NPD: Hardware sales "slowed considerably" in July
While the DS continues to lead, the Xbox 360 is the only console to show growth year-to-date
The NPD Group has released its game hardware sales data for the month of July, 2009, indicating slow sales on what has been the fifth consecutive month of overall industry decline.
Overall the Nintendo DS sold more units than any other console, at 538,900. This is a decline from the 766,500 unites sold last month and the 608,000 sold one year ago.
"Hardware sales have slowed considerably on nearly every platform," commented analyst Anita Frazer.
Frazer warned that growth for the industry in 2009 will be tough, but a batch of new titles in the later part of the year will help improve the market.
"In order for the industry to come in flat or slightly up for the total year, the back five months of the year have to come in 11 per cent (or more) higher than the last five months of last year."
"The worst comps should be behind us, and looking beyond August we have The Beatles: Rock Band, Halo 3: ODST, and of course, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to look forward to," she added.
The Xbox 360 continues to be the only console to show year-to-date growth. Though its 202,900 sales for July are down slightly from the 205,000 reported in July of 2008, combined unit sales for the year are up 17 per cent from the same seven-month period last year.
Hardware revenue dropped 37 per cent over the sales seen in July of 2008, from USD 447,710,000 to USD 289,940,000. Year-to-date hardware revenue is down 16 per cent, while overall games industry revenue has fallen 14 per cent.
The full hardware sales breakdown follows.
- Nintendo DS - 538,900
- Nintendo Wii - 252,200
- Xbox 360 - 202,900
- PlayStation Portable - 122,800
- PlayStation 3 - 121,800
- PlayStation 2 - 108,000