Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
April 2015 NPD: Xbox One Leads Console Sales, Mortal Kombat X On Top
The NPD results are in for the month of April 2015, and the results show an industry in growth. Sales at retail increased by 3 percent year-over-year to $595.7 million.
Hardware dipped but a minor 4 percent to $183.9 million, and accessories (typically driven by toys-to-life) was also down by 3 percent as we get closer to the release of this year's action figure games.
Xbox One led console sales, and Microsoft corporate vice president Mike Nichols says that uptake increased 63 percent over this month last year and that active users have increased across Xbox Live (both Xbox One and Xbox 360) by 24 percent.
Sony issued a statement to tout its own success during the month, leading software sales for the month. The company also reports that it still leads in cumulative consoles sold in the United States.
This month, Mortal Kombat X took the lead as software sales for consoles, handhelds, and retail PC were up by 10 percent, reaching $264.4 million. Only three of the top ten titles were released in April 2014 (inclusive of Grand Theft Auto V on PC), with another three released in March 2014.. Here's the top ten list:
- Mortal Kombat X (PS4, XBO)
- Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, XBO, PC, 360, PS3)
- Battlefield Hardline (XBO, PS4, 360, PS3, PC)
- MLB 15: The Show (PS4, PS3)
- Minecraft (360, PS3, XBO, PS4)
- NBA 2K15 (XBO, PS4, 360, PS3, PC)
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (XBO, PS4, 360, PS3, PC)
- Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
- Super Smash Bros. (3DS, NWU)
- Borderlands: The Handsome Collection (PS4, XBO)
NPD's Liam Callahan notes that if the top ten list were ordered by individual SKUs instead of by title, Bloodborne (PS4), Xenoblade Chronicles 3D (New 3DS), and Mario Party 10 (Wii U) would have made the list.
As a reminder, the monthly NPD report only includes retail sales in the United States.
Our Take
With Microsoft and Sony remaining close on a month-to-month basis, competition will breed good news for gamers. The industry continues to recover, and with E3 ahead, the crucial holiday season will begin to take shape.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
