Video Games retail / e-tail sales in U.S. April 2015
Overall sales across hardware, new physical software, and accessories in April 2015 grew by 3 percent over April 2014 due to the strength of new physical software sales, which offset losses from hardware and accessories.
NPD Group's U.S. Games Industry Sales (New Physical Sales Channel*) - April 2015
4-week month; Reporting Period 04/05/15 through 05/02/15
Dollar Sales | Apr'14 | Apr'15 | CHG |
Total Video Game Sales (New Physical Channel) | $579.5M | $595.7M | 2,8% |
Video Games Hardware | $191.9M | $183.9M | -4,2% |
Video Games Software (Console+Portable - New Physical Sales only) | $227.6M | $256.7M | 12,8% |
Video Games Accessories | $159.9M | $155.1M | -3,0% |
Total Software Sales - (Console+Portable+PC - New Physical Sales Only) | $240.6M | $264.4M | 9,9% |
Hardware
April 2015 hardware sales decreased by 4 percent due to the 55 percent decline in sales of seventh-generation console hardware. Eighth-generation console hardware sales were stable, and portable hardware increased by 36 percent.
On a unit basis, hardware sales grew by 12 percent. Declines in hardware dollar sales were due to a decrease in average price of 4 percent, due to a drop in console hardware pricing.
After 18 months on the market for Xbox One and PS4, we are seeing cumulative hardware sales over 50 percent higher than the combined sales of Xbox 360 and PS3 at the same point in their lifecycles.
Software
For new physical console software, eighth-generation consoles sales grew by 200 percent in revenue, which offset declines from seventh-generation consoles of 62 percent, and portable declines of 32 percent. Overall, console software increased by 20 percent, leading to overall video game software growth of 13 percent.
Mortal Kombat X, published by Warner Bros. Interactive, led software sales in April 2015. This was an exceptional launch as it marked several milestones: Mortal Kombat X had highest first-month sales for any game in the Mortal Kombat franchise, and the second highest first-month sales ever for the Fighting super genre, after the March 2008 launch of Super Smash Bros: Brawl for the Wii.
Part of the reason for the software growth was due to April 2015 launches having 50 percent higher sales than launches in April 2014, and games that launched in Q1'15 selling 5 percent higher than Q1'14 launches back in April 2014.
The Top 10 games accounted for 56 percent of dollars in April 2015, compared to 33 percent in April 2014.
If the top 10 software list was ranked on a SKU basis rather than a title basis, PS4 BLOODBORNE, 3DS XENOBLADE CHRONICLES 3D, and NWU MARIO PARTY 10 would make the list.
| April 2015 Top 10 Games (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms incl. PC) | Rank | Publisher |
| Mortal Kombat X (PS4, XBO)** | 1 | Warner Bros. Interactive |
| Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, XBO, PC, 360, PS3)** | 2 | Take 2 Interactive (Corp) |
| Battlefield Hardline (XBO, PS4, 360, PS3, PC)** | 3 | Electronic Arts |
| MLB 15: The Show (PS4, PS3)** | 4 | Sony (Corp) |
| Minecraft (360, PS3, XBO, PS4) | 5 | Microsoft (Corp) / Sony (Corp) |
| NBA 2K15 (XBO, PS4, 360, PS3, PC) | 6 | Take 2 Interactive (Corp) |
| Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (XBO, PS4, 360, PS3, PC)** | 7 | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3) | 8 | Bandai Namco Games (Corp) |
| Super Smash Bros. (3DS, NWU)** | 9 | Nintendo |
| Borderlands: The Handsome Collection (PS4, XBO)** | 10 | Take 2 Interactive (Corp) |
Accessories
One possible reason for the soft April accessory sales is the shift in the Easter holiday in 2015. Most of this year's Easter sales were likely to occur in March, while sales may have fallen into April last year, making for a poor comparison. (Easter occurred on April 5th in 2015 and on April 20th in 2014).
Gamepad sales increased by 27 percent due to the 83 percent increase in sales from eighth-generation gamepads. The best-selling gamepad SKU in April 2015 was the XBO Wireless Controller, with sales up by 56 percent.
Video game point & subscription cards had the highest sales within the accessories category; sales, however, declined from last April.