Video Game Sales Drop 25 Percent In March 2011 In U.S.

LOS ANGELES -- U.S. retail sales of video game hardware, software and accessories fell 25 percent in March from a year earlier to $1.1 billion. It marked the fourth month of decline as Sony Corp.'s new PS Vita handheld failed to spark a turnaround.

Market tracker NPD Group said Thursday that sales of console and portable software – the video games themselves – fell 26 percent to $585 million.

That's roughly in line with depressed estimates. Cowen & Co. analyst Doug Creutz forecast a 22 percent drop, while Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia expected a decline of 25 to 30 percent.

Electronic Arts Inc.'s "Mass Effect 3" was the top seller in the month.

The only PS Vita game to break into the top 10 was "MLB 12: The Show," which ranked third.

Despite going on sale for the first time in North America in February, Sony's next generation portable game-player did not unseat the most popular console for the last 15 months, Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360.

Microsoft said that Xbox 360 sales accounted for 371,000 units, or 42 percent of current-generation console sales.

Industrywide sales of hardware fell 35 percent to $324 million. Accessories sales fell 8 percent to $223 million.

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said in a research note last week that he was "cautiously optimistic" that overall game sales would return to growth this year. He expects sales to be helped by the PS Vita and the introduction of Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s WiiU console, which is expected to go on sale by the end of the year.

Sterne Agee's Bhatia expects software sales to be lackluster until May, when a few hotly anticipated titles hit the market, including "Max Payne 3," "Diablo III," and "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Future Soldier."

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Comments

[Peter Coffin Man]

10:07 PM on 04/15/2012

Stephen King's "Misery" + Mass Effect 3's ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVV3-XYvAuY

[Trebot]

04:27 PM on 04/15/2012

Who wants to pay $60+ for Modern Battlefield Warfare Shooter 8 now with downloadable boring map packs for an extra $20 apiece?

[Killermolls44]

04:23 AM on 04/15/2012

March isn't usually a big month for games. Most come out between September and December at least the popular ones.

[trudem1919]

03:54 AM on 04/15/2012

WHY ?

[Sh00Fly]

02:19 AM on 04/15/2012

http://www.atari2600.com/

[JackTheSkipper]

10:44 PM on 04/14/2012

I will never pay more than $15 for any game. Games released two years ago are still selling for $50. Plus I am not a fan of console games. I build my own PC with the high end hardware and play PC version of the games. I doubt consoles will be around in the long run.

[popart]

01:26 PM on 04/14/2012

A lot of games just are not fun to play...some sequels are a lot less fun ot play...Portal 2 for example...there are no fun games like Day of the Tentacle around anymore...zombies and aliens get very boring after awhile....some games such as Call of Duty Modern Warfare are so over the top that they are more work than fun to play. People's taste in games vary but all the game makers are trying to sell the same stuff to everyone...no wonder there is waning interest in computer gaming.

[Killermolls44]

04:19 AM on 04/15/2012

I love all the God of War games, Greek mythology with a twist and fairly good stories with puzzles traps and difficult enemies. A lot better than most shooting games imo.

[Max Sevilla]

10:46 AM on 04/14/2012

Movies and Games, lots of junk and a lot of remakes plus to much money for what you get in return.

[Max Sevilla]

10:44 AM on 04/14/2012

Try Skyrim or Kingdom of Amalur:Reckoning if you're into quest RPGs. Both look and play amazingly well on the 360

[IndyGuy]

10:04 AM on 04/15/2012

Skyrim on the PC is awesome. There are a lot of user improvements on graphics and game play. Too bad consoles don't have this feature.

[Max Sevilla]

10:44 AM on 04/14/2012

I have bought more games that my kids and me don't like vs games we like.

[anmclark]

07:13 AM on 04/14/2012

I cannot say, what's behind the sales being down, but I feel at least for me that is. That i miss the funny over the top video games, everything seems to be about how realistic games can be made now, and the reason I use to love video games was that they were an escape.

[Rational Thought Plz]

08:29 PM on 04/13/2012

Those of us who can now only casually game are STILL trying to finish ALL of skyrim.

[TheMilesHome]

07:18 AM on 04/14/2012

I got it on 11-11-11 and it's still in the box!

I think I can squeeze ONE more good modded play out of Oblivion, then I go North!

[Tommie Baker]

12:29 PM on 04/14/2012

couldnt have said it better myself

[rda1911a1]

07:29 PM on 04/13/2012

Must be all the unemployment benifits drying up

[Samuel Bun]

06:40 PM on 04/13/2012

I have bought more games that my kids and me don't like vs games we like.

[BrianmusPrime]

06:11 PM on 04/13/2012

There just are not many games that warrant the full price tag.