September NPD: Madden and 360 Tops, PS3 Grows

Madden NFL 12

Even the most popular exclusive titles can't top multiplatform games. Especially when the name "Madden" is in the title.

The NPD Group has reported the September sales, and although we don't have exact sales counts, we know Gears of War 3 came in at #2 (and Microsoft boss Aaron Greenberg confirmed the blockbuster exclusive sold 2 million copies), and EA's Madden NFL 12 topped the software list.

Dead Island landed in third, which may come as a surprise to some, as the zombie-slaying survival adventure outstripped that of FIFA 12, NHL 12, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Resistance 3 did manage to crack into the top 10 by coming in at #7. As for overall software sales, the numbers were a touch down year-over-year; total sales fell 1% to $653.2 million for September.

On the hardware side, Nintendo announced that the super popular Nintendo DS has sold over 50 million units in the US alone, and the new 3DS sold 260,000 units during the month. The Xbox 360 was once again the top-selling console in the US coming in at 438,000 (Gears helped there, of course), and Sony did not report concrete numbers, as usual. Overall, hardware sales fell 9% to $349 million.

Here's Sony's statement from SCEA Sr. Director of Corporate Communications Patrick Seybold:

"NPD’s September report saw double-digit growth for both PS3 software (52%) and hardware (20%), as increasing brand awareness continues to fuel interest with consumers. First-party software sales remained strong this month, with boosts from blockbuster titles like Resistance 3. The lower PS3 console price point and the upcoming release of exciting titles – Uncharted 3, Everybody Dance and Ratchet and Clank – will continue PlayStation’s momentum into the holiday season."

Tags: npd, npd sales, september npd, game sales, games industry

10/13/2011 8:30:46 PM John Shepard

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