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September 2015 NPD: PlayStation 4 And NBA 2K16 Lead The Month
The NPD Group has released its report for United States retail video game hardware and software sales in September. PlayStation 4 led console sales for another month, with NBA 2K16 topping the software charts after a strong early performance with 4 million shipped in its first week.
In addition to leading the month in both hardware and software, Sony indicated PlayStation Store performed well during the period. “As we kick off the holiday season, we would like to take a moment to thank fans for making PlayStation 4 the best-selling console and #1 in software sales in September," a Sony statement provided via email says. "PlayStation 4 was the number one console for NBA 2K16, Madden NFL 16, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and FIFA 16. Including the highly successful limited edition console bundle, PS4 also led retail sales for Destiny: The Taken King."
While Microsoft didn't come out ahead this month, the publisher did issue a statement regarding its performance. "Xbox One continued to see strong momentum in September on the heels of Forza Motorsport 6 and EA SPORTS FIFA 16, with solid year-over-year growth in console sales and strong engagement on Xbox Live," says Xbox corporate vice president for marketing Mike Nichols. He continues by pointing to the New Xbox One Experience, Xbox Elite controller, and upcoming exclusives as selling points for the Xbox One this holiday.
The entire hardware segment was down despite September kicking off the fall rush. Console sales dropped across the board for this generation and last, with an overall dip of 23 percent. However, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have still sold 40 percent more than their last-generation counterparts at the same point in the life cycle.
As for software, the fall-off was more modest at only 3 percent. Last year's similar period featured the launch of both Destiny and Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, both of which performed quite well.
Accessories (toys-to-life, controllers, and point cards) were up by 20 percent year-over-year, with Disney Infinity, Skylanders Superchargers, and Lego Dimensions all releasing during this period. Total video game retail sales in the United states dropped from $1.1 billion to 1.01 billion (9 percent decline).
Here's the top ten software sales for the month:
- NBA 2K16 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
- Madden NFL 16 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS4, XBO, PS3, 360)
- FIFA 16 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
- Destiny: The Taken King (XBO, PS4, 360, PS3)
- Super Mario Maker (NWU)
- Disney Infinity 3.0 (360, NWU, XBO, PS4, PS3)
- Mad Max (PS4, XBO)
- NHL 16 (XBO, PS4, 360, PS3)
- Minecraft (360, PS3, XBO, PS4)
Update: Nintendo has chimed in on this month's NPD results. The company says that 445,000 copies of Super Mario Maker were sold in the first three weeks after its September 11 release. To date, more than 500,000 copies have been sold.
Nintendo also says that Wii U sales are up 25 percent for the first nine months of the calendar year compared to the same period in 2014. Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, which launched on September 25, has now sold nearly 115,000 copies. Nintendo's data combines NPD retail figure with its internal digital accounting.
Our Take
This year's release schedule is a bit lighter up front, with heavy hitters starting to roll out in the second half of October. With Halo 5, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Fallout 4, Star Wars Battlefront, and Just Cause 3 yet to come, expect big jumps over the next few months. As a reminder, NPD only represents United States retail sales. Digital and worldwide figures are not included.
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