The video game industry is having trouble reversing its poor showing over the past few months.
Industrywide revenue in August slipped 16 percent year over year, market researcher NPD Group reported Thursday. And total year-to-date sales were down 14 percent.
PS3 Slim….the next console leader?
(Credit: Sony)
Neither software nor hardware could stop the industry’s slide. Hardware sales came in at $297.6 million for the month–down 25 percent compared with August 2008. Video game sales brought in $470.32 million–a 15 percent hit, year over year.
Hardware
Nintendo once again dominated both the handheld and console markets in August. The industry’s leader sold 277,400 Wii units in August. Consumers bought 552,900 Nintendo DS units.
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 barely held onto second place in console sales, pushing 215,400 units into homes.
Buoyed by the cheaper PlayStation 3, Sony’s console trailed the Xbox 360 with 210,000 units sold. Its PlayStation Portable handheld was another popular item with 140,300 units sold. Ironically, Sony’s PlayStation 2 continues to sell well. According to NPD, Sony sold 105,900 PS2 units–not bad for a product that isn’t even considered “current gen.”
Software
Unlike many previous months, Nintendo Wii games didn’t dominate the top-10 list of best-selling titles. The company’s console had only three of its titles make the list. Even so, that’s the most games for any single console in August.
And this time around, a Wii game didn’t take the top spot. Instead, Madden NFL 10 for the Xbox 360 reigned supreme with 928,000 units sold. Nintendo’s Wii Sports Resort captured the second spot with 754,000 units sold. Madden NFL 10 for the PS3 captured third place, selling 665,000 units.
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source The Digital Home
