Sales of video game software and equipment in the United States fell 5 percent in May, industry tracker NPD said on Thursday, dragged down by sagging demand for game consoles.
Game software performed well in the month, with sales rising 4 percent to $466.3 million. Hardware sales tumbled, however, by 20 percent to $241.5 million. Sales of video game accessories rose 3 percent to $115.7 million.
Overall sales are down 10 percent this year in the United States, the world’s largest market, hurt by lower average selling prices on consoles, NPD said.
Nintendo Co Ltd’s Wii was the top-selling home console in May, followed by Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3.
Take-Two Interactive Software Inc’s “Red Dead Redemption” was the top game in the month, selling 1.5 million units.
