NPD numbers for July show Nintendo still sitting pretty in the U.S. market. Image: Clownfish/Flickr.
Another month, another four weeks of frontrunner performance for Japanese gaming giant Nintendo in the U.S. market. According to NPD data for July, Nintendo has further solidified its hardware dominance with monthly sales of 608,400 units of its twin-screened DS handheld, and 555,000 units of its demographic-busting Wii home console.
And the solid summer numbers are not just limited to Nintendo, with research specialist NPD offering that the entire videogame industry has registered a sizeable jump of 28 percent throughout July to push the market through to $1.19 billion USD.
While July is generally seen as a slow month for videogame sales, the monthly figures reveal that the U.S. market bought some $446.9 million USD worth of hardware during the month, which equates to a 17 percent year-on-year jump compared to July of 2007.
The notable market increase also flies in the face of the apparent lack of consumer confidence currently hanging over the U.S. economy.
Beyond the huge monthly hardware haul register by Nintendo’s console duo, core rivals Sony and Microsoft registered respective PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 unit sales of 224,900 and 204,800, while Sony’s PSP handheld split the competing home console powerhouses with a monthly return of 221.700.
Despite being some eight years old, Sony’s stalwart PlayStation 2 still managed to attract 155,000 U.S. consumers during July. An impressive sign of entrenchment that smacks of success via endearing popularity, some may view the PS2’s persistent sales as a sign of Sony’s ongoing failure as it continues to push buyers toward the technologically superior but markedly more expensive PlayStation 3.
From a software standpoint, U.S. gamers ploughed some $591 million USD into the market in July, with the likes of EA’s “NCAA Football 09” and Nintendo’s “Wii Fit” high on the list of monthly best sellers alongside the likes of music rhythm title “Guitar Hero: On Tour” for the Nintendo DS.
In related news, the Xbox 360, which has struggled to find traction in Japan since launch, is enjoying a sudden modicum of success across the region thanks to the recent release of RPG title "Tales of Vesperia".
Anticipation for the game resulted in approx. 70,000 opening-day sales and saw Microsoft’s console left sold out in many retailers as lines of expectant Xbox 360 owners queued for hours in order to secure Namco Bandai’s epic role-playing game.
Tales of Vesperia will be released in North America on August 26, while Europe is unlikely to receive the game until the spring of 2009.
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