Total video game sales fell 20% from $855.3 million in July 2010 to $687 million last month.
Video game sales have been dropping monthly. But, between June 2010 and June 2011 the drop in video game sales has been really big.
Total video game sales fell 20% from $855.3 million in July 2010 to $687 million last month, according to The NPD Group’s monthly sales report.
Sales of game systems dropped the most (29%), from $313.8 million to $223 million, while software dropped 17% from $403.3 milllion to $336.2 million. Sales of video game accessories dropped 8% from $138.1 million to $127.8 million.
“There is no getting around the fact that video game sales in the new physical retail channel suffered its lowest month since October 2006,” said NPD analyst Anita Frazier. “Despite the very rough month, new physical retail sales are down just 4% year-to-date and based on seasonality trends observed over the last 10 years, which have been remarkably stable year-in, year-out, industry sales in this particular channel are poised to land in the flat to -2% range once the total year is completed.”
The category with the greatest dollar decline compared to last year was console hardware, Frazier said, “which was caused by a decrease in unit sales as the average selling price for console hardware was essentially flat to last year.”
On a positive note, she said first-quarter 2011 sales suggest that the industry should have overall growth for the year due to “remarkable growth” in categories such as digital sales, downloadable content and mobile and social game revenue and a “flat to modest decline” in physical sales.
The 10 top-selling games of 2010 (in order, publisher and platforms in parentheses):
1) NCAA Football 12 (Electronic Arts, PS3, Xbox 360, PS3)
2) Cars 2 (Disney Interactive Studios, Nintendo DS, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC)
3) Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision Blizzard, NDS, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC)
4) Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Disney, 3DS, NDS, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC)
5) Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft, Wii)
6) Major League Baseball 2K11 (Take 2 Interactive, NDS, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC)
7) Zumba Fitness: Join the Party (Majesco, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
8) Fallout: New Vegas (Bethesda Softworks, PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
9) New Super Mario Bros DS (Nintendo, NDS)
10) Mortal Kombat 2011 (Warner Bros. Interactive, PS3, Xbox 360)
NCAA Football 12 sold 15% more than last year’s model, Frazier said. ” The increase in sales could have been fueled by ardent football fans who have to wait a little longer to get their hands on Madden this year.”
Other than that, “demand for everything was down,” said Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter. July, he says “is never a big game month.” And June releases such as L.A. Noire, Duke Nukem Forever and Infamous 2 “had no legs,” he said. “It’s possible last year was a little stronger because of hardware because of the Xbox 360 clearance. What shocked me was Wii was down (25%) year over year and they cut price. It just shocks me.”
Echoing Frazier, Pachter said that August sales could be down because Madden NFL 12 “is launching late … because of the threat of a strike so that makes sense. But in September we will have the Halo remake and Gears of War (3) and the world will be better. October has Battlefield (3) that’s going to be a huge month and there’s a ton of games in November. Those months should all be up.”
Photo credit: Wall Street Run
Via USA Today
