November NPD: MW3 Fuels Record Breaking Month

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Hey, guess what. November broke records, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was obviously the catalyst. ...not shocked in the least, are you?

The November NPD numbers have arrived and it turned out to be the largest November in gaming history.

US game retail sales hit $3 billion for the month, which just barely beat out last year's performance. Software sales were up 16% to $1.74 billion, although hardware sales fell 9% to $982.4 million), and accessory sales fell 34% to $273.8 million (just remember that Microsoft launched Kinect in November 2010). Modern Warfare 3 predictably claimed the top software spot, beating last year's Black Ops by 7%. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim came in a strong second and in fact, sold nearly as many copies in its first month as its predecessor, Oblivion, sold lifetime. Pretty darn impressive.

Battlefield 3 came in third, followed by Assassin's Creed: Revelations and Just Dance 3. For the record, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception dropped into 7th position, which isn't bad, as it topped the only other exclusive on the top 10 list, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

And here's Sony's monthly statement from SCEA Sr. Director of Corporate Communications, Patrick Seybold:

"PlayStation 3 is off to a phenomenal start to the holiday season, recording the best ever Black Friday sales period in the console's five-year history. According to the November NPD report the PS3 saw a 70% increase in hardware and a 30% increase in software year-over-year. Consumer demand has been very strong for our holiday bundles and for recent first and third party blockbuster titles such as UNCHARTED 3, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. We're excited that millions of people are joining the PlayStation community and realizing its incredible entertainment value across games, movies, TV, music, and more."

Tags: npd sales, november npd, npd numbers, mw3, modern warfare 3

12/9/2011 8:50:09 PM John Shepard

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