Tag: NPD - Page 3
News PS4 Slumps to Third Successive NPD Defeat
Choppy waters
Batten the hatches, spit in Shawn Layden's face, and curse Kaz Hirai's complacency: Sony failed to defeat the Xbox One in the September NPD, meaning that's three times in a row now that the PlayStation 4 has not been the best-selling system in the United States. We suppose after three straight years on top, it had to give everyone else...
News August 2016 NPD: Madden NFL 17, No Man's Sky Top Software Charts
Hello, games
Oh look, it's the NPD report. You may have noticed that we skipped coverage of this over the past couple of months. Apologies for that, but the NPD has changed the way it makes this information available. We used to get platform ordering for software sales and all sorts of other intel, but that can only be accessed by paying members...
News Narrow Margins Force PS4 from Top of US Hardware Charts for First Time in 2016
You win some, you lose some
Outrageously attractive Xbox One fire sales pushed the PlayStation 4 from the top of the US hardware charts for the first time in eight months last month – although speculation suggests that Sony's system was just 10,000 units off the pace. Microsoft's console was widely available for considerably less than the Japanese...
News PS4 Was USA's Best Selling Box for the Eighth Month Running in June
View from the top
The latest NPD report has been delayed while digital data is added to the tracking, but it has been confirmed that the PlayStation 4 was the best selling console for June 2016. This is the eighth month in a row now that Sony's system has been on top, with Halo 5 being the last game to cause a temporary upset all the way back in...
News May 2016 NPD: Uncharted 4 Helps US Industry Swing Upwards
No comment from Sony again
After April 2016's desperately dire NPD report, the US industry has rebounded in May, with total physical spend up four per cent year-over-year – raking in a handsome $528.6 million. While hardware and accessories declined yet again (by 10 per cent and two per cent respectively), it was software that propelled the...
News PS4 Was the Best Selling Console in the US Last Month
Confirmation at last
Sony refrained from releasing its usual self-fellating PR statement following last night's NPD report, leading many – ourselves included – to assume that the PlayStation 4 had failed to secure a seventh successive spell at the top of the US hardware charts. However, it's since confirmed to IGN that its new-gen system was...
News April 2016 NPD: Dark Souls III, Ratchet & Clank, MLB 16 The Show Up Top for PS4
Update: PS4 was best selling console
Sony slumped to a shock defeat in April 2015's unexpected NPD sales report, but this year all three major console manufacturers have declined to comment on hardware numbers. Whatever the reason for that, the manufacturer can take heart from some pretty outstanding software performers – including Ratchet &...
News March 2016 NPD: Sony Scores Hat-Trick as The Division Propels PS4 to Third Win of the Year
"Thank you to our fans"
Sony won its third NPD report of the year, as the PlayStation 4 was the best-selling console in the United States for the month of March. Despite this, hardware sales actually declined by 19 per cent year-over-year, due to the lower prices of consoles across the board. Fortunately, an 8 per cent increase in software revenue...
News February 2016 NPD: PS4 Extends Its Lead as US Sales Shrink
Sony's system up year-over-year yet again
We suppose that these NPD reports are starting to get a little bittersweet. As has been the case since launch, the PlayStation 4 is really thriving in the United States, and it's once again managed to register yet another consecutive month of growth. But while the graphs at Sony keep pointing upwards, the...
News January 2016 NPD: PS4 Secures First Victory of the Year with 'Impressive' Growth
Start as you mean to go on
Sony's started 2016 much in the same way as it finished the previous year: with an NPD victory. The industry intelligence group tracks retail sales in the United States, and have declared the PlayStation 4 the best-selling system throughout the month of January. This, obviously, doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of...
News Third-Parties Nudge Exclusives Out of USA's 2015 Best Sellers List
Black Ops III the best-selling game of the year
Not a single exclusive made the NPD's best-selling games of 2015 list, proving once again that third-parties rule supreme right now. Video game sales totalled $13.1 billion in the United States for the year overall, exactly the same as in 2014. This ultimately means that, while new-gen hardware is on...
News December 2015 NPD: Sony Thanks Fans for Putting PS4 on Top Again
USA's preferred platform in 2015
In what's becoming an all too familiar tale, the PlayStation 4 has topped the NPD hardware charts yet again. Sony's system was on top in the United States for the month of December, completing a clean sweep for the all-important Christmas period. This means that the Xbox One only managed to triumph over the Japanese...
News November 2015 NPD: PS4 Smashes Xbox One in Important Holiday Month
Record breaking sales for Sony's box
It looks like the PlayStation 4's narrow loss in October's NPD report was just a blip, as the system has responded with some record breaking sales in November. According to the Japanese giant, its box was preferred to the Xbox One during the busy Thanksgiving period in the United States, with speculation putting...
News October 2015 NPD: PS4's Halo Slips as System Slumps to Second Defeat of the Year
Bruised but not broken
Sony couldn't muster a sixth successive NPD victory in October 2015, as the Xbox One and Halo 5 managed to overcome the PlayStation 4's price drop. In truth, it looks like it was a pretty middling month for home consoles in the United States, with sales barely increasing year-over-year. However, it's worth remembering that the...
News September 2015 NPD: PS4 Sticks to the Summit as NBA, NFL Beat Metal Gear Solid
Snaaake
For the fifth month running, the PlayStation 4 was the best-selling console in the United States – even though hardware sales tumbled year-over-year. According to tracking firm NPD, physical spend in the video games sector totalled $1.01 billion in September 2015 – a reduction of nine per cent compared to the same period last year. As...
News August 2015 NPD: PS4 Scores a Touchdown as Madden NFL 16 Tops
No pads, no helmets
August is well and truly over, and the latest NPD report confirms that the PlayStation 4 was the best selling box in the United States yet again. Sony's console outsold the competition in both the hardware and software departments, with Madden NFL 16 unsurprisingly touching down at the top of the latter list. Despite all of...
News July 2015 NPD: PS4 Tops Hardware and Software Sales Again
Sony humbled by success
Sony can do no wrong in the United States it seems, as the PlayStation 4 was once again the best selling system in the all-important nation during July. Despite a lack of new releases, the continued popularity of the Japanese giant's exclusive Batman: Arkham Knight bundle pushed the organisation's box out in front – a spot...
News June 2015 NPD: Batman Takes PS4 for a Ride to the Top of the Charts
Sony's system still at sales summit
Sony secured yet another month at the top of the USA sales charts in June 2015, as Batman: Arkham Knight helped the PlayStation 4 hold its lead at the top of the hardware charts. Despite a 51 per cent increase in Xbox One sales, Microsoft still couldn't dethrone the Japanese giant's new-gen system, which was no...
News May 2015 NPD: PS4 Enters E3 2015 As USA's Best Selling System
The Witcher 3 hunts out software top spot
E3 2015's all to play for, but Sony will have one victory to parade in Los Angeles next week: the May 2015 NPD. After a shock defeat in April, the Japanese giant has responded by immediately turning the tides; the PlayStation 4 was not only the best selling system of the month in the United States, but it...
News April 2015 NPD: PS4 Slumps to Shock Defeat
Xbox One brushes PS4 aside
Well, well, well – this is unexpected. We reported on the PlayStation 3's failure to top the NPD charts for many years, but we've already fallen into a pattern where we expect the PlayStation 4 to lead. However, the numbers coming out of the United States for April 2015 may wake both Sony and ourselves up, as the Xbox...
News March 2015 NPD: The Good Blood Guides PS4 to Third Successive Win
Bloodborne and MLB 15 The Show chart
There were no upsets in the March 2015 NPD report, as the PlayStation 4 maintained its position as the best selling system in the United States for the third consecutive month. Sony's console's success was buoyed by Bloodborne, which finished second in the software charts – an extremely impressive result, given...
News February 2015 NPD: PS4 Is Best Selling Console as The Order: 1886 Charts
But the Nintendo 3DS sold better
Strong sales of the New Nintendo 3DS – coupled with a handful of major software launches – saw Sony lose its spot atop the United States hardware charts in February, but it still managed to keep hold of its console crown. According to the latest NPD report, the PlayStation 4 was the best selling console...
News January 2015 NPD: PS4 Soars Back to US Hardware Sales Summit
Return of the king
Well, that didn't last long, huh? After slipping behind the Xbox One in November and December, Sony has successfully pipped Microsoft's next-gen platform at the post in the January NPD sales report, securing the top hardware spot yet again. For those of you with short memories, the PlayStation 4 dominated the competition in the...
News December NPD: Sony Looking to Momentous 2015 as PS4 Sits in Second Place
Still best selling box of 2014
There was no major upset in the December NPD report, as the PlayStation 4 slumped to its second defeat of the calendar year. Sony's system was on top for the first ten months of 2014, but lost out to Microsoft's major Xbox One price promotions in November - and that continued through December, too. Despite this, its...
News November NPD: PS4 Loses to Xbox One for the First Time in Eleven Months
Press reset
Well, it’s the moment that we’ve all been waiting for: the PlayStation 4’s long-running sales winning streak in the United States has finally come to an end. Sony’s next-gen system had been on top every month of the year so far, but extremely low priced bundles from Microsoft have pushed the Xbox One ahead i
News October NPD: PS4 Starts to Get Comfortable at US Hardware Sales Summit
System scores tenth win in a row
This could be the last time that Sony gets to boast about the PlayStation 4’s performance in the monthly NPD sales report, so we should probably let the platform holder enjoy its moment. Pre-emptive comments from Microsoft prior to this showing suggest that the Xbox One may have November in the bag, but ten...
News September NPD: Sony Silences Analysts as PS4 Sales Surge
Nine month winning streak rolls on
Michael Pachter appears to enjoy pushing gamers’ buttons, so we doubt that he’ll care too much about the egg on his face right now; either way, his prediction that the PlayStation 4’s winning streak would end in September was, well, wrong. Sony actually managed a ninth month atop the NPD sales charts, with
News Pachter: PS4's American Winning Streak Ended in September
Analyst predicts an upset
Sony was always expected to start this generation on the front foot globally, as the PlayStation brand simply has much more worldwide appeal than its closest competitor. However, the fact that the PlayStation 4 has effortlessly won major markets such as the UK and North America will be a real concern for the folks at...
News August NPD: PS4 Outshines Xbox One for Eighth Consecutive Month
Madden NFL 15 sells best on Sony's system
Sony’s staggering turnaround in the United States has continued in August, with the PlayStation 4 once again topping the hardware charts for the eighth consecutive month. Even more impressively, Madden NFL 15 sold best on the Japanese giant’s next-gen system, which is something of a shock considering the...
News July NPD: PS4 Still Best Selling System as The Last of Us Tops Charts
All according to plan
Sony has secured a seventh consecutive month at the top of the United States sales charts, as the PlayStation 4 brushed aside all other systems in the July NPD report. Unsurprisingly, this victory was partially propelled by The Last of Us Remastered, which combined with its PlayStation 3 predecessor to top the best sellers...
News June NPD: PS4 Brushes Aside Xbox One Price Drop for Sixth Month at Summit
Too easy
After supposedly getting battered in the May NPD sales report, all eyes have been on Microsoft to see whether the newly Kinect-less Xbox One can rebound. Unfortunately for the Redmond-based firm, despite doubling its sales, it hasn’t bounced back to the degree that it may have hoped, as
News Sony: PS4 Is the Best Place to Play for Innovative Intellectual Property and Sports
Platform holder reacts to strong NPD performance
Ever since the dark days of the PlayStation 3, platform holder Sony has refrained from commenting too much on the monthly NPD sales reports for the United States. Indeed, May saw the PlayStation 4 secure a fifth consecutive spell at the top of the hardware sales charts, but the Japanese giant pointed...
News May NPD: PS4 Outplays the Competition as MLB 14 The Show Hits a Home Run
Next-gen console enjoys fifth consecutive month on top
Considering that Microsoft announced its Xbox One price drop at the start of May, there was never going to be much chance of the maligned machine overcoming the PlayStation 4 in the latest NPD report – and as expected, Sony has revealed that it accrued the most next-gen hardware sales for a...
News April NPD: PS4 Outsells Xbox One for Fourth Consecutive Month
The thirst is real
Strong sales of Xbox family semi-exclusive Titanfall did little to stop the PlayStation 4’s momentum in April, as the system registered a fourth consecutive month at the top of the hardware charts in the United States. While firm figures aren’t available at the time of typing, research firm NPD reports that the Japanese...
News So, the PSP Almost Matched the Vita's Sales in USA Last Month
The end is nigh
Step out of a New York subway station and you’ll no longer be greeted by a religious zealot with a sandwich board, but instead a dedicated handheld decrier. “Portable consoles are dead,” they’ll scream, pointing to pictures of the PlayStation Vita with a big red line drawn through it. And they may be right, as NPD data has...
News March NPD: PS4 Overcomes Titanfall to Top Hardware Charts Again
inFAMOUS in at second
Titanfall may have made the Xbox One the faraway frontrunner in the United States sales battle last month, but the PlayStation 4 extended its lead on Microsoft’s home turf with another unexpected victory in the all-important territory. The triumph cements a sales double-whammy for platform holder Sony, after it announced that...
News February NPD: PS4 Claims Narrow Victory Over Xbox One
Top billing
Ongoing stock shortages couldn’t prevent the PlayStation 4 from claiming a second successive victory over the Xbox One in the February NPD report. While the exact figures remain under wraps, it’s thought that Sony sold around 290,000 next-gen systems to Microsoft’s still respectable 258,000 units. Ever the spin doctors, the...
News January NPD: PS4 Reclaims Lead in Console War by Almost Doubling Sales of Xbox One
Return of the king
Stock shortages may have caused a setback in Sony’s assault on North America in December, but the PlayStation 4 has climbed right back to the top of the console tree in January. According to the Japanese giant, its freshest format was the best selling next-gen system in North America last month, with the burly black box almost...
Talking Point Do the December NPD Results Flag a Flaw in PS4's Strategy?
Chink in the armour
Isn’t it funny how your expectations can adapt in little to no time at all? This intrepid author has spent the past seven or so years scouring negative PlayStation 3 news, but within the span of a couple of months, the outlook of Sony’s home console market has significantly changed. Since its release late last year, the...
News December NPD: Xbox One Hits Back at PS4 in Next-Gen Console War
Sony says it's still winning in North America
Microsoft’s decision to redirect the majority of its Xbox One stock to North America may put the platform holder in positive spirits this evening, as the next generation system bettered the PlayStation 4 in the latest NPD sales report. According to a press release from the Redmond-based manufacturer,...
News November NPD: PS4 Draws First Blood in North American Console War
Turning the tables
Sony has staged an assault on Microsoft's home territory, and topped the NPD charts with the PlayStation 4. According to the platform holder — which doesn't ordinarily engage in the monthly sales merry-go-round — its next generation console was the best-selling system in North America in November, moving one million units in...
News September NPD: PS3 Puts an End to Xbox 360's Winning Streak
Record breaker
Could the tides of battle be about to turn? As we promptly approach the onset of a new generation, Sony has finally put an end to the Xbox 360’s sales streak. According to the latest NPD report for September, the PlayStation 3 actually outsold Microsoft’s machine in North America last month, breaking the latter’s 32 month spell...
News July NPD: NCAA Football 14 Scores a Touchdown, Physical Sales Body Checked
Sony numbers still a secret
As has become a recurring trend for these NPD sales reports, the physical arm of the North American games industry declined yet again in July. The market as a whole dropped by 19 per cent year-over-year, with hardware specifically facing a 34 per cent decrease from $150.9 million in 2012 to just $99.4 million last month...
News June NPD: The Last of Us Conquers Charts, Sneaks Up on God of War III's Record
Ellie of a performance
Naughty Dog has well and truly hammered a nail in the coffin of comments suggesting that new franchises struggle at the end of a generation. First-party favourite The Last of Us topped the North American sales charts for June, securing the third largest launch in the month since NPD started tracking data in 1995. The...
News March NPD: BioShock Infinite Rides Skylines to the Software Summit
Tomb Raider reboot sitting pretty in second
The data moguls at North American sales-tracking group the NPD have compiled figures for the video game industry in March, crowning BioShock Infinite the best-selling title of the month. Unfortunately, the physical sales sector of the US industry shrunk by 10 per cent compared to the same period in 2012,...
News PlayStation 3 Shifted 263,000 Units in North America Last Month
Sales strong for Sony's system
PlayStation 4 may have stolen the headlines in February, but the PlayStation 3 proved that it’s still got the staying power to carry Sony into the next generation. GamesIndustry.biz has revealed that the manufacturer’s current flagship console sold 263,000 units in North America last month – enough to make it the...
News February NPD: Dead Space 3 Dismembers the Competition
Sly Cooper squeezes into the top ten
Despite speculation regarding its disappointing sales, Dead Space 3 managed to fire its way to the summit of the North American sales charts in February. The space shooter pushed Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 into second, while Crysis 3, NBA 2K13, and
News December NPD: Black Ops 2 Dominates Disappointing 2012
The future's bleak
Staying consistent with the rest of 2012, December served up another year of decline for the North American video game industry. Despite pulling in a whopping $3.2 billion during the festive window, sales were still down 22 per cent over last year’s $4.10 billion. The year as a whole drooped by a similar margin, scooping just...
News November NPD: Sales Drop, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Rocks
Bang on trend
The excellent hardware figures for Black Friday week weren’t enough to offset the North American video game industry’s continued decline in November. According to the NPD group, numbers for the period fell by 11 per cent year-over-year, with sales amounting to $2.55 billion, compared to $2.87 billion in 2011. Hardware sales were...
News October NPD: NBA 2K13 Slams, Industry Dunks
Bounce back
NBA 2K13 scored a convincing three-pointer in the latest NPD report, as the rest of the North American video games industry continued its downward trend. The sector as a whole earned $755.5 million for the period, a figure which compares negatively to last year’s $1 billion. While the figures aren't especially pleasant, analyst Liam...
