The video game industry grew by a slim 1 percent in September, representing a small but hopeful turning point as it recovers from six months of consecutive declines.
The games industry recorded $1.28 billion in revenue last month compared with $1.27 billion in September of last year. Hardware sales revenue was down 6 percent at $472 million while software was up 5 percent at $649 million. Accessory sales came in a $157 million, 2 percent up.
The meager growth, while positive, fell below some analyst projections. Michael Pachter with Wedbush Morgan Securities predicted software sales growth of 21 percent.
For the year to date, the game industry is still in a serious hole, down 13 percent compared to 14 percent last month. Though analysts have held out hope for positive growth this year fueled by a strong holiday season, it's difficult to tell if that is achievable.
On the console side, the PlayStation 3 took advantage of a big price cut to $300 to rocket into first place, the first time it's ever sat atop the monthly sales totals for this cycle. The PS3 moved 491,800 units in September while the Wii sold 462,800 units. The Xbox 360 sold 352,600 units. The September data doesn't fully reflect a price cut to the Wii, which dropped by $50 to $200 late last month.
In handhelds, the DS leads the way with 524,200 units sold, far ahead of the PlayStation Portable with 190,400 devices sold.
In software sales, Halo 3: ODST took the top spot selling 1.52 million units. The top five was rounded out by Wii Sports Resort (443k), Madden NFL 10 on the 360 (290K), Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story on the DS (258k) and The Beatles: Rock Band on the 360 (254k). Overall, The Beatles: Rock Band placed third counting its titles on multiple platforms, ahead of fourth placed Guitar Hero 5.
Overall, every platform maker has a little something to crow about. Microsoft is still the only console maker to enjoy growth this year and owns half of the top ten titles last month. Sony is finally getting its PS3 sales revved up almost three years after its launch.
Nintendo can lay claim to a strong DS platform but its Wii is looking at a more cloudy future. We'll know more next month about the effect of the Wii's price cut but the race is clearly tightening for Nintendo, which enjoyed console supremecy for almost three years. Now, the question is how will it perform now that the rivals are coming down in price, coming out with stronger and bigger titles and are both planning motion-control interfaces for next yearRead more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/techchron/detail?&entry_id=49898#ixzz0UUyA9TSf
The games industry recorded $1.28 billion in revenue last month compared with $1.27 billion in September of last year. Hardware sales revenue was down 6 percent at $472 million while software was up 5 percent at $649 million. Accessory sales came in a $157 million, 2 percent up.
The meager growth, while positive, fell below some analyst projections. Michael Pachter with Wedbush Morgan Securities predicted software sales growth of 21 percent.
For the year to date, the game industry is still in a serious hole, down 13 percent compared to 14 percent last month. Though analysts have held out hope for positive growth this year fueled by a strong holiday season, it's difficult to tell if that is achievable.
On the console side, the PlayStation 3 took advantage of a big price cut to $300 to rocket into first place, the first time it's ever sat atop the monthly sales totals for this cycle. The PS3 moved 491,800 units in September while the Wii sold 462,800 units. The Xbox 360 sold 352,600 units. The September data doesn't fully reflect a price cut to the Wii, which dropped by $50 to $200 late last month.
In handhelds, the DS leads the way with 524,200 units sold, far ahead of the PlayStation Portable with 190,400 devices sold.
In software sales, Halo 3: ODST took the top spot selling 1.52 million units. The top five was rounded out by Wii Sports Resort (443k), Madden NFL 10 on the 360 (290K), Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story on the DS (258k) and The Beatles: Rock Band on the 360 (254k). Overall, The Beatles: Rock Band placed third counting its titles on multiple platforms, ahead of fourth placed Guitar Hero 5.
Overall, every platform maker has a little something to crow about. Microsoft is still the only console maker to enjoy growth this year and owns half of the top ten titles last month. Sony is finally getting its PS3 sales revved up almost three years after its launch.
Nintendo can lay claim to a strong DS platform but its Wii is looking at a more cloudy future. We'll know more next month about the effect of the Wii's price cut but the race is clearly tightening for Nintendo, which enjoyed console supremecy for almost three years. Now, the question is how will it perform now that the rivals are coming down in price, coming out with stronger and bigger titles and are both planning motion-control interfaces for next yearRead more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/techchron/detail?&entry_id=49898#ixzz0UUyA9TSf
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