U.S. Game Sales Up 25% In June 56
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."
Re:who cares? (Score:1)
Re:who cares? (Score:2)
I wish you hadn't posted anonymously so I could tell if you were the guy I voted for to speak for me.
Re:who cares? (Score:1)
360 Supplies? (Score:2)
Re:360 Supplies? (Score:1)
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)
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)
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
Re:360 Supplies? (Score:1)
Re:Student Boredom Up 100% in June (Score:1)
You do realize that there is a summer vacation every year, right? The article is comparing this june to last june.
Re:Student Boredom Up 100% in June (Score:1)
Although, I'm one of those ex-students contributing to this. I see it as more of a "Just graduated from college and finally have a job to pay for games and have the free time to play them" sort of phase
Not Surprising To Me (Score:1)
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.
DS Lite FTW (Score:2)
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 Wheee! Factor... (Score:2)
So the gaming industry isn't dying? (Score:3, Interesting)
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)
Re:So the gaming industry isn't dying? (Score:4, Interesting)
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!
Re:So the gaming industry isn't dying? (Score:3, Interesting)
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
Re:So the gaming industry isn't dying? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:So the gaming industry isn't dying? (Score:3, Interesting)
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
Re:So the gaming industry isn't dying? (Score:2)
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
Re:So the gaming industry isn't dying? (Score:2)
DS Lite (Score:1)
Re:DS Lite (Score:2, Interesting)
Not Suprised (Score:2)
Can't wait to see what else is coming on the horizon. Thanks for making games fun again Nintendo!
Prefer Big Brain Academy (Score:2)
Re:Prefer Big Brain Academy (Score:2)
Re:Prefer Big Brain Academy (Score:2)
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.
Re:Prefer Big Brain Academy (Score:1)
Ira
Re:Not Suprised (Score:1)
Re:1987 (Score:1)
Double Dribble for NES was made by Konami. [mobygames.com]
More PSPs sold than I would have thought (Score:2)
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.
Re:More PSPs sold than I would have thought (Score:1)
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
Link to last month's story... (Score:2)
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.
Re:Link to last month's story... (Score:2)
Re:Link to last month's story... (Score:1)
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.
Re:Link to last month's story... (Score:2)
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
You all fail to see the real reason they're up. (Score:1, Funny)
Re:You all fail to see the real reason they're up. (Score:2)
Hmmm (Score:2)
Re:Hmmm (Score:1)
Re:Hmmm (Score:2)
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?
Re:Hmmm (Score:2)
In Related News (Score:1)
Suprising (Score:2)
Well the name needs to change (Score:2)
http://ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d=20030128 [ctrlaltdel-online.com] Wintereenmas!!!!!
see you in june (Score:1)
Well lots of kids got new game systems this year. It takes a while to build a library, and summer jobs start in june...