Sales Slide For the Sixth Straight Month

[Keane Ng]

Sales Slide For the Sixth Straight Month

Game sales in the US declined for the sixth month in a row in August, according to sales numbers released by the NPD Group.

Things didn't get any better in August for the slumping sales the games industry has seen in 2009. According to the sales numbers for last year compiled by research firm the NPD Group, last month saw the sixth straight month in a row of year-to-year decline for sales, down 16% from last year with $909 million.

Hardware numbers dropped 25%, but showed some signs of life thanks to the price cuts implemented by Microsoft and Sony. Despite the decline from 2008, hardware showed a 72% boost from July numbers. "The price cuts implemented on the PS3 and 360 hardware already made an impact on unit sales, despite having been executed fairly late in the month," the NPD's Anita Frazier said. "It will be interesting to see the full impact of the new price points on September sales."

PlayStation 2 105.9K
PlayStation 3 210.0K
PSP 140.3K
Xbox 360 215.4K
Wii 277.4K
Nintendo DS 552.9K

On the software side, Madden NFL 10 led the charge, which should be no big surprise to anyone. Batman: Arkham Asylum made a strong showing with close-to-even sales across both the PS3 and 360. And seemingly out of nowhere is a DS title called Fossil Fighters which I've never even heard of. Is this the new thing the kids are into these days? I thought that was Bakugan.

MADDEN NFL 10 (360) 928,000
WII SPORTS RESORT W/ WII MOTION PLUS (WII) 754,000
MADDEN NFL 10 (PS3) 665,000
BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM* (360) 303,000
BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM* PS3) 290,000
MADDEN NFL 10 (PS2) 160,000
DISSIDIA: FINAL FANTASY (PSP) 130,000
WII FIT* (WII) 128,000
MARIO KART W/WHEEL (WII) 120,000
FOSSIL FIGHTERS (NDS) 92,000

With the year's biggest games coming out in the next couple months, I'd expect things to start picking up a bit, but like Frazier cautions, we shouldn't be expecting anything amazing. "The back four months of the year would have to be up 14% in aggregate for 2009 to come in flat in comparison to 2008 sales," she said. Man, to be back in 2008. The Dark Knight, healthy videogame sales, no pig flu. Good times.


Permalink

 

[AceDiamond]

I think this is more a sign of the times rather than a slowdown in the industry itself.

On another note it's nice to see Mario Kart Wii continuing the trend of "Mario Kart game sells anomalously well long after its release"

Also a question, is the Nintendo DS number consisted of both the DS and the DSi or is it just the DS/DSLite?

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Do you think people have finally started to listen to me and realized that to effect change in the video game industry they have to stop buying games? ...NAAAAAAAAAAAH

 

[Casual Shinji]

Argh, numbers.............My brain hurts!

 

[Kajt]

Same as usual, I guess. Nintendo is in the lead, then Microsoft and Sony is last.

 

[brewbeard]

What, no PC category?

 

[Croaker42]

Im gona go ahead and say its due to a lack of innovation. The Wii leads because its the most creative and is causing devs to think outside the norm(they fight it well) I think gamers are craving new ways to do the same old things because thats all game are reacently (Same game new skin, with a mash of neat stuff and ideas from other games). I say give me a new way to RPG or shoot someone or race. That will get me buying.

What, no PC category?

PC is above console threads.

 

[UnderTheBridge1]

This'll chear up all you depressed people.
Link removed. -Mod

 

[The_Deleted]

What's the betting that CoD:MW2 bucks the trend in spite of the price hike and half arsed boycott. Hopefully Batman: AA sales have given developers the kick up the arse required and more effort will go into fewer games rather than trying to rush release games for a lucrative quarter.

 

[Fire Daemon]

This isn't surprising, in fact I would almost call it expected. There has been very few 'big' releases this year with most of the top sellers such as CoD6, Halo: ODST, Scribblenauts (sp?), Dragon Age: Origins, God of War III and Brutal Legend are coming out in October or November.

I have a feeling that sales will pick up when these games come out.

 

[Keane Ng]

What, no PC category?

PC outsold everything.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

PC cannot be measured with puny Earth numbers.

 

[Doug]

Dunno, mind be that customers are still abit jaded from the "Year of sequels" (2008) and add to that, alot of the high profile releases have been shifted away towards next year.

 

[jimduckie]

MEUM CEREBRUM NOCET my brain hurts ... the solution is simple ... quit making crap games and drop the prices of games

 

[VanityGirl]

I can't honestly say I'm surprised. With the economy being in the crapper, I wouldn't be surprised if some games don't sell as well as projected.

 

[randommaster]

On another note it's nice to see Mario Kart Wii continuing the trend of "Mario Kart game sells anomalously well long after its release"

If it keeps happening then it's not really an anomaly, is it?

What, no PC category?

Counting every PC sold as a gaming rig is going to mess up numbers and I guess PC games didn't make it into the top ten.

And seemingly out of nowhere is a DS title called Fossil Fighters which I've never even heard of. Is this the new thing the kids are into these days? I thought that was Bakugan.

You mean you HAVEN'T heard of this game? It's only sold as many copies as it has because supply is low. It turns out that if you play the game next to actuall prehistoric skeletons they will come to life and follow your commands.

 

[AvsJoe]

I know this is bad for businesses but I think this is actually good for the consumers. Right now more consumers need to stop spending beyond their means and start saving larger portions of their earnings. I would like to suggest that gamers have felt their own personal pressure to buy every new game and that is very unhealthy. More people need to be willing to skip games they want to get and be smart consumers again.

Sorry to say but this may help out individual people but it will hurt the economy. The more people spending their money, the more jobs stick around which leads to more money which leads to more jobs etc. I'd say that declining sales as a whole isn't helping much in the long run.

 

[hansari]

This isn't surprising, in fact I would almost call it expected. There has been very few 'big' releases this year with most of the top sellers such as CoD6, Halo: ODST, Scribblenauts (sp?), Dragon Age: Origins, God of War III and Brutal Legend are coming out in October or November.

I have a feeling that sales will pick up when these games come out.

Same here...a lot of amazing titles are coming soon...2010 looks to bring some as well. I know thats why I'm saving up my gaming cash...