How the video games industry is faring

Here's a look at reports and results for selected companies that make or sell video games.

July 12: NPD Group reports that US retail sales of video game hardware, software and accessories fell 29 percent in June to $700 million. It's the seventh consecutive month of decline. Sales of console and portable software - the video games themselves - fell 29 percent from a year earlier, while sales of hardware fell 45 percent. Sales of accessories grew 4 percent. Excluded are sales of used games and rentals as well as digital and social-network spending.

[PoSTedUP]

as long as i get my socom, persona, and metal gear games both on ps3 and vita, im a happy camper. couldnt live with out them. also COD keeps me sane too.

[knowyourstuff]

All the guy did who wrote this was take a few statistics, taken out here and there, and showed how a few parts of the industry aren't doing well this month. This is largely because accessories like PS Move and Kinect were exploding last year, and nothing has come out since then. Plus retail sales never account for the increase in digital sales. Plus game companies are far too generous with extremely high salaries and bonuses paid to upper management, just like every other company in the US, which is why they're struggling to stay profitable, especially Sony.

[PoSTedUP]

great comment. defiantly. everything fluctuates. and on tope of that, this is basically the end of one of the most expensive generations with expensive consoles, games, so many accessory's and great games thrown at you you are pushed to buy. 4 different handheld and many different models and great games to go along with them, then all the expensive cell phones, peoples wallets are exhausted, i know mind is im going to be living in the streets soon in a box with all my gameing stuff lol.

[thorstein]

AH yes! DOOOOOM AND GLLOOOOOOOM! Or... are we already over half a decade into the current gen cycle and this sort of thing happens?

[pixelsword]

It's not doom yet; but keep on trying to force the next gen and when people can't afford a new $400+ console in the first critical months people are going to wonder why their beloved companies failed.

Both Microsoft and Sony are trying to push the next gen I'm sure; but I'm almost willing to say that they are cutting corners as much as possible to make next gen technology affordable, because the PS3 may have been the only $600 console to survive in gaming history, but something like that won't repeat itself.

That's why you see everyone looking at cloud gaming and streaming, to lower the price. If Sony is smart, they'll use the Cell again but more of them or more SPUs since it's probably cheaper, just add memory this time and upgrade the card and that will be fine. Microsoft will probably do that too, but replace the cell with a GPU.

[guitarded77]

I was skimming the front page of n4g and read "How the video games industry is farting"... then I stopped and read "faring". I thought farting was a better title.

On Topic - "Wii U, this year. It is forecasting 10.5 million units for the full fiscal year, which ends in March 2013." That's a lot of Wii U's... With that many units expected to sell, it has to come in at the $300 price point.

[Shnazzyone]

Fuck I was just coming in here to say I want to know how the games industry is farting. How are they getting away with it without the other industries noticing?