Report: US July sales up 22%, DS and EA top sellers

by Blake Snow { Aug 11th 2006 at 4:55PM }

The NPD Group released good news today for the US gaming industry, Nintendo's DS, and Electronics Arts. Overall industry sales were up 22% compared to last year, thanks in part to strong sales from both the DS and Xbox 360. In terms of software, EA sold four of the top 10 selling titles for the month, capitalizing on the upcoming college football season through the sale of NCAA Football 07. In response to the banner month in game sales, the man in the pictured stock image said, "No comment. I've got to get back to my TPS reports."

HARDWARE SALES IN TOTAL UNITS:

DS - 377,000
PS2 - 241,000
Xbox 360 - 206,000
GBA - 163,000
PSP - 161,000
GCN - 44,000
Xbox - 12,000

SOFTWARE SALES IN TOTAL UNITS:

NCAA Football 07 (PS2)
NCAA Football 07 (Xbox 360)
New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
NCAA Football 07 (Xbox)
Chromehounds (Xbox 360)
Battle for Middle Earth II (Xbox 360)
Prey (Xbox 360)
Guitar Hero bundle (PS2)
Cars (PS2)
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja (PS2)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

crono141 @ Aug 11th 2006 5:01PM

So much for PSP eating nintendo market share. About as much as Sega nomad ate Gameboy color market share.

D-6 @ Aug 11th 2006 5:04PM

I guess this shows it's the casual sports-loving gamer who dictates the market and not us complaining, opinionated hardcore gamers who spend a lot of our time on the boards.

VampireHunter Z @ Aug 11th 2006 5:04PM

When will the DS craze end? The 360 seems to be selling at a steady pace. I wonder what those numbers will look like this holiday.

Kevin @ Aug 11th 2006 5:08PM

Wow - that was a big jump for the DS...

As far as XBOX 360, is it still on target to hit MS's goal? It doesn't seem to be selling as hot as I expected...

-Kevin

Evan @ Aug 11th 2006 5:08PM

LOL @ the PSP's failure to outsell the GBA!

However, 4 of the top 10 games is impressive for the 360.

Evan @ Aug 11th 2006 5:10PM

#3: Since the holiday season means parents buying Christmas gifts for their kids, I expect the DS will widen its lead over the PSP.

Mark D. @ Aug 11th 2006 5:12PM

+1 Office Space reference

Kayzai @ Aug 11th 2006 5:12PM

SURELY THIS THERE IS A MISTAKE WITH THAT LIST???

GAMEBOYS TRASHING THE PSP??? WTF!!!

We expect the DS to keep laying the smackdown on PSP's arse but GAMEBOYS TOO??

I thought PSP fanboys said the DS's success against the PSP in Japan didn't reflect American sales?

:( Sad

phillosmaster @ Aug 11th 2006 5:12PM

I don't own a PSP because honestly there is nothing about the machine that appeals to me, but give credit where credit is due. The PSP made almost half the sales the DS did. It doesn't make them the market leader, but that is a sizeable portion of the pie. It is funny that GBAs sold more than PSPs. That's comparing apples and oranges though considering how cheap the GBA is at this point and the size of the GBAs library is impressive.

Jeremy @ Aug 11th 2006 5:21PM

I am shocked that the PS2 is still selling so much, more than 360 even?

I think they are mostly replacements for broken units. :)

Derbeste @ Aug 11th 2006 5:21PM

yooooohoooooooo!!!

Daaaaaaarrylllllll!

Wheare AAAAAAAAAARE youuuuuuuuu!???

PSP was outselling what again?

Damn I love the smell of victory in the afternoon.

Side note....with EA doing this well, It kinda flies in the face of a few of the people that barrated EA for taking Sony's handling of PSP to task. Clearly....they have a case. Though....EA still needs to learn that console games to not directly translate well to the portable market. Of course...Sony needs to learn that too.

mq @ Aug 11th 2006 5:22PM

Interesting how the PS2 is still outselling the Xbox 360. Maybe it will win the next generation too? :P

1up_clock @ Aug 11th 2006 5:22PM

Nice to know the DS can outsell the "latest in XTREME GRAFIX" technology by a good 177,000 units.

Now we wait for Darryl to show up and say this data is all wrong, as per expected of that little punk.

ChronoReverse @ Aug 11th 2006 5:23PM

This is rather shocking. I expected the DS sales to pick up and surpass the PSP but I did not anticipate the GBA outselling the PSP.

What were the sales numbers of the GBA and PSP for June? Did the GBA numbers jump or did the PSP numbers dip?

marcin @ Aug 11th 2006 5:24PM

yeh i dont understand the whole PS2 deal.

i havent heard of one person i know purchase one in months. and when i visit stores, its the same deal.

what the F, NPD?

VampireHunter Z @ Aug 11th 2006 5:26PM

The software sales is really interesting. A lot of developers are reluctant to develope early for new systems such as the 360 because of the small install base. But as you can see the 360 games are higher on that list than the PS2 (with the exception of the #1 spot).

You would think that since there are so many PS2s out there then that would mean higher software sales on individual titles. Or at least the potential software sale should be higher than any other system. Apparently in practice this is not necessarily true.

Free Healthcare @ Aug 11th 2006 5:26PM

Here is another way to view the report,

Americans spent so far this year on hardware alone.

1. Xbox360 $82,397,940.00
2. DS Lite $49,006,230.00
3. PSP $32,198,390.00
4. PS2 $31,327,590.00
5. GBA $13,038,370.00
6. GCN $4,399,560.00
7. Xbox $1,559,880.00

I based these on current pricing so it’s not exact but it does provide a ball park view. Also this is just hardware alone and not accessories.

BMWM3P @ Aug 11th 2006 5:31PM

Do people still believe that bullshit about 5 million 360 sold by june, I guess the ps2 must have sold 10 million by june. The PS2 has owned the 360 worldwide since the 360 launch.

I love the way ms tries to spin it's numbers to try to make the 360 looks like it's doing good, when in fact the 360 is doing worse than the og xbox. And that's with no competion, when the PS3 launches is going to be lights out for the 360. I guess Peter Moore is going to be looking for a job after this one.

Derbeste @ Aug 11th 2006 5:32PM

btw....for a more accurate handheld picture:

Sony: 161,000
Nintendo: 163,000(GBA) + 377,000(DS) = 540,000 (Gameboys)

Gameboys = 77% of the market
PSP = 23%

And that's in NORTH AMERICA!!!!!

Add in Japan and PSP significantly LOWER STILL.

Add in the fact that NOT ONE PSP GAME made the top list.

Conclusion....

PSP is Sony's portable original Xbox. It's SOUL purpose was not to make money...but to try to penetrate a very difficult and already established market. Here's hoping Sony fixes their mistakes (on this AND the PS3 so far) and do better on the "PSP 360". Competition only benefits us gamers. :)

pandlcg @ Aug 11th 2006 5:32PM

@Free Healthcare,

These are just the July result not the Year to date results. But good comparison anyway.

Derbeste @ Aug 11th 2006 5:35PM

@healthcare

That is another way to view the pie, but still missing a KEY ingredient.

COST of the hardware to make. So if you're trying to show who made more money....you failed miserably.

If your point was to show where American dollars are going....still inaccurate since it doesn't take into account attachment rate (dollars spent on games for the systems).

Free Healthcare @ Aug 11th 2006 5:36PM

I guess my values are a little low if that's the yearly total.

Craig S. @ Aug 11th 2006 5:37PM

Though PSP is selling very well, it's still fighting an uphill battle. If you combine the DS and GBA sales figures, Nintendo's outselling its closest handheld competition by a 3 to 1 margin, essentially making it own 75% of that market.

Interesting, considering that the PSP was slated to be the handheld to end all other handhelds (yes I own a DS lite, but you can't argue with numbers). I hope it still hangs in there though, as Christmas is looking like a mighty fine time to get a PSP. That, it'll force Nintendo to keep the awesome DS games coming.

pandlcg @ Aug 11th 2006 5:39PM

Derbeste,

Free Healthcare CLEARLY states that he is talking about "hardware alone".

Craig S. @ Aug 11th 2006 5:39PM

@ Derbeste,

Damn, someone beat me to my argument. Kudos to you sir (or ma'am, whichever).

darryl @ Aug 11th 2006 5:42PM

"Damn I love the smell of victory in the afternoon."

Victory over what?

Derbeste @ Aug 11th 2006 5:43PM

@pandlcg

And my point is that "hardware alone" (gross revenue especially) doesn't tell you a damn thing.

Justin @ Aug 11th 2006 5:51PM

Derbeste - !awoi ni gip a kcuf oG

reguy @ Aug 11th 2006 5:54PM

Hey everybody, darryl finally joined the party.
And look, he brought a shiny new negative star with him

moooo @ Aug 11th 2006 5:55PM

June numbers were:
1. NDS - 593,000
2. PS2 - 312,000
3. Xbox 360 - 277,000
4. PSP - 221,000
5. GBA - 189,000

Derbeste @ Aug 11th 2006 5:55PM

Justin - .hguone esolc saw mom ruoY

Free Healthcare @ Aug 11th 2006 5:57PM

Ok just to clear up the debate, I was going for how much American people spent on hardware in July, what I felt that was not portrayed in the original report was the fact that several of the consoles are is 3-4 times cheaper than a 360 and that some of their numbers could be inflated because they are considerably cheaper.

Cody S. @ Aug 11th 2006 6:02PM

@ BMWM3P

1. Stop being a troll.
2. Give it a chance, it hasn't even been a year.
3. If people are so reluctant to take a dive into the 360, what makes you think people will buy a PS3, which costs FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS for the CORE VERSION.

Let's just wait and see how it turns out.

logikil @ Aug 11th 2006 6:03PM

BMWMP3

When you take all 360 sales worldwide i have no question that they are reaching the 5 million units number. It was mentioned specifically in their quarterly call, and forgive me if i'm wrong, but posting false numbers on a shareholder meeting is illegal so it's unlikely they would lie about those speciic numbers.

But seriously anyone who sits and tries to justify that the 360 isnt selling well soley by placing sales numbers side by side with the PS2 is on crack. YOu have a system that at the low end is something like 170 dollars cheaper than the core system.....if not more and well over 200 dollars cheaper than the premium. The PS2 can't even really be considered a hard choice, since anymore its at impulse purchase price. To outsell something that costs that much more by only 40k systems doesnt really say much.

Now if it were outselling the 360 by say the margin that the DS is whoopin on the PSP, then we'll talk.

Jeff @ Aug 11th 2006 6:04PM

"some of their numbers could be inflated because they are considerably cheaper."

That doesn't make their numbers "inflated". That just means that their manufacturers were smarter with the balance of technology to cost to price. i.e. MS is pricing themselves out of the market, and maybe Sony is too. We'll see.

I personally think even $399 is too much for a console, let alone $599. I will say that I will be buying a PS3 basically because it also plays BD movies; I want a BD player anyway and there's nothing else even close to that price in a standalone player yet. The Xbox 360 has no such advantage, though. Standalone HD-DVD players are $500, so you can't justify a purchase of even an X360 and the add-on player that way, and $399 for just a game console is too much.

Yes I know, there's a $299 version too, but with all the bad price it gets, you'd never know it's a viable option. Besides, how long is the crippled version of this thing going to stay at what I consider the highest acceptable price for even new a brand new game system?

The Hague @ Aug 11th 2006 6:10PM

I traded in my PSP and games and got a DS Lite.

Love it. Stylus games are my new best friend.

You think Nintendo is making more profit per unit on the DS?

I am very excited about the PS3, but Sony is a company that is lost in the fog.

If Microsoft goes portable, too, they are asking for it.

Everybody should stick to their **strengths**.

Darth Pixel @ Aug 11th 2006 6:16PM

I recently bought a PSP and I much prefer it to my DS Lite.
The PSP has more games I like and is easier on my hands.

Now, there is no denying the DS has a bigger potential market, since it's cheaper and kid-friendly.

darryl @ Aug 11th 2006 6:17PM

"Hey everybody, darryl finally joined the party."

Nope, I'd rather not. I generally stay away from Nintendo circle-jerk sessions. Touching is NOT good.

Kevin @ Aug 11th 2006 6:25PM

@37

Actually I've seen more kids with PSP's then kids with DS's.

Usually the people with DS's are older and love classics. The youngins with the PSP's swear they're good at Halo then I kick their ass and they wonder why I play with a DS.

darkjedimatu @ Aug 11th 2006 6:26PM

I disagree Darth

I just bought a PSP too and after playing Wipeout and Lumines for extented periods, my hands cramped. How anyone can bitch about the Stylus and not the godforsaken analog nub is beyond me.

My DS lite still gets more play than my PSP even though I love Tekken and Wipeout, Metroid, Meteos and Mario Kart are just crack. Come Christmas time...it's going to be interesting. Between Rune Factory, Bleach 2, Jump Ultimate Stars, FFIII, Castlevania, Children of MAna and Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, DS is bring some serious heat to the party.

Jay @ Aug 11th 2006 6:29PM

"Touching is NOT good." - Darryl

well clearly it is, judging by them numbers.

"Now, there is no denying the DS has a bigger potential market, since it's cheaper and kid-friendly."
you missed out better games too. I was in a reversed situation to yours. I had a DS, I bought a PSP just before the Lite launch, played it for 3 days, took it back. bought a 500gb HDD and DS Lite from the PSP and 5 games refund. I got rid of it for the terrible games.

SuicideNinja @ Aug 11th 2006 6:29PM

"I am shocked that the PS2 is still selling so much, more than 360 even? "

I was waiting to read this obligatory and naive comment.

It should be no surprise that the PS2 is outselling the Xbox 360 at the moment. It has more hit games available, costs less than half of the 360 core system, and the games are cheaper.

The PS2 isn't going to disappear overnight like the Xbox or Gamecube. The 360's selection will still need more time to grow, as will the Wii's and the PS3's. Prices will lower, exclusives will come and go; there's a lot that could happen.

I actually find it MORE impressive that a $300-$400 console is in the top three. The other consoles on there are relatively cheap at under $199.

I bet that the PS2 will still outsell the PS3 for a while.

AK @ Aug 11th 2006 6:37PM

Interesting that Chromehounds sold more than Prey. Especially when you consider the reviews seemed to give higher scores to Prey.

I do know that the word of mouth on Chromehounds has been really positive though. Online play is supposed to be badass, and highly addictive.

The Hague @ Aug 11th 2006 6:38PM

@ 39

I'm with you. 34, father...and still playing Mario Kart DS at night in bed.

DS has reconnected me with my gaming past. The PSP is just...whatever.

If the goal of the PSP is to be "a little PS2"...then, why not just play PS2/3?

The DS experience is simple, coherent and F-A-S-T.

Eagle @ Aug 11th 2006 6:39PM

Terrible games?

I don't care how much of a Nintendo fanboy you are, you can't say the PSP has "terrible" games...

Lumines is better than any game on the DS, and I just recently bought Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth, and let me tell you...It's a great game.

The PSP may be losing in total sales, but not nearly as much as the difference between the GCN and the PS2...it's funny how quickly Nintendo fans forgot about their past. But honestly, both systems are doing well and it's good for the portable market.

Brandon Konran @ Aug 11th 2006 6:47PM

I find it funny that everyone glanced over this comment,"thanks in part to strong sales from both the DS and Xbox 360". Now, of course this is true, but who is in the second spot? The ps2. Its getting pretty easy to notice the anti-sony joystiq nowadays.

logikil @ Aug 11th 2006 6:51PM

How is that anti-sony Brandon, at least on joystiqs part? It comes from NPD. Oh but i guess they are anti-sony.

vaylen @ Aug 11th 2006 6:55PM

I wonder what Ballmer is going to do if the PS2 is still outselling the 360 once the PS3 comes out... And before you mention the price difference, if low price = selling the most units, the GameCube would be outselling everything.

MrD @ Aug 11th 2006 6:56PM

#37

You should say that it has more everybody-friendly games, since it has a larger library of games. I like the PSP, but the DS has more good games in my opinion, and I'm the target of the PSP's market.

#38

Obviously it is, seeing as how it's been the top-selling game system for the past two months. Just because you want to turn your head to a system because of a silly brand-name doesn't mean anyone else has to.