According to the NPD, total video games sales in April fell 32 percent compared to the same time last year from $930 million to $630 million.
Physical software saw even a steeper loss, from $533.7 million to $307.2 million, a 42 percent decline. MS lead the pack with its Xbox 360, revealing that it had sold 236,000 units for the month of April. Neither Sony, nor Nintendo have issued a response.
Said NPD analyst Anita Frazier:
“This year, Easter fell very early in April, which means most Easter-related purchases may have fallen into March this year, whereas last year, Easter fell late in April causing most sales to fall in that month,” she said. “We usually find that Easter-related purchases generate an extra 10 percent in revenue in the month they occur, so some of the softness compared to last April could be attributed to the shift in Easter timing.”
The top 10 best-selling games in the U.S. for April 2012 are:
Prototype 2 (360, PS3)**
Kinect Star Wars (360)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3, Wii, PC)**
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 (360, PS3)**
NBA 2K12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PC, PS2)
The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings (360, PC)**
Mario Party 9 (Wii)
Mass Effect 3 (360, PS3, PC)**
Just Dance 3 (Wii, 360, PS3)
MLB 12: The Show (PS3, PSV)
“I think what the new physical retail content sales reflect a very light release schedule in terms of the amount of compelling new games,” Frazier continued. “Last April, the top seven titles outsold the top-selling title this year, and, simply stated, there were notably fewer new market introductions.
I think it’s a simple as that because when we see compelling content come into the market, the games are still selling as well as ever – we’re just saw a lot less this April as compared to last.”
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not really surprising considering last year had portal 2 and MK 2 of last years best games!
prototype 2, the witcher 2 and star wars kinect never stood a chance against 2 of last years best games!