New York:
Video game retail sales slipped once again in May, hurt by lower prices of gaming consoles. Total sales of game systems, software and accessories dropped to $823.5 million in May, down 5 percent from a year earlier, according to figures released Thursday by the NPD Group, a market research firm.
Hardware sales plunged 20 percent to $241.5 million in May. The lower prices of consoles was a big reason for the decline. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo all cut console prices in the last year. In terms of units, hardware sales were flat compared with last year, an NPD analyst, Anita Frazier, said.
Sales of gaming software rose 4 percent, to $466.3 million. Red Dead Redemption, the hit Western action game from Take-Two Interactive Software, was the month's best-selling offering.
"The game garnered spectacular review scores and in its first month" posted large sales, Ms. Frazier said in a statement.
She added that it had already topped the lifetime sales of its predecessor, Red Dead Revolver, which was released in May 2004.
Sales of video game accessories also rose, by 3 percent, to $115.7 million.
For the third month in a row, the best-selling accessory was the Xbox Live 1,600 point card, NPD said. The card, which costs $20, lets users pay for movies, games or extra game content through their Xbox 360 consoles.
Retail sales for the year through the end of May were down 10 percent compared with the same five-month period last year.
Hardware sales plunged 20 percent to $241.5 million in May. The lower prices of consoles was a big reason for the decline. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo all cut console prices in the last year. In terms of units, hardware sales were flat compared with last year, an NPD analyst, Anita Frazier, said.
Sales of gaming software rose 4 percent, to $466.3 million. Red Dead Redemption, the hit Western action game from Take-Two Interactive Software, was the month's best-selling offering.
"The game garnered spectacular review scores and in its first month" posted large sales, Ms. Frazier said in a statement.
She added that it had already topped the lifetime sales of its predecessor, Red Dead Revolver, which was released in May 2004.
Sales of video game accessories also rose, by 3 percent, to $115.7 million.
For the third month in a row, the best-selling accessory was the Xbox Live 1,600 point card, NPD said. The card, which costs $20, lets users pay for movies, games or extra game content through their Xbox 360 consoles.
Retail sales for the year through the end of May were down 10 percent compared with the same five-month period last year.
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