NPD: Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft reaction

Following the release of NPD's US software and hardware sales data for July, the three platform holders were quick to post reactions on their respective performances - here is a brief summary before a more detailed examination follows:

Nintendo, which had the most to celebrate following more stunning success in the hardware chart plus a number of titles in the software top ten as well, restricted its victory speech to a simple quote from Cammie Dunaway.

Sony, which will undoubtedly be delighted at a platform victory for the PlayStation 3 over the Xbox 360, detailed a variety of statistics on its PS3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Network and PlayStation 2 platforms, rounded off with a note from Jack Tretton.

Meanwhile Microsoft focused on its overall market share since launch, a solid software sales percentage and the level of third party sales that the Xbox 360 has provided to other publishers.

Nintendo

• The brief statement mentioned the hardware sales figures for DS and Wii, noting a 49 per cent market share for Wii in terms of living-room consoles, and a 73 per cent market share for the DS for handhelds.
• The statement also noted the five titles that made the NPD software top ten for July: Wii Fit, Guitar Hero: On Tour, Wii Play, Mario Kart Wii and Rock Band.
• "Great hardware goes hand-in-hand with great software," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive VP of sales and marketing. "Various types of games for the Nintendo systems are represented in the top 10, demonstrating how we continue to break down the barriers between veteran and new players."

Sony

• A rather longer statement began by trumpeting the "momentum" for the PS3, with 1.8 million units sold in the US in 2008 - a 99 per cent growth year-on-year.
• Additionally PS3 software showed a 206 per cent growth level for the year to-date, and SCEA promised over 140 Blu-ray titles by the end of the fiscal year.
• The PlayStation Network now has over 10 million registered accounts, with over 200 million pieces of content downloaded worldwide.
• The PSP sales were spurred on to 16 per cent growth over the first six months of 2007 by the God of War: Chains of Olympus promotion.
• More than 42.5 million PS2s have now been sold in North America across the console's lifetime.
• The PlayStation brand has now yielded more than USD 3.3 billion in the year to-date; July hardware sales hit USD 609 million in July - 22 per cent growth; July software sale hit USD 184 million - 28 per cent growth.
• "Our year-to-date sales growth of 99 per cent for the PS3 reaffirms that consumers are indeed embracing PS3 as their entertainment hub-of-choice with its feature-rich offerings like Blu-ray and our recently announced video delivery service," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO of SCEA. "With an unmatched software line-up that includes LittleBigPlanet, SOCOM: Confrontation, Resistance 2 and MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, and the anticipated launch of our new 80GB PS3 model, we're confident in a strong second half of the year and look forward to quickly addressing any inventory shortages due to the transition."

Microsoft

• Microsoft's reaction began by hailing a strong E3 showing, and noting a profitable year with USD 2.1 billion "in growth" for the Entertainment and Devices Division.
• Since launch consumers have spent over USD 10.4 billion on the Xbox 360 in the US, giving the platform a 49 per cent market share.
• Xbox 360 titles accounted for USD 129 million - 34 per cent share - in software sales for July.
• Third party revenue generated by the Xbox 360 platform was USD 121 million - 42 per cent of the market.
• Xbox 360 now has an attach rate of 7.9, which Microsoft stated as the highest attach rate in history for any console at this point in its life cycle.
• The statement closed with a look ahead to the rest of the year, including the Netflix deal in the US and a games library of over 1000 titles, including Lips, You're in the Movies, and Gears of War 2.