May NPD: Sales Slide But L.A. Noire Nabs #1 Software Slot
L.A. NoireAfter two straight months of growth, the video game industry suffered a slide in May.
The NPD Group has released the numbers for last month, and after a 20% spike in April's year-over-year financial results, May fell 14% to $743.1 million. The highlight of the month was Rockstar's L.A. Noire, the excellent crime drama that forces players to think, investigate, and deduce. Ironically, the publisher's Red Dead Redemption claimed top sales honors last May.
In second place came Bethesda's Brink, LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean enjoyed a third-place slot, Valve's Portal 2 had another strong performance at #4, and Mortal Kombat rounded out the top 5. One of the reasons overall sales fell was simply because there were far fewer games released in May 2011 when compared to May 2010, as NPD analyst Anita Frazier noted. As for hardware, the Xbox 360 was once again in the top spot, although PlayStation 3 sales did grow 14%.
Here's the monthly statement from Patrick Seybold, SCEA Sr. Director of Corporate Communications:
"We are pleased to see that according to the May NPD report, PlayStation 3 hardware sales increased 14% year-over-year, marking the fourth consecutive month of double-digit growth. The PS3 platform is stronger than ever, and with the launch of Infamous 2, we continue to show our commitment to delivering the best and freshest content line-up available to our consumers. At E3 last week, we saw first-hand the consumer excitement for 3D, PlayStation Move and our first party franchise titles that will continue to drive the brand."
Tags: npd, may npd, npd numbers, games industry
6/13/2011 8:33:21 PM John Shepard
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Comments (30 posts)
Pandacastro
Monday, June 13, 2011 @ 10:17:03 PM
4 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, June 13, 2011 @ 10:19:30 PM
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 6/13/2011 10:21:17 PM
6 up, 1 down
Kiryu
Monday, June 13, 2011 @ 11:07:33 PM
Last edited by Kiryu on 6/13/2011 11:13:49 PM
5 up, 1 down
FM23
Monday, June 13, 2011 @ 11:17:39 PM
Last edited by FM23 on 6/13/2011 11:20:27 PM
1 up, 1 down
Kiryu
Monday, June 13, 2011 @ 11:29:53 PM
Heavy rain is different from la noire.
I want something in a game,puzzle solving,challenge or a sense of your actions mattering.
la noire has none of these.
I compared them because they are both story driven and both are film noire type of games and i'm saying that Heavy Rain did it way better.
2 up, 1 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 12:25:05 AM
I could just as easily say Heavy Rain took no mental ability whatsoever and the entire game relied on reactions and how well you hit buttons and moved the analog sticks. Because in truth, that's really all you actually DO.
But of course, that's not the point of Heavy Rain. Saying what I wrote above would be missing the point. Just like you're missing the point of L.A. Noire. There may not be as much consequence, but doing poorly during an investigation means you missed a lot. It may not impact the overall storyline but the individual cases are always affected.
And as humanity basically relies on faces and interpretation of non-verbal communication, the foundation MotionScan lays for the future can't be ignored.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 6/14/2011 12:25:50 AM
4 up, 0 down
Pandacastro
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 12:55:30 AM
You could get rid of the music and vibration in the menu that's, what I did.
0 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 2:27:09 AM
I never connected to the story in Heavy Rain *at all*, so I ended up just sitting there annoyed, provoked even, by the button pressing instructions instead of seeing beyond that and enjoy the story.
0 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, June 13, 2011 @ 10:17:24 PM
Reply
I hope inFamous 2 sells even better than the first one, that game deserves it. I'm very close to the end and I don't want it to end. "Just one more mission" is something I keep saying.
If there was a category for best weapon at the VGA's it would have to be the Amp. Love it.
3 up, 0 down
Fane1024
Monday, June 13, 2011 @ 10:31:50 PM
3D and Move, not so much.
Last edited by Fane1024 on 6/13/2011 10:32:39 PM
0 up, 0 down
FM23
Monday, June 13, 2011 @ 11:22:00 PM
But they could have added more story based missions, because there are like 60+ side missions. Even though theres 40 story missions, most aren't even really missions as they are just introduction to new power nor do they even explore the story, but when they do...man its great.
Last edited by FM23 on 6/13/2011 11:24:52 PM
0 up, 1 down
Kiryu
Monday, June 13, 2011 @ 11:46:43 PM
Playing and making UGC missions.
Last edited by Kiryu on 6/13/2011 11:49:20 PM
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 12:16:19 AM
Booyah! I just found all the blast shards. Just one more dead drop to go too! I love the dead drops because what you get is heavily predicated on what you did in inFamous 1.
0 up, 0 down
FM23
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 2:20:04 AM
And I completed everything except one dead drops...yet I'm 89%...I got 305 shards, completed all the missions/side missions yet I'm only at 89% missing one dead drop...WTF...lol, best game this year after ME2 in my opinion.
0 up, 0 down
Sancho
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 6:28:32 AM
I love how the Amp as well as your clothes change colors depending on your Karma. Once fully evil and for the last few missions I ran with the Kessler skin and used the Gold amp all through the hero side. Figured a hero needed a shiny weapon :P (I know it turns silver eventually)
I may wait for that though as I've kicked so much Militia, Icemen, Monsters ass for a week that I may need to do some Zombie killing in Dead Nation before I decide to ease my way through that.
And as a side note, anybody know what worldwide console figures are looking like these days?
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 2:02:25 PM
1 up, 0 down
Sancho
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 7:14:57 PM
0 up, 0 down
Pandacastro
Monday, June 13, 2011 @ 10:18:46 PM
Reply
1 up, 0 down
Alienange
Monday, June 13, 2011 @ 10:31:11 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
Zen_Zarab
Monday, June 13, 2011 @ 10:41:14 PM
Reply
I guess about 80% of the people who bought it returned it though. xD
I'm not part of that 80%, but I'm close to getting there.
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, June 13, 2011 @ 11:06:39 PM
Reply
1 up, 0 down
gray_eagle
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 1:01:40 AM
Reply
i had gta on my mind when i first started playing LA Noire i first thought the game was boring.
once i got into it and got gta out of my head, i really enjoyed the game.
0 up, 0 down
___________
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 5:38:25 AM
Reply
further proof that sales does not indicate quality, quite the opposite actually!
its good to see LA Noire selling so well, hopefully this will wake developers up and make them realize A we dont only play games with MP and B we dont only play shooters!
i swear to god if one more shooter gets announced this year im going to freak!
0 up, 0 down
Excelsior1
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 6:00:02 AM
Reply
3 up, 0 down
___________
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 9:52:45 AM
Reply
http://gamer.blorge.com/2008/09/19/did-phil-harrison-cause-ps3-to-lose-la-noire-to-xbox-360/
interesting read.
0 up, 0 down
Scarecrow
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 11:55:52 AM
Reply
Sad to see ps3 sales in the US, at this point it's sad but like I always say I really don't care as long as we keep getting the better games, which we do.
0 up, 0 down
Excelsior1
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 4:37:22 PM
i still don't think sony can ever retake its top spot unless they figure na out.
1 up, 0 down
Kiryu
Reply
Monday, June 13, 2011 @ 10:02:40 PM
People who have a PS3 go play Heavy Rain people,this game has real consequence,real difficulty at some scenes as figuring out something when at danger and if somebody dies ,they r dead forever and the story still follows and the second time you playthrough it you can control the story.
The Story is a Masterpiece.