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U.S. Game Sales Up 25% In June 56

Posted by Zonk from the ds-lite-equals-cash dept.
Gamasutra is reporting that sales for the gaming industry were up 25% over last year in June. The results were significantly different than those expected by analysts, primarily driven by high demand for Nintendo's DS Lite handheld console and the videogames based on the Disney/Pixar film 'Cars'. From the article: "Figures from Nintendo claim that combined sales of both Nintendo DS hardware iterations amounted to just under 600,000 in June - a figure with which NPD's estimates of 593,000 agree. PSP sales for the month were put at 221,000, with no information yet available for the Game Boy Advance - which had previously beaten both new portable formats in the U.S."
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U.S. Game Sales Up 25% In June More

U.S. Game Sales Up 25% In June

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  • What about everyone finally being able to buy a 360 that wanted one? I waited and waited and finally got one a few months ago. Now I'm buying all the games as I figure out what I want and explore what is available.
    • Hell yeah! I bought my 360 in June and picked up 5 games within the first week. But they were all used games, so I didn't help the numbers at all.

      Your point is probably valid though, because I had no luck finding a 360 for list price until this month.

      EC

    • Re:360 Supplies? (Score:1, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      "What about everyone finally being able to buy a 360 that wanted one?"

      You've been able to walk into any major retailer and pickup a 400 dollar unbundled Xbox 360 since March. You've been able to walk into any retailer and pickup a 400 dollar unbundled Xbox 360 since April.

      The sorry fact for Microsoft is there just isn't much demand outside of former Xbox owners for their system. The 360 is selling just under the first Xbox's US sales numbers - it is still around 200-300k less for the first seven months.

    • No, probably not (Score:2, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Did you read the article?

      Figures from Nintendo claim that combined sales of both Nintendo DS hardware iterations amounted to just under 600,000 in June - a figure with which NPD's estimates of 593,000 agree... NPD has also revealed a figure of 277,000 unit sales for the Xbox 360 - above previous estimates, but still below the PlayStation 2 total of 312,000 units.

      It may be everyone who wants a 360 can now afford one. But apparently not all that many people want 360s. Even now that they're all available, th

    • Nope, 360 is still being outsold by the ps2 according to npd numbers. Actual June NPD hardware numbers: DS 593k PS2 312k 360 277k PSP 221k
  • I got my son one of the imported blue DS Lites (before they were available here) and it is a great little machine. I plan to get my fiancee one for her birthday and maybe one of them will repay the favor by getting me one (if not, I will eventually).

    The games are great, the system is great, and the price isn't too bad. People will be buying them in droves.

    All I can say is that Nintendo has done it again.
    • I fucking LOVE my DS.

      I'm tempted to run through someone's bargain bin to try and find older games, except I love the Dual-screen nature of the DS too much to waste one. I'm betting on college time to make my task easier.
  • The funny thing is that Nintendo is leading the sales figures. Whatever happened to the overpriced Microsoft XBox 360? I think the sales figure for later this year or early next year will be interesting to see who's leading whom after Nintendo and Sony releases the next gen consoles.

  • So the gaming industry isn't dying? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by CaseM ( 746707 ) on Friday July 14, 2006 @03:31PM (#15721062)
    From TFA: It's as if consumers woke up and decided to start gaming again

    Pullleeeeeze! Every time sales are down from the prior year the industry is in a "slump" and doom and gloom projections about the industry are cast wide and far. Sales are up this year, so has the game industry turned itself around now? Oh wait, comparing this year's sales to last year's means next to nothing. Maybe, just maybe, there was nothing released comparable to the present demand for the DS Lite in June of '05?

    • Re:So the gaming industry isn't dying? (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Cadallin ( 863437 ) on Friday July 14, 2006 @03:47PM (#15721166)
      Depends on who you're talking about by saying "the industry." Sony and Microsoft, not doing so hot. Nintendo (as usual actually) is rolling in it. And they're doing it by focusing on a cheaper machine with an emphasis on fun games (the DS). I say this bodes well for the Wii, not so well for the PS3, with its high price and focus on Blu-Ray movies (rather like the PSP and UMD).

    • Re:So the gaming industry isn't dying? (Score:4, Interesting)

      by ObligatoryUserName ( 126027 ) on Friday July 14, 2006 @03:51PM (#15721210) Journal
      From TFA: It's as if consumers woke up and decided to start gaming again

      Anecdotes aren't always meaningful, but my personal experience concurs with the reported conclusion and what you're saying. The DS Lite is making all the difference here.

      My game purchasing had never really recovered from the WoW induced slump, and when the DS Lite came out I bought it and... I think I'm up to 11 games now.

      My brother did the same and also has 11 games, as did a good number of my friends - though they're mostly in the 3-4 games range at this point. The games that we all want the most are games with multiplayer and WiFi.

      Mobile gaming has become social gaming... if people remember to carry their DSes!
      • Mod parent up - they're completely correct, here. On June 11 I went down and picked up two new DS Lites - one for me, and one for my fiancee. I picked up New Super Mario Bros for myself, and Brain Age and Animal Crossing for her.

        The very next week, she comes over with a "present" for me - she had bought me Mario Kart and my own copy of Animal Crossing, so we could play multiplayer. Now, realize, the ONLY other time she's gone into the store and bought a video game was to buy a game for me for Christmas or m

    • They just got tired of playing WoW and needed something new.
    • Maybe, just maybe, there was nothing released comparable to the present demand for the DS Lite in June of '05?

      Analysts have consistently underestimated the appeal of the DS, and they continue to do it despite all evidence that consumers actually, really do LIKE this thing.

      It's as if we're in 1986 again and everybody's still saying the NES is a fad and the big new game machine is going to be the Atari XEGS. Uh, duh? Have we learned nothing from history?

      I remember reading from Pachter or Gartner or one of t
      • It's as if we're in 1986 again and everybody's still saying the NES is a fad and the big new game machine is going to be the Atari XEGS.

        I'm sorry to be a pedant, but . . .

        When Nintendo was introducing the NES to the North American market, everyone in the media was saying that *videogames* were a fad that had already run its course (as evidenced by the video game market crash of 1983). No one thought the Atari XEGS (or the 7800 for that matter) would be "the big new game machine." They thought there would n
      • Analysts have consistently underestimated the appeal of the Virtual Boy, and they continue to do it despite all evidence that consumers actually, really do LIKE this thing.
  • I definitely saw the effects of the DS Lite stat. I purchased one about a week ago (even though I hate the GBA cartridge sticking out, I can't stand carrying this old brick in my pocket anymore). It has a flaw (the LCD is turned at a slight angle under the protective plastic). When I tried to return it, they had no machines to exchange with. I went online and EBGames/Gamestop were sold out. Ditto with local stores. Amazon is on 2-week backorder. Hard to get this thing anywhere.

    • Re:DS Lite (Score:2, Interesting)

      by SuperMog2002 ( 702837 )
      Contact Nintendo directly. When the DS was near impossible to find, Nintendo still had a stock of replacement units on hand for warranty fulfillment. I understand they take your credit card number and mail you a new one. You mail yours back in the same box after you've gotten replacement. As long as they get yours within so many days, they don't charge your card at all.
  • I'm not really suprised by how well the DS sold this month, the launch of the DS Lite coupled with the relatively new release of New Super Mario Brothers, plus it looks like the Brain Age games are catching on with the American Audience.

    Can't wait to see what else is coming on the horizon. Thanks for making games fun again Nintendo!
    • Though I should try Brain Age as well, from what I've heard, I think BBA uses the dual screens more effectively. The colorfulness helps too.
      • I need to pick up BBA. From what I can tell, it allows you to concentrate in areas that may need improving. Does that sound right? The word memorization portion in Brain Age really screws my age.
        • Yes, BBA lets you either run a "test" consisting of 30-second runs in all five categories, or a beat-your-best-score pick-your-own option.

          It's not a game with a lot of hidden features, but it's great for fast and short bursts, and the price is hard to argue with.
      • Brain age is pretty good. I really like the Sudoku on it. there are issues with writing and don't try and do the speaking portions in a car. but for an enjoyable time-waster which gives your brain some exercise its real cool.

        Ira
    • I just can't wait to see what happens when FFIII (looks freaking awesome!), Zelda and the new Megaman come out.
  • The DS results are no suprise if you read any advanced reviews on them - they seemed really like a nice update.

    I'm suprised the PSP is doing as well as it is though, over 200k units sold just last month! I hadn't really heard much about the system and thought it might be languishing, but even though it's not even half the DS sales that's still a lot of PSP's if you think about a year of sales.
    • PSP might be selling well but it means next to nothing because the games aren't selling for shit. They haven't sold anywhere near as well as DS games in the US and NOTHING has sold better than DS games in Japan this year (and most of last year).

      Also the light doesn't "seem" like a good update. It IS a great update. Plus it's cheap! They didn't raise the price at all. It still costs $130.

      I got mine and I love it. Plus I have a spare DS laying around for friends or roommates to use or play multiplayer games w

  • U.S. Video Game Sales Down 10% in May [slashdot.org]

    If they had been comparing May 2006 to June 2006 it'd make more sense, but as they're comparing May 2005 to May 2006 (-10%) and June 2005 to June 2006 (+25%), there's no simple explanation to be found at first glance. Other than "don't listen to analysts", but most of us probably abide by that already.

    • Apparently, they compare the sales from the same months in previous years to disregard the impact of seasonal trends. Video games sales will always skyrocket from November to December, and then they will slump in January and February. There are probably some other trends as well, like video games sales may increase in June and July, because children will be out of school and have more time to play games.
      • Actually I believe summer is bad for sales. They don't release a lot of new games around that time they save them for Nov - Dec. like you said before.

        People go on vacations and kids might play outside more during the summer? or just because it's better to wait a few months for the holidays? I dunno.

        • Actually I believe summer is bad for sales. They don't release a lot of new games around that time they save them for Nov - Dec. like you said before.

          People go on vacations and kids might play outside more during the summer? or just because it's better to wait a few months for the holidays? I dunno.

          Consoles and PC games might be hard to sell in the summer because of what you have mentionned. However, portable games can see quite an increase in sales as people go on vacation, and the kids need something

  • The real reason sales are up is because Chuck Norris said real men play games all day, and people strive to be like Chuck Norris.
  • I'm surprised the software industry equiavalent of the RIAA didn't try to pin this on the temporary shutdown of piratebay. Honestly, you have to admit that when Nintendo comes out with a portable console that I think about buying, it is playing its cards correctly. Explanation why I don't consider handheld consoles useful to me: I'm a college student who isn't exposed to situations for long periods of time where I wouldn't be able to access a computer / real console... the DS is different because it has
    • Hmm well I almost never travel. There is zero reason for me to own a portable for the most part, but the DS is by far the system I play the most and we have 2 xbox 360's, fast computers, a modded to hell xbox with just about everything you can think of on it, gamecube with tons of games, ps2's with tons of games etc etc etc.. you get the picture. The DS is fun as hell so get it if you're thinking about it.. who cares if you don't travel? shit I play mine in bed before I go to sleep every night.
    • and it is possible to run Linux on it [definitely an appeal to my hardcore geek side].

      Someone will have to explain this to me someday. I am a geek and a Linux user, both at home and at the office, and I am quite happy with it. However, I own a NDS and I have no idea why someone would want to try and install Linux on that? What's the point? Is it just the good ol' "I do it because I can", or is there a real use it?

      • Basically it's the "I do it because I can". It's handy because you can run emulators on it and play NES/SNES/Genesis/etc games... but in the future (they're still working on it [I think there are 3 different developments of it]) there should be wireless support (internet!), stereo mp3 playback (right now it's just mono), and... that's all I can think of.
  • most gamers still waiting until they can buy the Wii this fall, when suddenly game sales will skyrocket.
  • I think it's suprising to actually see these figures promoted by the gaming industry, and it is a much better approach that the movie industry which continually forces the issue of piracy and how it is destroying their business down the consumer's throats. I think if the movie producers and companies stopped moaning about how much piracy costs them, then maybe they could get down to work and make films that more people would actually want to see. It seems as if the game developers are actually doing this, w
  • But gamers need the equivalent of "Summer Blockbuster Season" for the younguns who get time off, for... good... behavior.

    http://ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d=20030128 [ctrlaltdel-online.com] Wintereenmas!!!!!

  • It's as if consumers woke up and decided to start gaming again
    Well lots of kids got new game systems this year. It takes a while to build a library, and summer jobs start in june...

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