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 — the video games themselves — 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.