John-ShepardHey, you know what launched last month? …well, not much.
The NPD Group has reported the industry sales numbers for June, and the total software revenue for US retailers came in at $509 million, which is a significant drop of 10% compared to the June 2010 take. Hardware sales fell 9% to $366 million but then again, the new slim Xbox 360 launched a year ago during the same month.
Still, one publisher enjoyed a decent June, as L.A. Noire topped the software charts and Duke Nukem Forever , despite critical backlash, was the runner-up. Sony's inFamous 2 occupied the third spot – which isn't bad, considering it's exclusive to one platform – and LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean had another strong showing, coming in at #4.
Here is Sony's statement from SCEA Sr. Director of Corporate Communications Patrick Seybold:
"According to the latest NPD report, PlayStation continues to see growth in software with a strong demand for exclusive PlayStation 3 franchise titles. The recently launched inFAMOUS 2 was the #1 software SKU in June. In addition, momentum is accelerating with the upcoming fall releases of Resistance 3 and UNCHARTED 3 on the horizon. This week the UNCHARTED 3 multiplayer beta surpassed 1.5 million unique players, demonstrating the strength of the PlayStation platform and consumers’ interest in gaming experiences that combine rich stories, challenging gameplay, and exhilarating 3D immersion."
Yeah, the summer drought is officially here.