U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline

NYTimes.com has the report from the NPD Group on retail sales of video game hardware, software and accessories in the U.S. for July (thanks Neutronbeam), confirming indications they have dropped for the eighth consecutive month (though digital sales continue to rise). Word is:
Overall sales fell 20 percent to $548.4 million, according to research firm NPD Group.

Sales of consoles and portable software β€” the video games themselves β€” fell 23 percent from a year earlier to $278 million.

Sales of hardware fell 32 percent to $151 million. Accessories sales rose 8 percent to $137 million.
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20.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 11, 2012, 18:46
Ant
 
20.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 11, 2012, 18:46
Aug 11, 2012, 18:46
 Ant
 
Blame me for not playing games anymore.
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19.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 10, 2012, 10:55
19.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 10, 2012, 10:55
Aug 10, 2012, 10:55
 
Prez wrote on Aug 10, 2012, 06:13:
Are all of the writers who wrote "Is PC Gaming Dead" articles every other day going to start writing "Is Gaming Dead" articles now?

Console gaming is dead - at least for the current generation of consoles.

Market research firm IDC reported that PC shipments totalled 86.7 million units last quarter, down 0.1% from the year earlier period. So consoles & console game sales are falling 230 times faster than PC's over the same period.

So much for the "PCs are dead" bandwagon.

The interest in OUYA, the open-source Android console is therefore unsurprising. Any market with a single seller is always an overpriced monopolistic ecosystem (Microsoft's XBOX, Sony's PS3, Apple, etc.). So a console where the hardware accessories, upgrades and games can be made by or bought from anyone (like the PC) may prove an attractive prospect.


There are 10 types of people in this world. Those who understand binary and those who don't.
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18.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 10, 2012, 10:52
18.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 10, 2012, 10:52
Aug 10, 2012, 10:52
 
Iurand wrote on Aug 10, 2012, 07:54:
I, For One, Welcome Our New .99$ Mobile Overlords.

When they learn how to make games with depth and leave out the disgusting skinner box microtransactions mechanics, I will as well.
Parallax Abstraction
Twitch | YouTube | Podcast
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17.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 10, 2012, 09:14
17.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 10, 2012, 09:14
Aug 10, 2012, 09:14
 
Mobile games suck. I've found maybe a handful that were fun more than a fleeting amount of time and even then I'd rather game on a big screen. Unfortunately there is a whole generation of kids being raised on mobile games which is I guess what Nintendo is shooting for with the Wii U being a bridge product.
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16.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 10, 2012, 07:54
16.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 10, 2012, 07:54
Aug 10, 2012, 07:54
 
I, For One, Welcome Our New .99$ Mobile Overlords.
15.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 10, 2012, 07:20
Snabel
 
15.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 10, 2012, 07:20
Aug 10, 2012, 07:20
 Snabel
 
It must be just the most terrible kind of journalism to report on this with a doom & gloom focus without at least trying to check just how much of that reduction in overall retail sales was just shifted into digital download, dlc and free to play games.

On top of that, the whole recessione thing, no huge games released in the last month or two and oh yes this being a slow period of the year as well. At least compare the number to the number from the same period from earlier years?

Grrr...
14.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 10, 2012, 06:13
Prez
 
14.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 10, 2012, 06:13
Aug 10, 2012, 06:13
 Prez
 
Are all of the writers who wrote "Is PC Gaming Dead" articles every other day going to start writing "Is Gaming Dead" articles now?
β€œThe greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
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13.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 10, 2012, 04:51
13.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 10, 2012, 04:51
Aug 10, 2012, 04:51
 
All i see in gaming world is DLC'ing old games
12.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 10, 2012, 01:45
12.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 10, 2012, 01:45
Aug 10, 2012, 01:45
 
Love that change, huh? People are worried about having jobs and paying their bills.
11.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 10, 2012, 01:43
11.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 10, 2012, 01:43
Aug 10, 2012, 01:43
 
Parallax Abstraction wrote on Aug 10, 2012, 00:29:
... July is normally one of the slowest months of the year and almost nothing came out.
They always compare to the same month from last year, not the month before in the same year.
10.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 10, 2012, 01:07
10.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 10, 2012, 01:07
Aug 10, 2012, 01:07
 
Parallax Abstraction wrote on Aug 10, 2012, 00:29:
Let's not forget that in addition to everything Ray's mentioned (amazes me how the enthusiast press seems to completely forget there's still a massive recession on, particularly so in Europe), July is normally one of the slowest months of the year and almost nothing came out. I remember when this used to be the Summer doldrums but now it's all DOOOOOOM from the enthusiast press. Ridiculous.
Admittedly, the news was basically the same for Q4 2011. Even during the big months, year-over-year retail sales have been falling.
9.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 10, 2012, 01:06
9.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 10, 2012, 01:06
Aug 10, 2012, 01:06
 
Yeah, this wouldn't have anything to do with current-gen consoles becoming stale after six or seven years, nor does it have anything to do with stagnation in game design or that entertainment products are often the first things to get cut in a tighter family budget. It's all about those commie pinko gubmint types and your freedoms!
8.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 10, 2012, 00:29
8.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 10, 2012, 00:29
Aug 10, 2012, 00:29
 
Let's not forget that in addition to everything Ray's mentioned (amazes me how the enthusiast press seems to completely forget there's still a massive recession on, particularly so in Europe), July is normally one of the slowest months of the year and almost nothing came out. I remember when this used to be the Summer doldrums but now it's all DOOOOOOM from the enthusiast press. Ridiculous.
Parallax Abstraction
Twitch | YouTube | Podcast
Avatar 13614
7.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 9, 2012, 22:50
PHJF
 
7.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 9, 2012, 22:50
Aug 9, 2012, 22:50
 PHJF
 
Stop making shitty games?
Steam + PSN: PHJF
Avatar 17251
6.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 9, 2012, 22:40
6.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 9, 2012, 22:40
Aug 9, 2012, 22:40
 
LittleMe wrote on Aug 9, 2012, 21:32:
A large part of this is because bailouts & stimulus don't work. Central planning cronyism is fail. Governments don't 'run' economies, they ruin them.

Yeah an aging console generation and a shift to digital sales can be blamed on the government.
Avatar 17249
5.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 9, 2012, 22:01
5.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 9, 2012, 22:01
Aug 9, 2012, 22:01
 
Cutter wrote on Aug 9, 2012, 21:55:
LittleMe wrote on Aug 9, 2012, 21:32:
A large part of this is because bailouts & stimulus don't work. Central planning cronyism is fail. Governments don't 'run' economies, they ruin them.

No. Governments that don't prevent things like unfettered capitalism and monopolistic practices are what ruin economies. Like most things in this world extremes are bad at either end of the spectrum. Properly managed there wouldn't be any need for bailouts or stimulus in the first place.

Yup
4.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 9, 2012, 21:55
4.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 9, 2012, 21:55
Aug 9, 2012, 21:55
 
LittleMe wrote on Aug 9, 2012, 21:32:
A large part of this is because bailouts & stimulus don't work. Central planning cronyism is fail. Governments don't 'run' economies, they ruin them.

No. Governments that don't prevent things like unfettered capitalism and monopolistic practices are what ruin economies. Like most things in this world extremes are bad at either end of the spectrum. Properly managed there wouldn't be any need for bailouts or stimulus in the first place.
"The horse I bet on was so slow, the jockey kept a diary of the trip." - Henny Youngman
3.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 9, 2012, 21:46
3.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 9, 2012, 21:46
Aug 9, 2012, 21:46
 
Stimulus packages work... when the packages contain lowered taxes.
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2.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 9, 2012, 21:32
2.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 9, 2012, 21:32
Aug 9, 2012, 21:32
 
A large part of this is because bailouts & stimulus don't work. Central planning cronyism is fail. Governments don't 'run' economies, they ruin them.

Perpetual debt is slavery.
Avatar 23321
1.
 
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline
Aug 9, 2012, 21:25
1.
Re: U.S. Retail Game Sales Continue Decline Aug 9, 2012, 21:25
Aug 9, 2012, 21:25
 
Well, end of the current console generation, worldwide recession, abandoning of the physical PC market, overpriced new releases, the number one (game) retailer focusing primarily on used games, the rise of digital delivery systems, etc.
Or rather.../duh.
Been to a Lamestop lately? Talk about a depressing sense of doom...

Thinking the NPD Group, as a retail tracker, needs to die off,
Ray
Everything is awesome!!!
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