NEW YORK (AP) U.S. retail sales of video games, hardware and accessories declined 25 percent in May as demand for aging game consoles continued to fade and fewer new games launched compared with last year, according to market researcher NPD Group.
NPD said late Monday that total video game sales were $386.3 million, down from $517 million in May 2012. The decline comes as and Microsoft Corp. and Sony Corp. are getting ready to launch new consoles later this year. The Xbox One, the successor to Microsoft's Xbox 360, and the PlayStation 4, successor to Sony's PS3, are expected to boost game sales over the holiday season.
Hardware sales dropped 31 percent year-over-year to $96 million from $139 million. Software sales also fell 31 percent to $175.1 million from $255.4 million. The month's best-selling game was "Injustice: Gods Among Us," from Warner Bros. Interactive, followed by "Call of Duty: Black Ops II" from Activision Blizzard Inc. Nintendo's "Donkey Kong Country Returns" came in at No. 3.
Sales of gaming accessories slid 6 percent to $115.3 million from $122.5 million.
NPD estimates that sales of new video game discs, hardware and accessories account for about half of what people spend on games.
Cowen and Co. analyst Doug Creutz expects the year-over-year declines to continue in June and July, but after that expects several consecutive months of increases, with the launch of the next "Madden" game from EA, the launch of "Grand Theft Auto V" from Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. in September and other blockbuster game releases.
"In general, we believe the fact that (the new) consoles appear poised for a good launch is far more important than current NPD trends," Creutz wrote in a note to investors.
Activision's shares were unchanged at $14.73 in morning trading. Shares of GameStop Corp., the world's largest video game retailer, slid 20 cents to $38.30. Microsoft's stock rose 3 cents to $35.03. Shares of Electronic Arts Inc. rose 27 cents to $22.70.
Blog List
-
Kaley Cuoco Shows Off Fit Physique In Skin-Revealing Yoga Outfit - By Suzy Byrne Kaley Cuoco leaving yoga class in L.A. on Monday. (X17online.com)Kaley Cuoco gave new meaning to hot yoga on Monday when she emerged from cla...11 years ago
Pageviews
Popular Posts
-
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The FBI is still searching for one of two convicted bank robbers who escaped last week from a high-rise jail in downtown...
-
Rufus, a Sussex spaniel, at Westminster (Holly Bailey/Yahoo News) One in a series on show dogs and their owners. NEW YORK Mary Jo Marsh reme...
-
1. Caulk Talk Westlake Ace Hardware gives a few basic steps, including caulking windows before the ...
-
NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) The grief will not end. Yet the healing must begin. So as the shock of Newtown's horrific school shooting starts to ...
-
(Reuters) - Apple Inc shares fell 3.9 percent on Friday after the iPhone 5 debuted in China to a cool reception and two analysts cut shipmen...
-
Connecticut residents shared on Friday their reaction to the mass shooting in Newtown. Here's a sampling of their thoughts. Today, New...
-
1. Streamzoo Streamzoo lets you follow users (@) or subjects (#) and incorporates a badge and reward system to enco...
-
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Twenty years after Quentin Tarantino unveiled his first film "Reservoir Dogs," the director has turned his...
-
When the evening news anchor said "Big Brother is watching," little Jake thought that meant something totally different. [More fro...
-
BEIJING (Reuters) - China may require internet users to register with their real names when signing up to network providers, state media sai...