EL33TONLINE: News tag archive: salesdata
The official NPD results for October were released last week and again showed Nintendo ruling the roost in terms of hardware sales.
The Wii and Nintendo DS together sold over 1.29 million units during October and sales like that led to both consoles topping the US charts (the Wii sold 803 210 units followed by the DS with 491 176). Nintendo’s total hardware sales accounted for 59.3% of the industry’s total hardware unit sales.
According to Nintendo lifetime sales for the Wii have now reached over 13.35 million in the US while the DS has racked up a whopping 23.02 million lifetime sales.
The story was similar on the software side of things with Wii Fit selling almost half a million copies in the US during October. Lifetime sales of Wii Fit in the US now stand at over 2.83 million. Nintendo boasted three games in the Top 5 best-selling games in October, Wii Fit at number 2 (487 234 copies), Mario Kart Wii at number 4 (289 869 copies) and Wii Play at number 5 (281 844 copies).
“Nintendo provides consumers with the best value not only among video games, but also among most entertainment options,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Nintendo also provides an incomparable range of experiences that everyone can enjoy, whether you’ve been playing for years or are just getting into video games.”
In a month that saw a number of high-profile game releases, Fable II on the Xbox 360 came out on top with 790 000 units sold for the period in the US, a month that saw year-on-year growth of 18%. With 2 months left to go for the year, the US games industry is still on track to top the $22 billion annual sales mark.
The evergreen Wii Fit managed another 487 000 customers, slotting in at No. 2 behind Fable II, while Fallout 3 sold 375 000 copies for the period, landing at No. 3. Two more Nintendo titles appeared in the top five, with Mario Kart Wii at No. 4 (selling 290 000 copies) and Wii Play at No. 5 (selling 282 000 copies).
Nintendo have no complaints as both of their consoles, the Wii and the DS, once again stormed the US sales charts, hitting the No. 1 (687 000 units sold) and No. 2 (537,000 units sold) spots respectively.
Sales of the Wii saw a year-over-year increase of 37% over September 2007, while 234 000 more units were sold in September than last month. Four Wii titles made the top ten in terms of software sales, three of which are Wii exclusive, with Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii, Wii Play and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed all performing extremely well. Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales and Marketing, Cammie Dunaway said:
“The four Wii games in the top 10 all feature controls just not possible on other video game systems. The Wii Balance Board and Wii Wheel give players new ways to interact with their games, while the Wii Remote controller transforms into a pool cue, table tennis paddle or lightsaber. Consumers have truly responded to this variety of entertainment options.”
Go check out the full NPD sales numbers over here, or read Microsoft and Sony’s September NPD responses.
It all seems a bit glum for Sony after the NPD sales figures for the US were released. The PSP, PS3 and PS2 were all beaten out by their current-gen rival, the Xbox 360, and sales of multiplatform games were also dominated by Microsoft’s console.
Despite this, Sony took what good news it could and decided to show it off anyway. Total PlayStation brand sales were up 20% year-over-year, while PlayStation 3 sales were up 94% year-over-year and 25% up over last month. Software sales for the PS3 also saw massive growth, with a 130% year-on-year growth, totalling 1 172 000 in PS3 software sales. This rosy growth is expected to continue in October with the release of SOCOM: Confrontation, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift and NBA ’09: The Inside.
The PlayStation Network names and numbers were also thrown around, reminding everyone that WipEout HD, Linger in Shadows and PAIN: Amusement Park saw releases on the service, with 12 million registered PSN users and 240 million pieces of content bought and downloaded. You can read the full release below, read Microsoft’s NPD response here or check out September NPD figures here.
Microsoft must be pretty pleased to once again hit that coveted No. 3 spot in US hardware sales, as well as the fact that the Xbox 360 seems to be the preferred console for multiplatform releases, with Xbox 360 versions of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Madden 09 and Mercenaries 2 all outselling the versions on equivalent platforms.
Microsoft also touted their current install base of 11.3 million Xbox 360s in the US alone, while the console’s attractive price point for the Xbox 360 Arcade (half that of a PS3 and $50 less than a Wii) is also cause for flaunting. The Xbox 360 attach rate, currently at 8:1 they inform us, will stay strong with Microsoft’s upcoming release schedule including Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Lips, You’re in the Movies and Scene It? Box Offic Smash.
Microsoft are definitely in a strong position this holiday. Read the full release below and check out the NPD figures here.
US videogame software and hardware sales for September 2008 saw a 7% decline from last year during the same period. It must be pointed out, however, that this time last year saw the release of Halo 3 which had a significant affect on the overall hardware and software sales for that period, resulting in a 75% rise from September 2006. So, putting it into perspective, a 7% decline isn’t bad at all. The US videogame industry, minus PC sales, is on track to realise $22 billion in revenue for the year.
There was no one dominant piece of software this month as a replacement for Halo 3’s 35% share of September sales last year, as all of the titles released this September were more evenly spread out in terms of numbers. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, released during this period, did particularly well with 610 000 units sold on the Xbox 360, 325 000 units on the PS3 and 223 000 units on the Wii, while Wii Fit managed a still very healthy 518 000 units. Rock Band 2 (on 360) and Mario Kart Wii sold over 300 000 copies, Mercenaries 2 (on 360), Wii Play and Madden NFL 09 (on 360) all sold over 200 000 units while Madden NFL 09 (on PS2) sold over 150 000 units.
Sony remained upbeat in their response to the August NPD numbers, despite the Xbox 360 beating the PS3 this month.
Sony’s press release focused on strong PS3 sales: 185 353 PS3s sold in August and 92% year-to-date hardware sales growth with over 2 million PS3s sold in the US between January and August. Software sales for the PS3 were also up 92% from last year with 1.6 million PS3 copies sold.
Over 1.1 million copies of Madden NFL 09 were sold on PlayStation platforms, not including the Madden NLF 09 PSP Entertainment Pack. 643 000 units of the game were shifted for the PS3, showing a 90% increase from Madden NFL 08 in August 2007. Over 263 000 copies of the PS3 version of Soulcalibur IV have been sold in July and August, recording a 38% higher attach rate than the 360 version.
253 012 PSPs were sold in August, up 67% from last year, with sales driven by the Madden NFL 09 Entertainment Pack. Over 42.7 million PS2s have been sold in the US to date, with 144 096 units shifted in August. The PlayStation brand generated $365 million in August.
“We had yet another strong month for PlayStation in August, which validates that consumers are indeed recognizing the long-term value that PS3 offers as both a gaming and home entertainment device. We also began shipping the new 80GB PS3 model in late August to address any short term inventory transitions from the 40GB to 80GB model,” commented Jack Tretton, president and CEO of SCEA.
“We’re looking forward to a solid holiday season and are excited to offer a string of unmatched content to consumers in the coming months with LittleBigPlanet, SOCOM: Confrontation, Resistance 2, and MotorStorm: Pacific Rift.”
Check out the full NPD results for August here. You can also see how Nintendo and Microsoft responded.
Microsoft believes a “record-breaking holiday” is on the cards thanks to the new $199 price tag for the Xbox 360 and the new Xbox Experience launching this fall.
The weekend retail results between the 5th and 7th of September show that console sales across all 360 models were up over 100% following the price drop and that the Xbox 360 Arcade sold six times more than the previous weekend.
NPD data shows that 195 000 Xbox 360’s were sold in the US in August, bringing lifetime sales of the 360 to 10.9 million in the US. Life-to-date spending on the 360 and games in the US now stands at $10.7 billion while the attach rate is 8.0 games per console.
According to Microsoft, the Xbox 360 “owns sports” because Madden NFL 09 for the 360 topped the software chart in August with over 1 million copies sold. It also touted sales figures for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09, the 360 version sold 56 000 copies in the first five days on sale, and NCAA Football 09, the 360 version sold 460 000 copies since launch, more than PS3 and Wii versions combined.
$94 million was spent on third-party games in August, with the 360 generating more money than other console: $4.1 billion or 58% of the market share. Microsoft believes that Gears of War 2, Fable II, Guitar Hero IV, Rock Band 2, Fallout 3 and Lips will all sell at least 1 million units each.
Check out the August NPD results here. You can also see how Nintendo and Sony responded.
Nintendo reveled in the latest figures released from tracking firm NPD, dominating hardware sales and boasting five games for the Wii/DS in the Top 10.
The Nintendo DS and Wii occupied the top two spots on the hardware charts in the US for August, with the NDS selling 514 000 units and the Wii 448 000. This brings lifetime sales of the NDS to nearly 22 million in the US while the Wii extends its lead as the best-selling video game console of this generation with over 12 million consoles now sold in the US to date.
As mentioned, five games for Nintendo systems made it into the Top 10 for August: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii, Wii Play, Madden NFL 09 for Wii and Guitar Hero: On Tour for NDS.
“The positive public response to Nintendo DS and Wii has stayed strong throughout 2008,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “New titles like Madden NFL 09 All-Play for Wii have joined top 10 veterans like Wii Fit, demonstrating the wide and long-lasting appeal of Nintendo games.”
Check out the full NPD results for August here. You can also see how Microsoft and Sony responded.
The US video game industry showed signs of slowing down slightly for the month of August, with $1.08 billion in sales up just 9% from August 2007. Hardware sales weighed in at $394.5 million (+3%) while software figures grew 13% to $550.7 million.
“August industry sales remain strong and realized a 9% gain over last August, although the month posted the first single-digit percentage growth in 27 months” commented NPD analyst Anita Frazier. “Despite smaller growth this month, the industry is up 32% year-to-date and remains on target to achieve annual revenues in the range of $22 to $24 billion.”
The Nintendo DS was the best-selling console with 518 300 units, followed by the Wii with 453 000 and the PSP with 253 000 units. The Xbox 360 beat the PS3, although the difference between the two was marginal with the 360 selling 195 200 units and the PS3 185 400. The PS2 sold 144 100 units.
Madden NFL 09 dominates
EA’s Madden NFL 09 dominated the software chart, boasting four places in the Top 10 and over 2 million copies sold in total. The Xbox 360 version topped the chart with 1 million copies sold, followed by the PS3 and PS2 versions with 643 000 and 424 500 copies sold respectively.
According to Anita Frazier, “Madden NFL ‘09 was the top-selling game of the month, and launched with 2.3 million units out of retail doors in it’s first month, besting last year’s ‘08 title by 2%. Year after year, the industry can count on the Madden release to bring folks into stores during the relatively lazy days of late summer.”
The US video game industry continued to prosper in June, boasting total sales of $1.69 billion, 53% higher than June 2007. Hardware was up 54% at $615.1 million while software also experienced a bumper month with $872.6 million.
NPD analyst Anita Frazier commented “The video games industry continues to perform in the face of an ever-increasingly difficult economic environment as many turn to more in-home entertainment. Even if growth slows over the back half of 2008, the industry is poised to achieve record-breaking revenues of over $22B for the year.”
The Nintendo DS was the best-selling console in the US for the month of June, selling 783 000 units and placing it well ahead of the Wii in second place with 666 700 units.
Microsoft believes that Xbox 360 games are outselling and outplaying the competition. If they had added outwit they could have joined the next Survivor cast.
Their response to the May NPD results was to boast sales of the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV, which beat the other platform (the PS3 if you are not keeping up) version by 2:1 with 871 000 copies sold in May.
Microsoft went on quote a report by Nielson which stated that “among 10 – 26 year olds, Xbox 360 gets on average over twice the game play as the Wii with younger gamers, likely due to a record software attach and a blockbuster gamers library.” The report went on to state that gamers spend roughly 75 hours playing games per month in comparison to 35 hours for the Wii and 53 hours for the PS3 for the same time period.
The Xbox 360 install base is now more than 19 million worldwide, with 187 000 units sold in the US in May and a software attach rate of 7.7. Total consumer spending on the 360 for May resulted in $214 million worth of game sales while life-to-date sales on the 360 tops $9.9 billion.
More third party games are sold for the Xbox 360 than any other console with $110 million in games sales recorded for May. 59% of third party games sold have been for the Xbox 360 this generation. In addition of the top 25 top selling third party frnachises, 21 are best-sellers on the Xbox 360.
Microsoft ended off by citing their line-up of games including Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Banjo & Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, Viva Piñata 2 and Too Human. “We still have quite a few aces left up our sleeve; see you at E3 next month!”
Sony was quick to point out that the PS3 again eclipsed sales of the Xbox 360 for the month of May in the US. According to Sony sales of the PS3 grew 155% year-over-year, recording sales of 208 709 units which was 22 106 units more than the Xbox 360 sold.
Sony reported that 1.26 million software units were sold for the PS3 in May, noting the sales for GTA IV and PS3 exclusives SingStar and Haze. This figure shows a 234% increase from May 2007.
Sony touted GTA IV sales figures for May (442 910 copies) as well as the life-to-date sales of 1.4 million copies of the PS3 version for the US. Over 32% of PS3 owners in the US have bought GTA IV leading to a 6% higher attach rate than the Xbox 360.
Sony expects the momentum of PS3 sales to continue in June due to PS3 exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot and the special edition Metal Gear Solid PS3 bundle. P33 owners downloaded over 20 million pieces of content from the PlayStation Store in May, 11.6 million of that belonging to North American gamers.
The PSP sold 182 310 units for May and Sony expect the God of War: Chains of Olympus PSP bundle launched in June to further boost sales. Despite NPD no longer reporting the sales of the PS2, Sony pointed out that 132 708 units were sold in May, up 6.7% from April, with life-to-date sales of the PSP now reaching 42.2 million.
The PlayStation brand generated $331.6 million in sales in May while the year-to-date figure (January to May) stands at $2.27 billion in revenue. This is incidentally 46% higher than Microsoft and 17% more than last year. Breaking this down, hardware sales for PlayStation reached $133 million in May (98% higher than Microsoft) and software sales $159 million.
Jack Tretton, president and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment America commented “The dual platform release of the much anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV title reaffirmed its legacy on the PlayStation platform with a 6 percent higher attach rate than Xbox 360, reinforcing consumer choice of PS3.”
“Poised for continued momentum, PS3 is delivering on its breadth and depth of exclusive titles to its gaming fans with today’s prized exclusive title launch of Metal Gear Solid 4. The media have hailed 2008 as the year of the PS3, and with solid sales and growth opportunities ahead, we feel consumers are saying the same.”
Nintendo’s response to the May NPD results has focused on Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit.
Nintendo noted that the NPD figures show healthy sales and a strong consumer response to these two Nintendo games which are designed to appeal to both novice and expert gamers. Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit finished in second and third place on the software chart, “demonstrating continued consumer response to new controls and experiences.”
“The Wii Wheel and Wii Balance Board accessories make game play fun for new gamers while presenting new challenges for those who have been playing a long time,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “The diversity of the seven Nintendo games represented in NPD’s top 10 for May demonstrates how Nintendo has something for everyone.”
According to NPD data the Wii and Nintendo topped hardware sales in the US with 675 089 and 452 608 units sold respectively. The Wii took 63% of current generation consoles sold in May while the Nintendo DS took 71% of the portable market. Nintendo pointed out that lifetime sales of the Wii now stand at nearly 10.2 million while lifetime sales of the Nintendo DS are over 20 million.
Wii Play continues to perform well, recording sales of over 295 000 in May and life-to-date sales of over 5.8 million. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness sold over 208 000 copies combined in May with life-to-date sales reaching over 613 000 copies.
19 of the top 30 best-selling games of May were made for Nintendo systems including third party titles such as Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Activision), We Ski (Namco Bandai), Game Party (Midway) and Boom Blox (EA).
NPD analyst Anita Frazier commented “Coming in at number 12 on the top-sellers list, We Ski from Namco, which utilizes the Wii Fit balance board, was able to captilize on Wii Fit’s cross-promotions in circulars and at retail.”
Nintendo didn’t point out that seven of the top ten software titles were for Nintendo platforms with six of those titles being published by the factory that made Mario. We suppose they didn’t have to, but still this non-gloating response is like a breath of fresh air.
The video game industry in the US recorded revenue of $1.12 billion, up 37% from $816.3 million in May 2007. Hardware sales were up by 34% year-on-year at $428.6 million. $536.9 million was recorded for software sales, up 41% from last year while accessories saw a 30% increase to $150.8 million.
Hardware sales
The Wii and Nintendo DS claimed the top two spots in terms of hardware sales for a fourth month in a row. The Wii crossed the finishing line first with 675 100 units followed by the Nintendo DS with 452 600 units.
The PS3 overtook the Xbox 360, selling 208 700 units in comparison to 186 600. NPD analyst Anita Frazier commented “The continued success of GTA IV is not translating into big hardware sales for either the PS3 or the 360 but there may yet to be a lift in June due to gift-giving for Father’s Day and Graduations.”
The PSP recorded sales of 182 300 units, coming in last place on the hardware chart due to the PS2 data being discontinued in May, the first month that the PS2 has been excluded since 2000.
Software sales
Take Two’s Grand Theft Auto IV for the Xbox 360 once again topped the software side of things with 871 300 copies sold. Nintendo’s Mario Kart Wii was not far behind with 787 400 copies while despite being supply constrained Nintendo’s Wii Fit came in third with 687 700 copies.
The PS3 version of GTA IV finished fourth with 442 900 copies. Interesting to note that according to Frazier “GTA IV has now generated combined sales of 4.2 million units, making it the top-selling title of the year.” Nintendo’s Wii Play secured fifth place with 294 600 copies while Super Smash Bros. Brawl was at number 6 with 171 100 copies.
Sega’s movie tie-in Iron Man muscled into seventh with 130 600 copies and Activision’s Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for the Wii was next with 116 800 copies. Nintendo’s Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness and Time for the Nintendo DS were at numbers 9 and 10 with 107 000 and 102 000 copies respectively.
“The U.S. video games industry has generated $6.6B in sales so far this year which exceeds total 1997 annual revenues. The industry is on pace to achieve revenues in the $21-$23B range for 2008” commented Frazier.
If you missed it, make sure you check out the NPD results for April.
Hardware Sales for May 2008
- Wii – 675 100
- Nintendo DS – 452 600
- PS3 – 208 700
- Xbox 360 – 186 600
- PSP – 182 300
Top Ten Software Sales for May 2008
- Grand Theft Auto IV (Take Two, Xbox 360) – 871 300
- Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel (Nintendo, Wii) – 787 400
- Wii Fit with Balance Board (Nintendo, Wii) – 687 700
- Grand Theft Auto IV (Take Two, PS3) – 442 900
- Wii Play with Wii Remote (Nintendo, Wii) – 294 600
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo, Wii) – 171 100
- Iron Man (Sega, PS2) – 130 600
- Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Activision, Wii) – 116 800
- Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (Nintendo, DS) – 107 000
- Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (Nintendo, DS) – 102 000
US Game Industry Totals for May 2008
Below is a list of the category, followed by the total and the change in brackets.
- Video games - $1.12 billion (+37%)
- Video games hardware - $428.6 million (+34%)
- Video games software - $536.9 million (+41%)
- Video game accessories - $150.8 million (+30%)
Source: NPD
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