Ben-DutkaThe industry slipped again in October, but at least the b-ball fans got their fill.
According to the latest NPD results for the period ending October 27, the industry pulled in $755.5 million, which is down from the full $1 billion enjoyed in the previous year. That's a 25% drop, unfortunately.
But NPD Group analyst Liam Callahan noted a slightly brighter future for the holiday season, as several consoles managed to rise in sales: The Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, NDS, and 3DS. Callahan calls this a "sign of increasing momentum" and let's also not forget a few important factors: Assassin's Creed III was undoubtedly the biggest game of October but as it launched on October 30, it wasn't included in last month's NPD. And we know it sold 3.5 million in its first week. And oh yeah, Call of Duty: Black Ops II is coming.
As for overall hardware sales, they came in at $187.3 million, a plunge of 37% compared to October 2011's haul of $295.9 million. But at least accessories continue to rise, as they went up 5% in October. Well, by now, most people who want a video game system have one, so the only thing left to buy is accessories (and games). Seems logical enough to me. And as far as games go, NBA 2K13 topped the October charts:
By the way, Dishonored sold nearly a half-million (460,200), which isn't bad for a new IP. …still wish it was a little higher, though. It's just so damn good and hopefully, it'll be on many a Christmas list.
