Npd - News
May2019
News April 2019 NPD: Days Gone Lands Huge Launch, But Can't Lay a Glove on MK11
MLB The Show 19 still hitting home runs
Days Gone secured the seventh biggest Sony-published debut in US history, but still couldn’t stop the Mortal Kombat 11 juggernaut, which topped the respective sales charts for all four formats it released on. According to NPD data, the brutal brawler is already the second best-selling title of 2019 in...
April2019
News March 2019 NPD: MLB The Show 19 Sets a Genre Sales Record
The Division 2, Sekiro start strong
It was a March 2019 of hardware dominance in the United States for the Nintendo Switch, as the ageing PlayStation 4 and Xbox One continue their natural downturn ahead of the new generation. Overall industry spend for the month was down 11 per cent year-over-year, with hardware seeing the most significant decline...
March2019
News February 2019 NPD: ANTHEM Lands BioWare's Second Highest US Launch
Singing from the right hymn sheet
ANTHEM hasn’t been a complete and utter failure – well, assuming you ignore virtually everything to do with the game itself. The title topped the February 2019 NPD charts in the United States, registering the second highest launch for a BioWare title of all time. It’s only outpaced by Mass Effect 3, which you...
February2019
News January 2019 NPD: Kingdom Hearts III, Resident Evil 2 Top Sales Charts
But industry down 19 per cent year-over-year
The first NPD result of the year is in, and the industry slipped to a 19 per cent year-over-year decline in the United States – despite titles like Kingdom Hearts III and Resident Evil 2 putting in a decent performance. The drop can be directly attributed to slipping hardware and software sales, as...
January2019
News December 2018 NPD: PS4 Pipped at the Post by Smash Bros and Switch
But year-on-year gain for Sony's system
It took the last month of the year for the Nintendo Switch to topple the PlayStation 4, but Sony’s system was forced to settle for second place in the United States’ hardware hierarchy for 2018. While the PS4 had been leading NPD for the vast majority of the year, the Japanese giant opted not to offer any...
December2018
News Spider-Man PS4 Is the Fastest Selling Superhero Game in US History
Got 'em, Tiger
In its first three months on sale in the United States, Marvel’s Spider-Man has become the fastest-selling superhero game ever. This means that it has outpaced juggernauts like Batman: Arkham Knight, and even more impressive is that the statistic does not include bundle sales. Considering that the PlayStation 4 exclusive was a part...
News November 2018 NPD: PS4 Best Seller As All Systems Shine
A bumper month
The story of 2018 has by and large been that all major systems have performed well, and that continued in November with stat-tracking firm the NPD Group reporting that all three primary platforms exceeded sales of 1.3 million units for the month. As was expected, the PlayStation 4 was the best-seller in terms of unit sales, buoyed by...
November2018
News Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Sales Unaffected by Absent Single Player Campaign
Series on target regardless
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 topped the October 2018 NPD sales results in the United States, beating Red Dead Redemption 2 and proving that the clamours for the series’ missing single player campaign were overblown by a very vocal minority. The first-person shooter – which is currently 2018’s top-selling title in the...
News October 2018 NPD: Call of Duty, Red Dead Propel PS4 to Record Month
Sony's system sets new October high
With news that Sony’s big PlayStation 4 bundle for Black Friday 2018 is selling out this November, it seems that we can safely say the system is performing as strongly as ever five years into its lifespan. And the October 2018 NPD report for the United States is yet more evidence of that, as the console
News PS Vita's All-Time US Best-Sellers Show Why Sony Binned System
Top ten's life sales equivalent to Spidey's first month
NPD analyst Mat Piscatella has released the list of all-time best-selling PlayStation Vita software in the United States, and it paints a pretty damning picture. Top of the charts is launch title Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and it’s followed by the dismal Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified and...
October2018
News September 2018 NPD: Marvel's Spider-Man Enjoys the Biggest Launch in PlayStation History
PS4 tops hardware charts
Marvel’s Spider-Man smashed records during its launch month in the United States, with the NPD Group reporting that the exclusive secured the highest launch month dollar sales for a PlayStation exclusive of all time. The title also enjoyed seventh largest debut of any PlayStation release ever, and is the third best-selling...
News NPD Reveals PSVR's Best Sellers in the US So Far
What do you reckon is number one?
We rarely get sales data specifically for PlayStation VR, so this tidbit courtesy of the NPD Group is interesting for the handful of you that care. It shows the top five best-selling titles in the United States which require Sony’s headset, meaning the likes of Resident Evil 7 are excluded. The games are ranked...
September2018
News August 2018 NPD: PS4 Can't Dethrone Switch as Madden NFL 18 Rushes Software Charts
Sacked
While the PlayStation 4 dominated the United States hardware charts five months in a row earlier this year, the Nintendo Switch kept the throne warm for a second month in August 2018. It's the third time this year that Sony’s ageing platform has fallen just short, but with Marvel’s Spider-Man reportedly ripping up the record books around...
August2018
News July 2018 NPD: PS4 Can't Make It Six Months in a Row
Still the best-selling system of the year, though
We figured that the PlayStation 4, in its fifth term, was going to make way for the newer Nintendo Switch in the NPD hardware charts this year, but it’s actually maintained its position at the top for much of 2018 thus far. A slow July means that it couldn’t quite make it six months in a row,...
News June 2018 NPD: PS4 Outsells All Current-Gen Competitors
But can't beat the NES
We really thought this would be the year where the PlayStation 4 starts to slow down a bit, but Sony’s console has continued to storm the United States hardware charts, beating all of its current-gen competitors for a fifth successive month. Amazingly, the system was actually outsold by the NES Classic in June 2018, although...
June2018
News May 2018 NPD: PS4 on Top Yet Again, Detroit Starts Strong
Another record breaking month for PlayStation
With the PlayStation 4 nearing its fifth anniversary, we had expected the Nintendo Switch to take the lead on Sony’s system in the United States hardware charts – but it’s just not happening yet. The Japanese giant’s popular platform enjoyed a fourth consecutive month in the throne in May, with...
May2018
News April 2018 NPD: PS4 Breaks Records in Staggering Month
God of War, MLB The Show 18 on fire
God of War helped propel the PlayStation 4 to a sensational April 2018 in the United States, where the system set a new software sales record for the month since data tracking started all the way back in 1995. The console – which was unsurprisingly the top-selling system of the month – also registered the...
April2018
News March 2018 NPD: PS4 Tops Hardware Charts as MLB Registers Record
Home run
Sony maintained its position atop the United States hardware charts with another impressive NPD result, outselling all other consoles in the month of March 2018. The console was buoyed by the release of MLB The Show 18, which set a franchise record during its launch month. However, Far Cry 5 unsurprisingly swept aside all competition,...
March2018
News February 2018 NPD: PS4 Wrestles Hardware Crown Off Nintendo Switch
Monster Hunter: World still killing it
The PlayStation 4 was the best-selling console in the United States for the first time since November in February 2018, with Sony temporarily wrestling the crown from Nintendo in what is sure to become a constant back-and-forth. We’re only two months into 2018, but the PS4 is now the best-selling platform of...
February2018
News January 2018 NPD: PS4 Drives Most Revenue as Monster Hunter: World Dominates
Industry up 59 per cent year-over-year
The PlayStation 4 couldn’t slow the momentum of the Nintendo Switch in January 2018’s NPD report, as the Mario maker’s latest piece of hardware topped unit sales in what was an amazing month for the United States games industry overall. However, Sony will be secretly pleased, as its system generated the...
January2018
News December 2017 NPD: Call of Duty: WWII Conquers $3.29 Billion Month
PS4 crowned best-selling console of 2017
Those people who wrote articles about the death of the console industry prior to the release of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One should hang their heads in shame, as Call of Duty: WWII just dominated a $3.29 billion month for the United States games industry. That’s up 10 per cent over year-over-year,...
December2017
News November 2017 NPD: PS4 Dominates Hardware Sales with Best Ever Month, Call of Duty Is King
Switch, Xbox One X can't hold back Sony's system
Just goes to show what we know, eh? We predicted that the PlayStation 4 would be the “worst” selling console in November 2017, drowned out by the Nintendo Switch and the Xbox One X launch. In actual fact, it enjoyed its best month in the United States ever, topping even November 2013, when the...
November2017
News October 2017 NPD: PS4 Is Still the Best Selling System of the Year
Middle-earth: Shadow of War conquers all
Despite increasingly intense competition, the PlayStation 4 remains the best-selling console in the United States year-to-date – but it’s going to be clinging on by its fingernails as we sprint towards the business end of the year. Nintendo Switch was the top platform once again for the month of October,...
October2017
News Microtransactions Aren't Stopping Big Games From Selling Well, Says NPD
Loot boxed
The conversation surrounding microtransactions has really heated up over the last few months. With recent heavy hitters such as Destiny 2 and Middle-earth: Shadow of War receiving a fair bit of criticism for the inclusion of in-game purchases, the topic's been covered by just about everyone in the media, ourselves included. But for all...
News September 2017 NPD: PS4 Leads Consumer Spend as Destiny 2 Outshoots All
Bungie jump
It’s not particularly trendy to talk about PlayStation 4 hardware sales as it continues its comfortable march to 100 million units, but even though the Nintendo Switch is starting to exert some authority on the NPD, it’s perhaps worth reiterating that Sony’s system is still faring very well as it nears its fourth birthday...
September2017
News Grand Theft Auto V Is The Best-Selling Game of All Time
In the US, anyway
Grand Theft Auto V is the best-selling game of all time, according to American sales tracking organisation NPD. Now there are some caveats here: this only applies to the United States, so there may be titles that have historically performed better – though it’s perhaps worth noting that Rockstar’s opus finished second in...
News August 2017 NPD: Uncharted Starts Strong, But PS4 Can't Topple Switch
Not bad for a spin-off
Standalone spin-off Uncharted: The Lost Legacy debuted third in the United States sales charts for August 2017 – an impressive result considering many scored the title for free as part of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’s season pass. The side-story was beaten by Madden NFL 18 and a resurgent Grand Theft Auto V, though it’s...
August2017
News July 2017 NPD: Nintendo Switch Stops PS4 Party
But systems were apparently neck and neck
Nintendo managed to put enough Switch stock on American shelves to halt the PlayStation 4’s mini-winning streak, but both systems did well by all accounts. Leaked numbers put the platforms neck and neck, and Sony’s console is actually up year-over-year, which is a surprise. Considering that the device is...
July2017
News June 2017 NPD: PS4 Enjoys Best June Since Launch
Tekken 7 tops, Crash Bandicoot hits
The PlayStation 4 may be knee-deep into its fourth year, but it’s showing no signs of slowing – in fact, it’s actually performing better than in previous years. Sony’s console topped the United States hardware charts for a second successive month, registering its strongest June on record since release...
June2017
News May 2017 NPD: Nintendo Switch Stock Shortages Open the Door for PS4
Injustice 2 leads software chart
After being overthrown by the Nintendo Switch for a couple of months, stock shortages have opened the door and allowed the PlayStation 4 to reclaim its crown at the summit of the United States hardware charts. May 2017 wasn’t a brilliant month for the games industry, as overall spend dropped 11 per cent, though...
May2017
News April 2017 NPD: Persona 5 Proves JRPGs Still Have Pulling Power
Atlus title debuts second in USA charts
You know how these NPD sales charts work by now, right? Typically the uber-mainstream titles all move to the top, while the more core gamer franchises secure a token appearance towards the bottom. Except that hasn’t really happened this time: Persona 5 finished second in April 2017. This is an...
April2017
News March 2017 NPD: Two PS4 Exclusives in Top Five Spots
Horizon: Zero Dawn and MLB The Show 17 start strong
United States sales tracking firm NPD has changed its public data release format yet again this month, revealing the top 20 best-selling titles in America for March – with some digital included. You may recall that the organisation already announced hardware results, with the Nintendo Switch's...
News PS4's Run Halted by Nintendo Switch Launch in March NPD
But Sony's system stays strong
As expected, the launch of the Nintendo Switch has (temporarily?) dethroned the PlayStation 4 from the top of the United States hardware charts. Sony's system had been sitting pretty for several months in a row, but it was never going to overcome the release of its rival's new handheld-cum-console, which performed...
March2017
News February 2017 NPD: For Honor Ascends as Nioh Stabs Top Ten
But industry declines persist
You've got to give credit to Ubisoft: it may not make games that get NeoGAF giddy, but it sure knows the market well. For Honor has climbed straight to the top of NPD charts in the United States for the month of February, with Ghost Recon: Wildlands surely the frontrunner to pull the same party trick in March's report...
News Surprise! PS4 Wins the February NPD Report
Of course
Stop us if you've heard this one before: the PlayStation 4 won the February 2017 NPD sales report. This means that Sony's system has been the best-selling console in the United States fourth months in a row now, though its winning streak will come to an end in March due to the release of the Nintendo Switch. The PlayStation maker doesn't...
February2017
News January 2017 NPD: Resident Evil 7, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Chart
But hardware revenue takes a hit
Resident Evil 7 topped the NPD sales charts in January 2017, though hardware declined during the tracked period again. Consumers spent $610.7 million on gaming goods in the United States throughout the month, down four per cent compared to the same period the year prior. Software did lift significantly, so reduced...
News PS4 Was January's Best Selling Console in the United States
Ain't no stopping this train
With a lineup including Yakuza 0 and Resident Evil 7 (among others), it's no surprise that the PlayStation 4 was the best selling console in the United States during January. According to the latest NPD report, Sony's system continued its good run, outpacing the competition yet again during the first month of 2017. No...
January2017
News PS4 Wins the All-Important December NPD
Not a massive surprise
After a handful of months losing out to the Xbox One in the NPD, the PlayStation 4 has restored normal order, by winning the all-important December report. To be honest, this shouldn't come as a massive surprise considering the ridiculous numbers that Sony posted over the holiday period, but there was a chance that Microsoft...
December2016
News November 2016 NPD: PS4 on Top as Call of Duty Targets Number One
CoD and flops
As reported earlier in the month, the PlayStation 4 won the November 2016 NPD report, breaking a four month Xbox One streak. The console – which was buoyed by its best Black Friday ever and the launch of the PS4 Pro – has now surpassed 50 million units globally, and is on track to bloat that figure further through the...
News PS4 Breaks Xbox One Streak with November NPD Win
Back on top
And just like that, normal service has been resumed. Microsoft had started to slowly chip away at the PlayStation 4's sizeable lead in the United States with a handful of minor victories, but on the back of Sony's 50 million unit milestone announcement, the platform holder has now confirmed that it's won the all-important November NPD...
October2016
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...
September2016
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...
August2016
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...
July2016
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...
June2016
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...
May2016
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 &...
April2016
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...
March2016
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...
February2016
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...
January2016
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...
December2015
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...
November2015
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...
October2015
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...
September2015
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...
August2015
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...
July2015
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...
June2015
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...
May2015
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...
April2015
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,...
March2015
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...
February2015
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...
January2015
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...
December2014
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
November2014
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...
October2014
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...
September2014
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...
August2014
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...
July2014
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
June2014
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...
May2014
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...
April2014
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...
March2014
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...
February2014
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...
January2014
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,...
December2013
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...
October2013
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...
August2013
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...
July2013
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...
April2013
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,...
March2013
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
January2013
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...
December2012
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...
November2012
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...
October2012
News September NPD: Hardware Sales Jump, Borderlands 2 Explodes
Christmas is coming
Average weekly sales of both the PlayStation 3 and Vita increased in North America throughout September, suggesting renewed momentum heading into the holiday season. As has become a recurring theme, the Xbox 360 was the best selling console for the month with 270,000 units sold. Unfortunately, Sony doesn't share specific hardware...
August2012
News July NPD: NCAA Football '13 Sprints Straight to the Top
Industry woes continue, though
July proved to be another desperately disappointing month for physical video game sales in North America. Overall sales in the retail sector dropped by 20 percent year over year – bringing in just $548.4 million compared to $686.3 million the year prior. Hardware sales dwindled by as much as 32 percent, with a 23...
July2012
News June NPD: LEGO Batman 2 Tops, Industry Sales Drop
Holy great performance, Batman!
Not content with dominating the charts across the pond, LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes has also topped the North American best-sellers for the month of June. But while developer Traveller’s Tales will be cracking open the champagne in celebration, the rest of the sector won’t be quite so enthusiastic. The entire...
June2012
News May NPD: Hardware Collapses, Investors Look Away Now
Troublesome trends
Let’s get straight to the point: May was not a good month for video game sales in North America. Hardware sales were down 39% year-over-year, bringing in just $138.9 million compared to $228.8 million in 2011. Software sales also saw a decline of 16%, though the NPD puts that decrease down to fewer releases. Unsurprisingly, PC...
May2012
News April NPD: Prototype 2 Tops, Industry Drops
Heller bad
Those of you with any kind of financial investment in the North American video game industry might want to point your browser towards a more positive place. The April NPD results are in, and they don’t make for particularly pleasant reading in the slightest. Indeed, as a whole the gaming industry shrunk by a whopping 32 percent year...
April2012
News Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Flexes Its Commercial Muscles
Cash is king
New intellectual properties have it tough in today’s video game market, so it’s refreshing to see a title like Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning post impressive US sales. The EA published action RPG has sold 410k units since its launch in February, with a sizeable chunk of those sales coming from the month of March. NPD’s David Riley...
News Mass Effect 3 Sales Eclipse 1.3 Million in North America
Geth a load of that
Mass Effect 3 sold 1.3 million copies across multiple platforms in North America last month, the NPD has confirmed. The figure covers retail releases only, so digital downloads on the PlayStation Network (and EA’s own Origin) are not counted. As such, it’s safe to assume the true, ahem, Tali is significantly higher. To put...
News Binary Domain Sold Just 20k Units in March
Bad news
Binary Domain is a rare gem. Sure, it gets a bit repetitive in places, but it’s uncommon to find a new IP with a genuinely intriguing universe and likable cast. It’s just a shame the general public didn’t agree. According to this month’s NPD report, the Yakuza Studio developed third-person shooter sold just 20k copies in North...
News March NPD: Mass Effect 3 Takes Off While Overall Sales Decline
Not especially pretty
Despite the arrival of several massive new releases, software and hardware sales continued their decline in North America for the month of March 2012. The latest NPD report shows that the month brought in $1.1billion in revenue, a whopping 25 percent less than the same period in 2011. Hardware, software and accessory sales were...
March2012
News February NPD: Twisted Metal Charts as Sales Drop
Call of Duty on top
Forget the concerning news about dwindling sales, and let’s focus on what really matters: Twisted Metal was the ninth best selling game in North America for the month of February. Considering the amount of scepticism that was lofted at director David Jaffe and his team regarding the relevance of car combat, we think that’s a...
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