According to figures published by retail analyst NPD, the Nintendo 3DS has maintained its dominance of gaming hardware in North America after selling close to 225,000 units. Buoyed by releases such as Animal Crossing: New Leaf, this is the second consecutive month in which Nintendo’s handheld outpaced the competition, which resulted in Microsoft’s Xbox 360 settling for second place – itself selling 145,000 units.
It seems Nintendo’s philosophy of software selling hardware has paid off dividends, considering that three of the top 10 selling games for the month of June were native to the 3DS. Check out the comparative list in full below.
Software Chart from June 2nd to July 6th:
1. The Last of Us (PS3)
2. Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)
3. Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition (360)
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (360, PS3, PC, Wii U)
5. NBA 2k13 (360, PS3, WII, NWU, PSP, PC)
6. Injustice: Gods Among Us (360, PS3, Wii U)
7. Donkey Kong Country Returns (3DS, WII)
8. Deadpool (360, PS3)
9. Battlefield 3 (360, PS3, PC)
10. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon (3DS)
Within the same monthly report, however, NPD also documented the systematic decline of sales within the industry as a whole. The analyst revealed that total industry sales fell 15% down to $593.3 million, with software and hardware sales both witnessing declines as well, after falling by 14% and 30%, respectively.
While these figures don’t encompass digital sales figures – a caveat that will change before the next-gen consoles, according to NPD – this news echoes a similarly grim projection published last month, and it appears the numbers won’t witness a shot in the arm until the launch of the Playstation 4 and Xbox One later this year.
Other details that came to light included the first industry reaction to the Ouya which, according to NPD figures, witnessed a “relatively light” sales demand following the consoles launch late last month. In response to this statement, though, CEO of Ouya has since said that “nobody thinks much about NPD numbers since we all know they miss critical data including reporting from digital retailers or company sites. OUYA sold every unit available launch week and are currently still chasing demand.”
As the industry begins to reside into its annual summer hiatus, do you think that Nintendo’s 3DS will retain its place atop the hardware chart in the US? Or do you foresee Pikmin 3 providing Wii U with an overdue renaissance when it launches later this month? Drop any industry predictions you may have in the comments below.