Xbox 360 Retained Lead in U.S. Console Sales Leading into New Era of Gaming
Microsoft earned a bit of bragging rights as we head into a new era of console gaming. As far as the previous generation goes, the company's Xbox 360 maintained its position as the best selling home console (not including handhelds) in the U.S. in 2013 by selling 166,000 units, according to the latest data from NPD.
Total retail spend on the Xbox 360 platform in October (hardware, software, and accessories) reached $283 million, the most for any console in the U.S. That's not a bad way to end things as Microsoft looks ahead to its Xbox One launch next Friday.
As for the industry as a whole, sales for new hardware and software at retail in October topped $791.1 million, up 5 percent from 2012, though still not really close to the $1.08 billion figured posted last September. New game sales bumped up 12 percent to $482.5 million, helping to offset the decline in hardware sales as gamers save up for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
"This is the third month in a row where overall video game retail sales increased," NPD analyst Liam Callahan said in a statement. "Up 5 percent over October 2012 due to 10 percent software growth combined with a modest 1 percent growth of accessories, while portable hardware sales minimized decreases in overall video game hardware sales."
Not surprisingly, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V was the best selling game in October, followed by Pokemon X, Pokemon Y, Battlefield 4, Batman: Arkham Origins, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, NBA 2K14, Skylanders: Swap Force, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, and WWE 2K14.
Total retail spend on the Xbox 360 platform in October (hardware, software, and accessories) reached $283 million, the most for any console in the U.S. That's not a bad way to end things as Microsoft looks ahead to its Xbox One launch next Friday.
As for the industry as a whole, sales for new hardware and software at retail in October topped $791.1 million, up 5 percent from 2012, though still not really close to the $1.08 billion figured posted last September. New game sales bumped up 12 percent to $482.5 million, helping to offset the decline in hardware sales as gamers save up for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
"This is the third month in a row where overall video game retail sales increased," NPD analyst Liam Callahan said in a statement. "Up 5 percent over October 2012 due to 10 percent software growth combined with a modest 1 percent growth of accessories, while portable hardware sales minimized decreases in overall video game hardware sales."
Not surprisingly, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V was the best selling game in October, followed by Pokemon X, Pokemon Y, Battlefield 4, Batman: Arkham Origins, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, NBA 2K14, Skylanders: Swap Force, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, and WWE 2K14.
