AfterDawn: News

US video game industry returns to growth in September

According to leading video game analysts Michael Pachter and Jesse Divnich, the U.S. video game industry made a strong comeback in September, returning to growth after six months of negative year-on-year numbers.

The growth is being attributed to the price cut of the PS3 (and launch of the Slim) as well as the high sales of Wii Sports Resort, Halo 3: ODST and The Beatles: Rock Band.



The PS3 saw growth of up to 75 percent year-on-year, to 410,000 units, while the Xbox 360 stayed neutral at around 350,000 units sold. The Wii however, says Pachter, saw a giant fall in sales, about 43 percent year on year, down to 390,000 units.

Divnich believes Wii sales fell even further, to about 375,000 while the Xbox 360 grew to 370,000. PS3 numbers were about the same as Pachters.

DS/DSi sales grew 22 percent and PSP sales fell about the same amount, says Pachter.

NPD will release official numbers on October 15th.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 8 Oct 2009 12:44

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• 4 comments

• ZippyDSM

  now can we get an industry wide price cut(39.99 highest normal retail game price) now that its an unstoppable industry?

  8.10.2009 20:43 #1

• H08

  i wish it could go for those prices, so many games are coming out this and next year

  8.10.2009 22:51 #2

• Unfocused

  Originally posted by ZippyDSM: now can we get an industry wide price cut(39.99 highest normal retail game price) now that its an unstoppable industry?If that were only the case then the sales numbers would be a lot better. If the industry could only wrap their heads around the 'less is more' concept. When games are $50 and $60, a lot of research goes into picking just one. What sucks is that you go into EB games and the used version is only $5 cheaper.
  
  A price point of $30 to $40 would ensure that more sales happened than at the higher price points.

  9.10.2009 00:18 #3

• ZippyDSM

  Quote:Originally posted by ZippyDSM: now can we get an industry wide price cut(39.99 highest normal retail game price) now that its an unstoppable industry?If that were only the case then the sales numbers would be a lot better. If the industry could only wrap their heads around the 'less is more' concept. When games are $50 and $60, a lot of research goes into picking just one. What sucks is that you go into EB games and the used version is only $5 cheaper.
  
  A price point of $30 to $40 would ensure that more sales happened than at the higher price points.Pretty much they would put gaming on a direct course to fight DVD for entertainment money, I guess that's why its edging up and not down....and the game exec's are to dumb or blind to see it...

  9.10.2009 00:20 #4