The results took a big hit last month as they felt the effects of few new releases and a shift in the Easter holiday The NPD Group has reported a 37% drop in hardware sales and 22% drop in software sales compared to the same time last year. The massi...
The NPD Group has reported a 37% drop in hardware sales and 22% drop in software sales compared to the same time last year. The massive drop has been attributed to few game launches in April as well a shift in the Easter holiday from March to April, driving customers to do their shopping in March.
Industry analyst Anita Frazier adds that April is generally the slowest month of the year for video game sales. This is because the fiscal year of many developers ends in March, causing them to rush out new games before the year is up.
To show you just how badly the consoles performed at retail, below are April’s hardware results with last month’s numbers alongside them.
Nintendo DS – 440.8k (700.8k, down 37%)
Wii – 277.2k (557.5k, down 50%)
Xbox 360 – 185.4k (338.4k, down 45%)
PlayStation 3 – 180.8k (313.9k, down 42%)
PSP – 65.5k (119.9k, down 44%)
PS2 – no longer being tracked by NPD
Frazier believes that the Wii’s fall in sales could be due to inventory issues, but acknowledges that only Nintendo could clarify that situation. Meanwhile, Nintendo’s announcement of the 3DS may have put off buyers from purchasing the DS, as they now await the upcoming handheld. Increased competition from Apple’s iPhone and iPad are also contributing factors.
On the software side of things, only two games released in April made the top ten and neither of them, unfortunately, were Monster Hunter Tri. New Super Mario Bros Wii. crept up three spots while Wii Sports Resort and Just Dance rejoined the top ten after absences in March. Here are the official numbers.
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction [X360, Ubisoft] – 486.1k
Pokémon SoulSilver Version [NDS, Nintendo of America] – 242.9k (1.02m in March)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii [Wii, Nintendo Of America] – 200.3k [457.4k in March)
Pokémon HeartGold Version [NDS, Nintendo Of America] – 192.6k [761.2k in March)
God Of War III [PS3, Sony] – 180.3k
Wii Sports Resort [Wii, Nintendo Of America]
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 [X360, Electronic Arts]
Wii Fit Plus W/ Balance Board [Wii, Nintendo Of America]
Just Dance [Wii, Ubisoft]
Super Street Fighter IV [PS3, Capcom USA]
Sales results for titles ranked six and below were held back by NPD for unknown reasons.
Source: IndustryGamers
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