Video Games retail / e-tail sales in U.S. June 2014
June 2014 new physical video game sales across hardware, video game software, and accessories, grew by 24 percent over June 2013. This was due to hardware sales growth of over 100 percent, and a modest 1 percent growth in accessories.
Nine out of the last ten months saw year-over-year growth in new physical video game sales. While the new hardware launches were a major factor in overall new physical video game growth, the start of this year-over-year growth began in September 2013, two months before the Nov. 2013 launches of Xbox One and PS4. September and October 2013 year-over-year growth for overall new physical video game sales were driven by software increases.
NPD Group's U.S. Games Industry Sales (New Physical Sales Channel*) - June 2014
5-week month; Reporting Period 06/01/14 through 07/05/14
Dollar Sales | Jun'13 | Jun'14 | CHG |
Total Video Game Sales (New Physical Channel) | $593.5M | $736.4M | 24% |
Video Games Hardware | $142M | $292.7M | 106% |
Video Games Software (Console+Portable - New Physical Sales only) | $296.1M | $286.8M | -3% |
Video Games Accessories | $155.4M | $156.9M | 1% |
Total Software Sales - (Console+Portable+PC - New Physical Sales Only) | $313.8M | $298.2M | -5% |
Hardware
The 106 percent increase in hardware sales (vs. June 2013) was lifted entirely by console hardware sales, which were up by over 200 percent. The strong sales performance of console hardware helped to offset the declines seen in portable hardware.
Combined sales of Xbox One and PS4 are over 80 percent higher than the combined totals for Xbox 360 and PS3 - an indication of the strength of the start of this new console generation.
Software
In terms of software titles, many of the top games in June 2014 mirrored those of May 2014, with six of the same games ranking in the top ten. Three of these top ten games were also new launches from May 2014 (Watch Dogs, Mario Kart 8, and Wolfenstein: The New Order), indicating the weakness of new launches in June.
While unit sales of launch titles in June'14 declined 67 percent when compared to June'13 launch title sales, there was a 47 percent increase in unit sales for games that launched across the second quarter of 2014 (April - June) when compared to the same time period in 2013.
Sales of launch titles in June 2014 did not compare favorably to those launched in June 2013, which included the PS3 exclusive The Last of Us, along with Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and a retail version of Minecraft for the Xbox 360.
Console software increased by 6 percent, with portable software driving overall video game software declines.
Consumer's attention toward soccer due to the World Cup is reflected in EA's FIFA 14 (which launched in September 2013 for 360/PS3, and November 2013 for XBO/PS4) ranking in the top 10 games for the first time in 2014 along with EA's 2014 FIFA World Cup: Brazil, which ranked at number 12.
| June 2014 Top 10 Games (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms incl. PC) | Rank | Publisher |
| Watch Dogs (PS4, 360, XBO, PS3, PC)** | 1 | Ubisoft |
| Mario Kart 8 (NWU) | 2 | Nintendo |
| Minecraft (360, PS3) | 3 | Microsoft (Corp) / Sony (Corp) |
| UFC (PS4, XBO) | 4 | Electronic Arts |
| FIFA 14 (PS4, 360, XBO, PS3, PSV) | 5 | Electronic Arts |
| NBA 2K14 (360, PS3, PS4, XBO, PC)** | 6 | Take 2 Interactive (Corp) |
| Wolfenstein: The New Order (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3, PC) | 7 | Bethesda Softworks |
| Call Of Duty: Ghosts (360, PS4, PS3, XBO, NWU, PC)** | 8 | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| Tomodachi Life (3DS) | 9 | Nintendo |
| Grand Theft Auto V (360, PS3)** | 10 | Take 2 Interactive (Corp) |
Accessories
Accessories grew 1 percent in June 2014 over June 2013, with the 29 percent increase in sales of Gamepads driving the majority of this growth.
Interactive Gaming Toys, the accessory type accounting for Skylanders and Disney Infinity accessory items, increased by 6 percent over June 2013.