U.S. retail sales of new video game hardware, software and accessories fell 25 percent in October, marking the 11th straight month of declining sales for physical game products, according to a report from NPD Group.
Many gamers are waiting for big holiday releases such as Activision’s “Call of Duty: Black Ops II.”

NBA 2K13 tops the charts
NPD said sales fell to $755.5 million from $1 billion a year earlier. Sales of video games themselves, excluding PC titles, fell 25 percent to $432.6 million. Sales of hardware such as Microsoft’s Xbox 360 fell 37 percent to $187.3 million. Sales of accessories, meanwhile, grew 5 percent to $135.6 million.
Thursday’s study from NPD Group tracks sales of new physical products - about 50 percent of the total spending. Excluded are sales of used games and rentals as well as digital and social-network spending.
NPD also listed the top-selling games in October:
- “NBA 2K13,” Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.
- “Resident Evil 6,” Capcom USA
- “Pokemon Black Version 2,” Nintendo Co.
- “Dishonored,” Bethesda Softworks
- “Pokemon White Version 2,” Nintendo Co.
- “Madden NFL 13,” Electronic Arts Inc.
- “FIFA Soccer 13,” Electronic Arts Inc.
- “Medal of Honor: Warfighter,” Electronic Arts Inc.
- “Borderlands 2,” Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.
- “Skylander Giants,” Activision Blizzard Inc.
Associated Press
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