Total videogame sales fell 32% year-over-year this past April, according to a report by the NPD Group. Software sales fell by 42%, while hardware sales dropped by 32%. Total sales for the month were $630.4 million. Counting other channels of revenue, such as used game sales, rentals, subscriptions and social games, total consumer spend was $1 billion.
The NPD Group’s Anita Frazier chalks up the drop in sales partly to Easter falling very early in April, which means most Easter-related purchases—which typically add 10% in sales—took place in March. Also to blame was a lack of high-profile new releases as compared to April of last year.
The top ten best-selling games in April were as follows:
| Rank | Title | System | Publisher |
| 01. | Prototype 2 | PS3, 360 | Activision Blizzard |
| 02. | Kinect Star Wars | 360 | Lucasarts |
| 03. | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 | PS3, 360, Wii, PC | Activision Blizzard |
| 04. | Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 | PS3, 360 | Electronic Arts |
| 05. | NBA 2K12 | PS3, 360, Wii, PC, PSP, PS2 | Ubisoft |
| 06. | The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings | 360, PC | Warner Bros. |
| 07. | Mario Party 9 | Wii | Nintendo |
| 08. | Mass Effect 3 | PS3, 360, PC | Electronic Arts |
| 09. | Just Dance 3 | PS3, 360, Wii | Ubisoft |
| 10. | MLB 12: The Show | PS3, Vita | Sony |
Frazier also noted that, while it wasn’t present in the top-ten, Nintendo’s Kid Icarus: Uprising would have made the top-ten list, were it not for the fact that all console versions of individual games are now listed as a single, combined entry.
Update: In case you’re wondering how Xenoblade Chronicles did, it isn’t included in NPD’s report on account of being a retailer-exclusive game, only available through GameStop and Nintendo. Thanks to reader, kylehyde, for pointing this out!
Published: May 10, 2012 04:01 pm