NPD 2010: Game Sales Even, PS3 Software Up 32%
See Full ImageThe NPD results for 2010 are in and it's an up and down situation for the industry.
Based on the company's new measuring standard, which they started midway through last year, around $15.5 billion worth of game software was purchased in the US, which is almost identical to the total number from 2009.
Overall retail sales of non-PC hardware, software and accessories fell 6%, down from $19.7 billion in 2009 to $18.58 billion in 2010. And although the 360 saw better sales towards the end of the year, Microsoft's console suffered the biggest decline, falling 13% from $7.19 billion to $6.29 billion. Non-PC software also fell a little, dropping 6% from $9.92 billion to $9.36 billion. Accessories, thanks to the likes of PlayStation Move and Kinect, were up 13% and shock of shocks, Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops was the biggest game of the year, followed by (another surprise) Madden NFL 11, Halo: Reach, Super Mario Bros. Wii, and Red Dead Redemption.
Sony has tossed out their official response to the figures, and they note that the PS3 was the "only console to have 32% increase in software sales," and currently, LittleBigPlanet 2 holds a 94% average rating at Metacritic, which puts it in the top 10 of all time for Sony's machine. Yeah, that's more of a 2011 comment. Here's SCEA's response, courtesy of Senior Director of Corporate Communications, Patrick Seybold:
"Since PlayStation Move was introduced in September, millions of consumers and gamers have joined the PlayStation family. The key to Move's long-term success is developer and publisher support; enabling PlayStation to offer the most diverse line up of motion and 3D games. The combination of innovative hardware and a relentless line up of blockbuster titles is why the PS3 is perhaps the only console that grows more valuable over time. As we come out of the gates in 2011, PlayStation is brimming with new games to whet the appetite for all gamers, like next week's highly anticipated launch of LittleBigPlanet 2, which received top scores. And right around the corner, Killzone 3 is positioned to set a new standard in hardcore gaming as the first AAA title to utilize both 3D and Move functionality.
According to the December NPD, PlayStation is the only console company to show year over year software growth with an impressive 32% increase in its sales. Since launching four months ago, PlayStation Move has introduced 50 supported titles, with close to 20 titles still on the horizon, underscoring PlayStation's steady expansion of software titles to create what is without doubt the most exciting line-up of motion control gaming options available to consumers today. We look forward to the year ahead as we continue to deliver the kind of compelling, innovative and diverse content experiences that have kept the PlayStation brand synonymous with premier entertainment for over 15 years."
Tags: npd, december npd, hardware sales, software sales
1/13/2011 9:27:10 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (38 posts)
Jed
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 9:58:08 PM
Move has a much wider scope of possibilities with which types of games it can be incorporated into. How could you pull off an fps ( M$'s bread and butter), or any other non-casual games with Kinect?
Last edited by Jed on 1/13/2011 10:00:09 PM
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PasteNuggs
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 10:02:10 PM
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Jed
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 10:02:23 PM
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TheCrazyMerc
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 10:07:52 PM
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Qubex
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 12:34:07 AM
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
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Temjin001
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 11:23:01 AM
But I use a mac and a xbox and i don't think i've been brainwashed... yet
A major reason I like mac is because spell checking is implemented at the OS level. So even when typing in these comment boards the spell checker automatically notifies me when I have a typo. It's nice because I misspell a lot.
But anyway I need to go shoppi ....aarrrg.. *getting blurry* play my xbox, yes, my xbox =p
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CH1N00K
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 12:43:26 PM
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Jed
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 9:48:18 PM
Reply
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PasteNuggs
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 10:05:40 PM
Reply
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Temjin001
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 10:13:13 PM
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PasteNuggs
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 10:25:33 PM
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StangMan80
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 11:07:30 PM
It's only a matter of time when all of them realize how awesome the PS3 is and will be begging their mommies and trading in there 360s for a shiny new PS3.
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Lawless SXE
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 3:24:00 AM
Not so shiny PS3s. The Slims have a matte finish :P
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RebelJD
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 10:12:42 PM
Reply
Sony needs to start putting out gems that show off the beauty of the Playstation Move.
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StangMan80
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 11:04:06 PM
Reply
Congrats Sony, and looking at 2011, already see a great year for you guys.
It's awesome how well the move is doing, a lot better then I thought it would, Which I'm really happy about. I can't wait to get my own two hands on the Move.
What 2011 holds
30+% sales increase for Sony.
sales for the Wii and 360 droping dramatically
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Highlander
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 11:36:08 PM
Reply
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dkmrules
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 11:55:40 PM
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Jawknee
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 12:33:04 AM
Oh wait...with it's 2011 exclusive library. :)
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Lawless SXE
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 3:25:14 AM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 2:10:07 AM
Reply
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Jawknee
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 2:45:13 AM
Reply
"@Jawknee1
The article clearly states that there is little difference between shipped and sold. Though with a name like jawknee1 you sound like a complete douche.
Microsoft have always covered RROD. The sueing happened long after Microsoft beefed up the warranty.
Have you seen the Ps3 titles coming out this year? They're all sequels or 3rd entries.
You clearly are a PS3 fanboy who doesn't know what he is on about. Get over yourself douchebag"
So...now the PS3 has too many games and still sucks because they are sequels. LMAO!!
Last edited by Jawknee on 1/14/2011 2:45:56 AM
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Lawless SXE
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 3:26:38 AM
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Highlander
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 3:59:57 AM
Halo Reach
Gears of War 3.
Xbots need not complain about sequels.
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WolfCrimson
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 4:20:49 AM
You know what you should have said? "LMAO? So you're gonna laugh your entire self off? That's good, we won't have to suffer from your non-existant logic anymore."
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WolfCrimson
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 5:05:36 AM
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Jawknee
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 10:48:09 AM
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Lawless SXE
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 3:32:29 AM
Reply
Did I just openly and intentionally show personal bias to the PS3? Maybe so, but it bloody well deserves it!
Peace.
P.S. I read recently that From Software is supposed to be working on a Move compatible game. I MUST KNOW WHAT IT IS!
P.P.S. Are the folks at Sega mad? They're doing a Kinect exclusive survival horror game? It's Sega. They kept VC and Yakuza PS-exclusive and made their own port when Platinum didn't want to put Bayonetta on PS3. What the hell?
Last edited by Lawless SXE on 1/14/2011 3:37:36 AM
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Highlander
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 4:01:01 AM
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Lawless SXE
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 4:28:57 AM
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Dancemachine55
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 6:07:34 AM
Only in-house game being developed by MS is Forza 4, which I'm sure will be big, but it's no Gran Turismo. There's just something so slick and professional about GT, the realism does help towards the racing simulator argument.
If you want a good arcade racer, get Hot Pursuit. Calling Forza 3 or Forza 4 a racing simulator is like calling spray-on cheese real cheese.
I think MS fans or Xbots are getting cranky and finding whatever illogical argument they can find to defend their expensive purchase or once a generation christmas / birthday gift. Whether its the quality of Live, Live Arcade exclusives, Halo, Gears or CoD map exclusives, Kinect tech or Achievements being better than Trophies, Xbots are fighting to the bitter end to defend their console of choice.
It truly is amazing what stubborness and pride can make a person do or say, right Jawknee? PS3 exclusives being nothing but sequels? You shoulda asked the guy at IGN to name 2 AAA 360 new IP's, I'm sure that would of shut him up, and that doesn't include Live Arcade games. I'm sure Alan Wake can't hold a torch to heavy hitters like Heavy Rain and Demon's Souls. And that doesn't include sequels or Kinect / Move games!!!
I'm sorry, but Xbots have got nothing left to argue. The 360 is still a good console, I love the Live service, party chat is a good option to have when spending a night playing with friends.
But apart from that, PS3 has the most enjoyable and accurate movement based tech. PS3 has a free internet service that is beginning to rival Live in all aspects. The PS3 now has more exclusives than any other console, perhaps even the Wii!!! The PS3 also has Blu-ray, 1080p tru HD support, 3D support and can run multiplatforms as well as a 360, if not better these days.
Only hiccup was Bayonetta, and boy oh boy, didn't the Xbots go to town with THAT one!!!
Just goes to show you how desperate they're getting simply to keep what little pride they have left. Gears 3 will be the last hurrah, now that Mass Effect is on PS3 and Bungie has finished with Halo and is developing a multiplat game too.
Last edited by Dancemachine55 on 1/14/2011 6:10:21 AM
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Dancemachine55
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 6:17:58 AM
Reply
I'm not even going to bother listing them anymore, everyone here knows them all and there's too many to list anyway, especially if I want to include PSN exclusives alngside the disc retail AAA heavy hitters.
I'm happy to list 360, short and sweet:
Gears of War 3
Forza 4
Star Wars Kinect
Steel Battalion Kinect
Codename: Kingdoms
.... I believe that's the lot. There's heaps more Kinect games, but I might as well include all the Move exclusive party games as well, and there's really no point.
MS better have a damn good trick up their sleeve at this year's E3 or else, they'll see the biggest loss yet. Kinect is doing well, but sales are dropping faster than Charlie Sheen's trousers in a hotel room.
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BikerSaint
Sunday, January 16, 2011 @ 2:42:01 AM
F*cking Capcom!!!!
The new "Steel Batallion" game is a farce.
All of the 1st 2 S.B. title owners should be up in arms that they're making S.B. a freaking Kinect game.
S.B should only be used with the original monstrous 40-button 4-section $260 controller that it was packaged with, and only that awesome controller, and no other controller!
Now, I'm left with a huge 3 foot long controller that I love, but can't use for any more games
FYI, here's a good pic of my massive controller right here that you can click on & blow it up to get a good idea of how huge it is in size:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_Battalion
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Bonampak
Saturday, January 15, 2011 @ 11:17:40 PM
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Why is that?
Was it because NPD numbers show that Nintendo dominated December yet again with the Wii and DS? For 5 years straight. This despite the doom & gloom predictions about the Wii slowing down and being eaten alive by the MOVE and Kinect. Yet the damn thing still managed to come up on top. Dayam!
Was it because the Xbox 360 took hold of the 2nd spot and once again pushed down the PS3 to the bottom of the barrel? This despite the PS3 catching up to the 360.
And here we are once again having to say the same thing that was said since 2007: This will (hopefully) be the year of the PS3. Please Gawd, let it be so!
In terms of software, Sony wasn't the only one with a reason to brag. Since only the PC and Wii had exclusive games on the top 10 chart.
Check it out:
The Top 10 new retail sellers in the U.S. for December 2010 (with sales combined across systems) were as follows:
1. Call of Duty: Black Ops - Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PC
2. Just Dance 2 - Wii
3. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm - PC
4. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft) - Xbox 360, PS3
5. Donkey Kong Country Returns - Wii
6. Disney Epic Mickey - Wii
7. Madden NFL 11 - Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP
8. Michael Jackson: The Experience - Wii, DS, PSP
9. NBA 2K11 - Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2, PC
10. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit - Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC
Booyah! Now you got the full story!
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StangMan80
Sunday, January 16, 2011 @ 1:51:30 AM
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Bonampak
Sunday, January 16, 2011 @ 3:44:23 AM
However, I did find out on the web that Madden sold 1.2 million units and that the Michael Jackson game sold (at least) a million units just on the Wii. NBA 2K11 sold around 900.000 copies.
Couldn't find any data on NFS. But it seems that it sold more than GT5, considering that it made the list.
Last edited by Bonampak on 1/16/2011 3:48:45 AM
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Temjin001
Reply
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 9:45:57 PM
Aside from that, I think it's pretty telling when MS went into the holidays with Reach and Black Ops, yet they still couldn't top Sony's software sales--a 13% dip is big. This sort of software decline from their hardcore base suggests to me a waning interest in MS's entertainment experience.