the same month in 2013. Software sales dropped 9 percent to $318 million, while accessories were up 3 percent, to $221 million. Next-gen software sales in the consoles' first four months are up 80 percent compared with the combined sales of Xbox 360 and PS3 software in the same time period. The 9 percent decline in overall software sales is attributed to weakening sales for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii, which is expected, according to NPD. Call of Duty: Ghosts led software sales in February, followed by The Lego Movie Videogame, NBA 2K14, Thief and Grand Theft Auto 5. See the full list after the break.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze sales reach 130K in eight days
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze sold "more than 130,000 combined physical and digital units" during its first eight days of release, according to Nintendo and U.S. sales data from consumer research group NPD. Tropical Freeze launched on February 21. Nintendo 3DS software sales increased 25 percent over the same reported period last year with the launch of Bravely Default and continued success of the Pokemon X and Y series. Life-to-date, Pokemon X and Y have sold "more than 3.4 million" in the United States alone. Wii U software sales skyrocketed 180 percent over the same month last year. Highlights going forward, Nintendo notes, are the upcoming launches of Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Mario Kart 8 and Yoshi's New Island, which Joystiq recently reviewed. [Image: Nintendo]
Joystiq Weekly: Titanfall, The Last of Us DLC and Mario Kart 8 rivals
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Did you see that the Koopalings are going to be new characters targets in Mario Kart 8? The Koopalings, the brats responsible for loads of deaths dealt to Mario and Luigi with lava, twirling hoops and rings of death from magic wands? Yup, we've got new rivals. You're annoying, Baby Mario, but you haven't stopped us from moving on to the next world of a Mario game before. Watch your back, Koopalings. There's something about family-friendly, inclusive Nintendo games that bring our most competitive spirit. Have you ever calmly congratulated a friend after their star thievery earned them the title of Party Champion in Mario Party 2? Have you nodded in admiration of your opponent's strategy in Mario Kart Wii, right after they steal your victory with a red shell a few feet away from the finish line? We have a feeling your dialogue might have been more ... "spirited" than civil. We're not judging though - heck, we just threatened a bunch of baby turtles one graf above this! Of course, a lot more happened this week beyond the Koopalings opening themselves up for a world of hurt. This week brought NPD data for January, a review of The Last of Us' "Left Behind" DLC and video previews for Titanfall and Evolve! There's lots more beyond that after the break though, so jump the break and dive into the biggest stories of the week!
PlayStation 4 tops next-generation console sales in the US for January
As it turns out, Microsoft's lead in US next-generation console sales was short-lived. NPD has just released estimates which show that the PlayStation 4 outsold the Xbox One during January. Neither the NPD nor Sony is providing exact numbers, although Sony Senior VP Guy Longworth states that PS4 sales were almost twice as high as Microsoft's. The system was certainly alluring enough to drive game sales during the quarter -- the PS4 was the platform of choice for five of the top 10 games, while the Xbox One was never higher than second. Microsoft also isn't divulging Xbox One figures, although NPD tells us that the system was the runner-up in hardware sales. The company can trumpet the strength of the overall Xbox brand, though. Together, the Xbox 360 and Xbox One represented 47 percent of game sales; the Xbox 360 was also the most popular system for five of the top 10 software releases. Nintendo has a silver lining on its dark cloud, too. Game sales for the 3DS and Wii U respectively increased by six and 26 percent year-over-year. That's no mean feat when overall spending was down by a quarter. Whichever platform you prefer, we wouldn't declare the console wars over -- not when expected system sellers like Titanfall could easily shift the balance of power.
NPD: US video game sales reach $15.39 billion in 2013
The NPD has released its report tracking all video game spending in the US over 2013 and boy y'all like buying some video games. A total of $15.39 billion was spent on games in the US last year. New physical games earned $6.34 billion throughout 2013, and used game sales and rentals accounted for $1.83 billion. Full game downloads, add-on content, subscriptions, mobile and social network games generated the most cash last year, accounting for $7.22 billion of total video game sales, and compared to 2012's earnings, total video game sales saw a 1 percent increase in 2013. Hardware sales were boosted by the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One this past November, both of which helped hardware sales post a five percent increase year-over-year. The NPD report concludes that 36 percent of players over the age of 13 played games acquired digitally, showing a rising prominence in digital-acquired games amongst all segments of players. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Premium channels strike back: Showtime, HBO and Starz say they're adding subscribers, not losing them
Yesterday The NPD Group released data from a survey showing fewer US TV watchers are subscribing to premium cable channels, but now the networks say that isn't true. As first reported on the LA Times Company Town blog, spokespeople from HBO, Showtime and Starz have all refuted the numbers. Of the three, only Starz is publicly traded and reports its subscriber count quarterly, so it has the most detailed stats. While the fourth quarter numbers won't be out for another month or so, its customer count is at 22 million as of Q3, up 1.2 million from a year before, and 1.9 million 18 months prior. HBO and Showtime don't release the same kind of numbers, but point to stats from another market researcher, SNL Kagan that show their subscriber count and market penetration growing consistently over the past few years. According to Showtime, it's added one million customers per year, each year, for the last six years. Rich Greenfield of BTIG also points to quarterly earnings snippets that indicate recent growth for premium TV channels and considers the results of NPD's 7,500 household survey to be "misleading/meaningless." So why the discrepancy? Looking at the NPD chart, we see it measure the percentage of internet households with premium channels, so it could be skewed by people recently adding internet, but not premium channels. Whatever the case, even as Netflix (which will report its Q4 numbers tomorrow afternoon), Amazon, Hulu, Redbox and the rest expand, it appears the old model of TV distribution isn't on its deathbed just yet. Update: As reported by The Wrap, NPD has pulled the original report from its website, and is reviewing its data.
NPD: premium TV networks losing subscribers as streaming services continue to grow
Don't color us surprised by The NPD Group's latest report, one that highlights the decline in subscriptions for paid TV networks over the last couple of years in the US. According to the research, there was a six percent overall drop in the amount of subscribers to channels like HBO and Showtime in the past two years; conversely, video streaming services had a four percent growth in that same period of time. As of August 2013, NPD says 32 percent of American households were subscribed to a premium TV network, while 27 percent held an on-demand streaming subscription. Not surprisingly, the findings note that Netflix is leading the way among US folks, although Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime aren't far behind and have experienced "the biggest growth benefits in the category." A sign o' the times indeed -- and with companies like Netflix producing great original content, these numbers will likely keep getting better for members of the streaming pack. Update: As reported by The Wrap, NPD has pulled the original report from its website, and is reviewing its data, after HBO, Showtime and Starz all claimed their numbers show recent growth instead of decline.
Microsoft: Xbox One is #1 in the US for December with 908,000 consoles sold
Microsoft and Sony already went head to head with worldwide sales numbers for 2013 and while the PS4 rode is out front there (4.2 million to 3 million), the Xbox One apparently sold more systems in the US last month. December figures from the NPD group arrived today, and Microsoft is touting 908,000 sales for the XB1 that put it atop the next-gen videogame systems, and 643,000 for the Xbox 360. That puts it third overall on the home hardware list and first for its generation of hardware. Per Joystiq, Sony's response to the data is that the PS4 remains "cumulative leader for next-gen sales" since its launch November 15th, a week ahead of the Xbox One. Nintendo hasn't released specific data yet, but the 3DS was the highest selling console overall for both the month of December and all of 2013, and Liam Callahan of the NPD said the Wii U enjoyed its "highest month for unit sales." The NPD's release has more details about software, where GTA V took the crown overall for 2013, ahead of Call of Duty Ghosts, Madden NFL 25 and Battlefield 4. Microsoft is also pointing to those numbers, saying the Xbox One took six of the top 10 spots for next-gen game sales, and total software sales of 4.8 million to PS4's 4.2 million. Now that fans have plenty of sales numbers to represent why their chosen next-gen game system is the best, the rest of us can get to the exciting business of waiting for the first round of major software updates.
December NPD: Xbox One leads month, PS4 'cumulative leader' in next-gen war
Total video game sales for the US in December were up slightly by 2 percent year-over-year, up $3.28B from $3.21B in 2012. Hardware also saw an upswing in 2013, up 28 percent to $1.37B versus the month of December 2012. Continued strong sales of both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 accounted for a hardware sales increase of "over 50 percent compared to December 2012." "December NPD Group figures released today revealed Xbox One was the number one selling console in the market in the U.S., selling 908,000 units in December. Additionally, Xbox 360 continued to see strong momentum with 643,000 units sold in December, putting it in the number three spot overall, and lead for last generation hardware," a prepared statement on Microsoft's press site reads. Sony's approach to numbers was slightly different, reiterating the PlayStation 4 has sold more than 4.2 million units worldwide since launch. "PlayStation 4 remains the cumulative leader for next gen console sales in the U.S. since the launch on November 15," SCEA's Senior Director of Corporate Communications Dan Race wrote in response to the data. "We sold every PS4 available at retail in the U.S. and were out of stock in December due to overwhelming consumer demand." Microsoft's last official cumulative sales count for Xbox One units worldwide was 3 million units by the end of 2013. Nintendo's 3DS led "overall hardware sales for December 2013 and for 2013 as a whole," the NPD Group's Liam Callahan noted. "Hardware sales of the Wii U were also positive with December 2013 marking its highest month for unit sales month so far," Callahan added. Nintendo has not revealed specific data. Call of Duty: Ghosts and Battlefield 4 continued to dominate software sales, with Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag sliding down the list from third during its launch month in November to sixth last month. Just Dance 2014, previously placed at eight in November, surged up the charts to third. The software leader throughout 2013 was Grand Theft Auto V. Rockstar's PS3 and Xbox 360 title defeated stiff competition, including a second-place Call of Duty: Ghosts, which launched on six platforms. The top ten in new physical retail sales for December and can be found after the break.
Daily Update for December 30, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some of the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Chromebooks overtake Android tablets and Macs in US business sales
Chrome OS is at last gaining some momentum -- among US businesses and schools, anyway. The NPD Group reports that Chromebooks represented 9.6 percent of all computing devices sold through American commercial channels in 2013, or enough to surpass the market share of Android tablets, Windows tablets and MacBooks. Google's rise put the squeeze on traditional computers, which dropped from 77.8 percent of the commercial space in 2012 to 63.7 percent this year. NPD researchers don't believe that the PC is going away, but they note that the most successful companies diversified their gadget lineups. Samsung's combo of Android and Chromebooks helped it jump to 10 percent share of commercial sales in 2013, while PC-focused builders like HP took a bruising; it's clear that one-trick ponies won't thrive in the workplace for much longer.
iPod continues to dominate dying portable media player market
With smartphones capable of carrying thousands of songs as well as TV episodes, movies and even books, many of us have long since abandoned the idea of having a dedicated media player in our pockets. But for those who remain committed to such devices, the iPod line is still the dominant force in the industry, with 72 percent of market in-hand, NPD analyst Benjamin Arnold revealed to AppleInsider. So who is buying iPods? Fitness buffs, for one, with the smaller and lighter iPod offerings being ideal workout companions. NPD also suggests that as lossless audio -- which takes up considerably more room than lower-quality options -- continues its march towards becoming the standard, the classic iPods with massive storage capacities could also see a rebirth of sorts. Though with the overall market shrinking a full one-third in 2013 alone, we'll obviously never see Apple's standalone media players reach their former glory.
NPD: NBA 2K14 is top-selling sports game on PS4, Xbox One
Last night, the NPD released video game sales data for November and NBA 2K14 debuted at the sixth spot on the list. Today, 2K Games has shared some additional stats on the next-gen version of the game, which was made available alongside the respective launches for the PS4 on November 15 and Xbox One on November 22. NBA 2K14 was the fourth-best selling game on next-generation platforms, NPD analyst Liam Callahan said, and is the top-selling sports game overall on Xbox One and PS4. NBA 2K14 managed to beat out Madden NFL 25, FIFA 14 and NBA Live 14 , and is the first NBA game to achieve top-selling sports game at the start of a new console generation. In our review of NBA 2K14 next-gen, we enjoyed the lifelike graphics and additional polish that went into the MyCareer mode, though we lamented the omission of modes found in the current-generation version of the game.
