The NPD December 2011 report has revealed that the gaming industry suffered a decline of 21 percent, one of its poorest performances in recent years.
“Overall industry results are not entirely surprising given that we are on the back end of the current console lifecycle, combined with the continued digital evolution of gaming. Core gamers continue to be engaged and spend on established franchises across both the digital and physical format using multiple devices for different gaming occasions,” said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group.
Hardware
Hardware was hit particularly hard in December, with the DS and 3DS being the only consoles to realize growth over November, something Anita Frazier deems “unusual since typically all platforms enjoy a lift in the biggest month at retail.”
“The Xbox 360 was the best-selling platform for the year, and the two HD platforms (360 and PS3) were the two platforms to realize a unit sales increase over last year. All other platforms declined in unit sales versus 2010 (save the 3DS which wasn’t in market last year),” Noted Ms. Frazier.
“Despite larger percentage decreases versus last year, the Wii and the PS3 were neck and neck in second place for Annual 2011.”
Software
Modern Warfare 3 dominated the scene as it usually does on a yearly basis, and while industry-wide sales were down 14 percent year-over-year, from $2.04 billion compared to 2010′s $2.37 billion, “sales of games for HD platforms were up 8% in dollars in December, and 9% for the total year. Correspondingly, the PS3 and the Xbox 360 enjoyed the highest tie ratios for the year in terms of software units sold divided by the platform install base through the end of 2011.”
December Software Sales
1 – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3, Wii, PC)
2 – Just Dance 3 (Wii, 360, PS3)
3 – Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360, PS3, PC)
4 – Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
5 – Battlefield 3 (360, PS3, PC)
6 – Madden NFL 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2)
7 – Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (360, PS3, PC)
8 – NBA 2K12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2, PC)
9 – Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
10 – Batman: Arkham City (360, PS3, PC)
“Our overall estimate of the market continues to point toward the increased imperative for deeper visibility into digital distribution than is available today, not only in the U.S. but globally. This is the goal of our partnership with EEDAR, and central to our discussions with publishers and others in the gaming community,” concluded David McQuillan, president, Games at The NPD Group.
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