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November NPD: PS4 Back On Top, Black Ops III Hits #1

It was a short-lived stay at the top for Xbox One.

Back in October, Microsoft's game console ousted PlayStation 4 from the #1 spot in the U.S., thanks in part to the release of Xbox One exclusive Halo 5: Guardians .

But not long after Sony announced PS4 had enjoyed the "most successful Black Friday" in the company's history, we find that Sony's system has returned to the top. According to the November NPD results , PS4 was the top-selling overall console in the U.S for the month of November. Though no concrete numbers were released, Sony boss Eric Lempel added that November 2015 was "biggest month ever for PlayStation Store indicating a strong digital marketplace complementing healthy retail sales."

As for the top 10 games for the month, it's no surprise to see the blockbuster Call of Duty: Black Ops III at #1, nor is it especially shocking to find Fallout 4 in the runner-up position. The only point of interest might be that Black Ops III actually sold best on Xbox One, but it was the only multiplatform title to not sell more copies on PS4 during the month.

Here's the Top 10 list, with the corresponding platforms listed in order of popularity for that particular game:

November NPD: Sales Slip Again, But There’s A Silver Lining

The gaming slide continues but at least it's not as bad as in previous months.

The November NPD numbers have been released , and the industry saw total software sales slip 11% to $1.46 billion and hardware falling by 13% to $838.9 million, down from $962.2 million this time last year. Unsurprisingly, the blockbuster Call of Duty: Black Ops II was the top seller for the month. Yeah, we know you're all shocked to hear it.

NPD analyst Liam Callahan added an interesting spin to the numbers, comparing them to November 2005, when the industry was starting its transition to a new generation. When we do that, November 2012 retail sales are up 97%, which "really demonstrates the long-term health of retail sales even as many platforms are quite late in their life cycles." The other good news is that November saw the smallest year-over-year decline in total dollars this year. As for the games that came in behind Black Ops II : Halo 4 , Assassin's Creed III , Just Dance 4 , and Madden NFL 13 round out the top five.

November NPD: MW3 Fuels Record Breaking Month

Hey, guess what. November broke records, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was obviously the catalyst. …not shocked in the least, are you?

The November NPD numbers have arrived and it turned out to be the largest November in gaming history.

US game retail sales hit $3 billion for the month, which just barely beat out last year's performance. Software sales were up 16% to $1.74 billion, although hardware sales fell 9% to $982.4 million), and accessory sales fell 34% to $273.8 million (just remember that Microsoft launched Kinect in November 2010). Modern Warfare 3 predictably claimed the top software spot, beating last year's Black Ops by 7%. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim came in a strong second and in fact, sold nearly as many copies in its first month as its predecessor, Oblivion , sold lifetime. Pretty darn impressive.

Battlefield 3 came in third, followed by Assassin's Creed: Revelations and Just Dance 3 . For the record, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception dropped into 7th position, which isn't bad, as it topped the only other exclusive on the top 10 list, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword .

And here's Sony's monthly statement from SCEA Sr. Director of Corporate Communications, Patrick Seybold:

"PlayStation 3 is off to a phenomenal start to the holiday season, recording the best ever Black Friday sales period in the console's five-year history. According to the November NPD report the PS3 saw a 70% increase in hardware and a 30% increase in software year-over-year. Consumer demand has been very strong for our holiday bundles and for recent first and third party blockbuster titles such as UNCHARTED 3, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. We're excited that millions of people are joining the PlayStation community and realizing its incredible entertainment value across games, movies, TV, music, and more."

November NPD: Black Ops Reigns, Monthly Records Broken

The NPD numbers are in for November and only one guess which game topped the software list.

But the best news is that it turned out to be the best November on record; the NPD Group has reported a monthly earning total of $2.95 billion, which is a 9% increase in overall sales of non-PC hardware, software and accessories. The previous best November came in 2008, but we beat it by around $30 million last month, and the Nintendo DS and Call of Duty: Black Ops were a big part of that upswing.

The DS sold more than any other platform, coming in at 1.5 million units and although Sony didn't release hardware numbers for the PS3 or PSP, we know the Xbox 360 was the best-selling console hardware system for November. Accessories were up the highest, thanks to PlayStation Move and Kinect popularity; revenues in this category jumped 69% to $413.3 million. Software sales rose 4% to $1.46 billion and of course, we have to remember about that $650 million debut week for Call of Duty: Black Ops .

Black Ops , by the way, is now the 7th best selling video game in US history, coming in at 8.4 million retail units in the US. The blockbuster accounted for 1/4 – that's 25%, people – of all US software units sold in November. Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood came in second in the software category, and Gran Turismo 5 cracked into the Top 10 even though it was only available for one week at the end of the month.

And although we don't have hard figures from Sony, they did provide a few stats with their standard statement: firstly, PS3 hardware sales continue to increase month over month (up 112%), and secondly the PS3 had a 5% increase in year-to-date sales in November. Said Patrick Seybold, SCEA Sr. Director of Corporate Communications:

"This holiday season PlayStation celebrates, along with the video game industry, as NPD reports a 9% year over year industry increase in overall dollar sales. The early blockbuster success of PlayStation Move has undoubtedly helped to pave the way for us as we head into 2011. The library of hard core and social gamer titles currently on the store shelves (EyePet, Get Fit with Mel B, Gran Turismo 5, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, SingStar Dance) as well those to come (Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, LittleBigPlanet 2, Twisted Metal, Killzone 3) will only continue to solidify our place in the living room.

In fact, the strength of Move’s technology infrastructure in allowing our developers to make already released titles Move compatible, will help broaden the net of their existing PS3 titles, bringing them to life even further with PlayStation Move. We’re pleased that consumers continue to look to PlayStation for innovative and unique entertainment experiences. As we head into the new year, with almost every PlayStation Move sku in short supply and on allocation, I think we will continue to see a steady surge of positive growth for our home entertainment offerings simply because customers looking for strong product value, quality entertainment offerings, depth in gaming and content (original programming, NetFlix, Hulu Plus, NHL, MLB), will choose PlayStation."