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NPD: 3DS, Xbox One, And GTA V Lead Brutal July Slump
The NPD report for July is finally available, completing the picture that started coming into focus a couple of weeks ago. We already knew that Xbox One led console sales, with 3DS beating it out by selling more units and topping the handheld category.
July wasn't a great month in the United States, with slumps across spending categories. Total sales dipped by 14 percent to $480.1 million, with hardware dropping heavily by 30 percent to $141.3 million.
Monster Hunter Generations was a driving force for Nintendo, as Capcom’s latest entry propelled the 3DS to the lead. Software was down overall, with no major console releases. Last year saw Batman: Arkham Knight push strong numbers.
Here’s the top 10 best-selling titles for the month.
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Overwatch
- Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Monster Hunter: Generations
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III
- Minecraft
- NBA 2K16
- Doom 2016
- Destiny: The Taken King
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege
Note that the NPD report includes new, physical retail sales and select digital sales in the United States. Of note, Overwatch was a strong second, despite Battle.net sales not being included. Monster Hunter: Generations, Minecraft, and Doom also do not include digital sales.
For a complete list of which publishers and storefronts are included in the digital sales report, please visit our previous coverage.
Our Take
The combination of a weak release schedule and major unknowns around confirmed hardware releases over the next 12 months have left gamers up in the air. It's not a great time to buy a console right now, with so many questions. Pricing and bundling will be big factors (as usual) going into the holiday, but still, the hardware right around the corner is going to cause some to just wait.
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