Video game sales down in January

PanARMENIAN.Net - Video game sales plummeted in January, in part because few new games were released during the month, USA Today reported.

Total sales of games, game systems and accessories dropped 34% for the month, accounting for $750.6 million, compared with $1.14 billion in January 2011, according to data from market research firm The NPD Group.

Sales of hardware and software had similar declines. Consumers spent $355.9 million on games and $199.5 million on game systems - both figures down 38% from last year. Sales of video game accessories accounted for $195.2 million, down 18%.

The Top 10 selling games of January are: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Activision Blizzard); Just Dance 3 (Ubisoft); Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Softworks); NBA 2K12 (Take 2 Interactive); Battlefield 3 (Electronic Arts); Madden NFL 12 (Electronic Arts); Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo); Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (Activision Blizzard); Zumba Fitness 2: Party Yourself (Majesco); Saints Row: The Third (THQ).