NPD's April videogame sales data didn't show the rise in PS3 and Xbox 360 sales that some commentators had predicted GTA IV would drive, but a hardware sales boost may well be evident in May, according to a number of analysts.
It had widely been predicted that the release of Grand Theft Auto IV would drive Xbox 360 and PS3 adoption but that appeared not to be the case in April, during which time sales of Microsoft's 360 dropped from 262,000 units in March to 188,000, and PS3 sales fell from 257,000 units to 187,100.
Reacting to the April sales figures in an investor note on Friday, Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter expressed surprise.