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December 2012's NPD Numbers
The NPD Group has just released December's list of best-selling games, and has also revealed the best-sellers for the entire year, as well as the hardware and software sales picture for the month.
Unfortunately for the industry as a whole, dollar sales in the hardware, software, and accessories categories are all down from last year by double digits (none of the NPD figures here or below include used or downloadable game sales). In particular, software sales of console, portable, and PC titles are down 27 percent for the same time period last year.
Liam Callahan, NPD analyst, noted that in the software category – apart from many of the expected hits – the "middle-tier games as well as catalog titles are suffering."
NPD says that the Xbox 360 was again the best-selling console – now for the 17th straight month. Says Callahan: "2012 culminates a year where Xbox 360 dominated hardware sales."
The group did not cite Wii U sales numbers, but said that they were lower than that of the original Wii in December 2006. Because of the Wii U's higher price point, however, it generated more money than the Wii when comparing months. Nintendo says it sold more than 460,000 Wii U consoles in the month for a total of 890,000 in the U.S. since launch. The company says the original Wii sold almost 475,000 units in December.
December 2012 Top 10 Games (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms incl. PC)**
1. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (360, PS3, Wii U, PC)* Activision Blizzard
2. Just Dance 4 (Wii, 360, Wii U, PS3) Ubisoft
3. Halo 4 (360)* Microsoft
4. Assassin's Creed III (360, PS3, PC, Wii U)* Ubisoft
5. Madden NFL 13 (360, PS3, Wii, PSV, Wii U) Electronic Arts
6. Far Cry 3 (360, PS3, PC) Ubisoft
7. NBA 2K13 (360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, PSP, PC)* Take 2 Interactive
8. Skylander Giants (Wii, 360, PS3, 3DS, Wii U)* Activision Blizzard
9. New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS) Nintendo
10. FIFA Soccer 13 (360, PS3, Wii, PSV, Wii U, 3DS, PSP) Electronic Arts
Annual 2012 Top 10 Games (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms incl. PC)**
1. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (360, PS3, PC, Wii U)* Activision Blizzard
2. Madden NFL 13 (360, PS3, Wii, PSV, Wii U)* Electronic Arts
3. Halo 4 (360)* Microsoft
4. Assassin's Creed III (360, PS3, PC, Wii U)* Ubisoft
5. Just Dance 4 (Wii, 360, Wii U, PS3) Ubisoft
6. NBA 2K13 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, Wii U, PC)* Take 2 Interactive
7. Borderlands 2 (360, PS3, PC)** Take 2 Interactive
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3, Wii, PC)* Activision Blizzard
9. Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (Wii, 360, NDS, PS3, 3DS, PSV, PC) Warner Bros. Interactive
10. FIFA Soccer 13 (360, PS3, Wii, PSV, 3DS, Wii U, PSP) Electronic Arts
*(includes CE, GOTY editions, bundles, etc. but not those bundled with hardware)
**(does not include used or downloadable game sales)
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