October NPD: 3DS rising, a good month for games with 'Bat' in the title (Update: BF3, Batman, RAGE numbers)

by JC Fletcher on Nov 11th 2011 6:50PM

Microsoft claims another month on top for the Xbox 360, with 393,000 units sold for the NPD's October sales period, 20% up year over year and, in the words of MS Chief of Staff for Interactive Entertainment Business Aaron Greenberg, the system's "biggest October ever." Following up is ... the 3DS, randomly bouncing back two months after its price drop, with "over 250,000" sold, according to Nintendo.

Try to look shocked when we tell you that Battlefield 3 topped the software chart. The top six games on NPD's sales chart are all October releases, with Batman: Arkham City, NBA 2K12, Rage, Just Dance 3, and -- believe it or not -- super-hardcore, unfriendly RPG Dark Souls all placing. Find the full top ten after the break.

Top 10 best-selling games (US) for October 2011:

Battlefield 3 (360, PS3, PC) - ~2 Million
Batman: Arkham City (360, PS3) - 1.5 Million
NBA 2K12 (360, PS3, PSP, Wii, PS2, PC)
Rage (360, PS3, PC) - 550K
Just Dance 3 (Wii, 360)
Dark Souls (PS3, 360)
Madden NFL 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP)
Forza Motorsport 4 (360)
Gears of War 3 (360)
FIFA Soccer 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2, 3DS)

More coverage: Game Informer

Tags: 3ds, batman-arkham-city, battlefield-3, ds, microsoft, nintendo, npd, npd-monthly, playstation, ps3, psp, sales, sony, wii, xbox

Reader Comments (57)

I can't believe XBox continues to be the best selling console now that it costs more than a PS3. I have both systems, but if I was just buying one for me, it would be a hard sell to pay $300 for a 360 instead of $250 for a PS3.

@Hoops
The reason is Kinect and the "casual" market.

@Hoops
actually if you buy a 300$ ps3 you get a bigger harddrive AND either infamous 2 or Uncharted 3. pretty sweet deal.

@Hoops

I think many people are replacing the older model for the new slim, at least that what some of my friends did.

@Hoops

LOL. If you really have both systems you would know why people choose the 360 over the PS3. Number ONE is Cross Party Chat. I like to talk to my friends when I'm playing other games than they are. Can't do that on a PS3. Number 2 if you have both systems as I do. My son uses the PS3. We have multiple games that are on both systems and every one of those games takes longer to load on the PS3. The truth about the 256 + 256 memory on the PS3 versus the 512 total on the xbox 360 is out, it's been reported on this site. The 256 + 256 is why the PS3 doesn't have Cross Party Chat and the new handheld from Sony will be able to do it. Let's not forget that your user info is really unsafe on the PS3. Let's not forget they took linux away from us. Lets not forget the update that we were forced to use and say we couldn't do a class action lawsuit. I mean really you need to be a total fanboi to not understand why the xbox 360 is the clear best gaming console this generation. Maybe Sony will be back on top next gen but this gen they got Pwned.

@Hoops Or people buy the $200 360 and supplement it with flash drives that they probably already owned. The cheapest XBox is still cheaper than the cheapest PS3. Perception is everything to consumers.

@IQ Review

Haha Are you 6?

Cross chat is a deal breaker? Absolutely not

Info not safe? Tell me how many users reported that their info was used because of the hacking.

No Linux? Again, this was used by very few people.

I doubt you own a PS3, you're are just another wolf disguise as sheep. Kids these days /facepalm

@IQ Review

You talk like a teenager. If you truly had both consoles, you would know that party chat, in no way, makes the Xbox 360 better than the ps3. Your user info is not safe anywhere on the internet. PSN is not the only service that has been hacked. Linux on the PS3 was terrible. It was extremely slow and mostly useless. Class action lawsuit against Sony? Really? What would you be suing them for? I have a really long post that I might have to dig up on why Sony didn't get "Pwned" this generation.

@IQ Review Maxgold, is that you? Lets remember fan girls, this is just USA. The only market the 360 can stay a head.

@IQ Review I agree with Black angel, To each it's own, I play a lot more on my ps3 than on the 360, but both are terrific entertainment / media centers the funny thing is that 360's lead is incredibly superior in USA while in the rest of the world the stronger one is ps3 (not counting the wii), maybe americans buy it more because it's a product from there?

@IQ Review Or, you can chalk it up to preference. I own both and prefer my PS3 over my 360 any day. Don't believe me? SpecDotSign on both XBL and PSN.

@Mr Hett even for us adults the cross chat is a pretty big difference. Ther are many times it's nice to be playing one game, your friends gets on another game and I cross chat with him to ask how long he will be on and if I should stop my game to join his.

@IQ Review

So the PS3 is just over 1-2 million units behind 360, and its getting pwned?

Keep in mind, in most territories, the PS3 launched a full year after the 360, and at DOUBLE the price. And now they are about to catch up. Not to mention, I am sure more than 2 million 360 sales have been the result of people rebuying after having RROD.

Sorry if i seemed like a fanboy then, but I just needed to say something to counter this guys ridiculous rantings that are clearly fanboy rants of their own.

@kcswanko

You can still do that on the ps3, just not using voice chat.

@IQ Review

I would never play online with friends or want to use voice chat in console games. I'm from EU though, it's quite different in US where everybody speaks English and likes shooting things. I completely understand why it's more popular console, but I can't in no way relate with the game taste or desire to socialize on FPS/racing/football games.

Proprietary HDD, lack of blu-ray (disc swapping), lack of bluetooth, online fee, region lockout, lack of integrated Li-ion controller battery, RROD. Any of these ring a bell? What about Starhawk, Twisted Metal, Ni No Kuni and The Last Guardian. Oh right, they aren't coming to 360, my bad.

I don't own either console, I have only Wii. I'm just pissed off by ignorant fanboys, and don't think 360 is bad at all. They are both with PS3 so similar, that it's hard to put any kind of clear line between them. The thing is though, that the Japan doesn't like Xbox and that is bit of a problem.

@IQ Review

>We have multiple games that are on both systems and every one of those games takes longer to load on the PS3.

Thats when I decided to call your comment BS.

@Hoops I agree, generally. However, with that said, I own all three consoles and have to admit, the 360 has *by far* the better library of games (not to diss PS3 or Wii, as both have some exclusives I simply adore), the best online service (PSN and Wii's online are a pair of jokes) and by far the best user interface (even more true now with the Metro UI; I'm in the beta, got it yesterday).

Still, I suspect Kinect is a big part of why 360 is selling so well, whereas Sony's Move has crashed and burned (which I expected it to do anyway).

@IQ Review

Solid 9/10.

@JasonGW ill agree that the xbox has a better interface but to say that the xbox has a better library of games is just silly, unless we're talking about the downloadable games which i admit is the only reason i still own my xbox. honestly what has come out for the xbox this year? gears of war 3?

@Hoops

I love being an open-minded, multi-platform owner who just loves video games. It makes these pathetic arguments that much more enjoyable. The 360, PS3, Wii, 3DS, and soon Vita all rule!

@Hoops best selling console only in america lol. Ps3 surpasses xbox in japan, uk and australia. Even the sales lead that xbox had is coming to an end.

@IQ Review
Both systems are great for different reasons, be quiet already.

@Hoops

Well they have been brain-washed in the US & UK LoL

In '1' advert break in the UK i saw '3' Xbox 360 adverts. 1 for Kinect, 1 for MW3(Xbox 360 logo at end) & 1 from another company advertising the Xbox 360.

@Mr Hett well, my friend, the cross-chat is the only reason me and my friends are playing on Xbox.

@Hoops
Agreed, not to mention it would be $350 if you wanted to play online with Xbox Gold.

@IQ Review

Microsoft has lost over $1 billion from repairing red ring Xboxes at last report. Despite getting on the market a year earlier, they have only sold 2 million more Xboxes than PS3s.

I actually do own both systems and like them equally. These are just the facts.

@irotmx buts its not a product from the usa its not even made in the usa. microsoft is almost completely owned by china all there shit is made there and assembled there why do you think they break every two weeks

@Hoops
Who pays $300 for a 360?
At the very most, a 360 *bundle* is ganna run you $300. If you pay that much you're at least getting kinect + a game or two games with it or SOMEthing.
If you wanna talk just hardware, the base model of each will run you $200 for a 360 and $250 for a PS3, making the PS3 the 'hard sell' of the two.

@IQ Review Did you just pull out your notepad?

@Knives Chau ahhh, yes, Gears of War 3 did come out, and Forza 4, Halo Anniversary...all three are great games. Not revolutionary but great. Uncharted, Killzone and Resistance are the only good 2011 PS3 exclusives that come to mind....pretty similar line-up, great games.

For the past 5 years the Xbox 360 has had arguably the stronger first party lineup - not this year, but does that really mean you shouldn't buy one? The library is so much more vast than what the PS3 offers. Mass Effect 1, Gears of War 1 and 2, Halo 3, ODST, Reach, Halo Wars,Project Gotham 3 & 4, Forza 2,3, - the prior 360 exclusives have been really great. Most 360 third party games outperform the PS3 counterpart - no this is not an outdated argument - it still happens with a mjority of releases. Other than Blu-ray which is very important and a great feature for the PS3 there isn't much offered on that outclasses the 360. Microsofts Xbox Live service is still superior, although premium. Both are great consoles. Unless you're really after the PS3 exclusives, the cheaper price or the Blu-ray the 360 looks like the better option to most people.

@IQ Review You are wrong..most are replacing as well as casual market with kinect.Also from what i read Ps3 has been selling better worldwide anyways this year.Americans are morons that let Ms screw em over with what used to be a dell pc with Ms writen on it.As far as cross game chat goes its a nice feature to have, but it is no means a deal breaker sry.

Nice to see Dark Souls on the list.

@Hoops

Agreed. Sadly I didn't buy it because Namco f**ked me over with the Collector's Edition, but it's still a welcome surprise to see it on there. Even if it was behind Just Dance 3...

Oh shit Dark Souls is popular in the US?!?!?! lol Black Friday cant come soon enough...or Cyber Monday for that matter either.

Good thing Battlefield released in October.

My Pile of Shame is starting to groan under its own weight... I'm just finishing up Super Mario Galaxy for crying out loud!! (the first one, not the second...)

Damn it, this was suppose to be PS3 time on top for the US. At least that's what the headlines were last month.

Wow Dark Souls out sold Forza 4 o_0

@YouAintFatYouAintNotin

Well to be fair first its an RPG that genre alone carters to more folks than the driving/sim genre. Two its on multiple systems, and three its known difficulty and re-playability is attractive to adventurous gamers.

@YouAintFatYouAintNotin Forza's really only praised when compared to Gran Turismo. At least those are the only times I ever hear about it lol.

Glad to see the 360 still rocking and rolling

Shine on you crazy diamond

Really happy to see RAGE and Dark Souls on there.

I'm glad Dark Souls is getting the love it deserves. Hopefully this will get us similiar titles on the future not only from From, but from other devs they might influence.

in other news, that sentence had a "from" overload.

@poronponporin

Actually, I could be wrong, but this might be Atlus's / From's biggest success in the US ever. Exciting!

The PS3 sold approx. 240-250K in October.

Actually, the PS3 has been outselling the 360 almost every if not every month for quite a while. The problem with NPD is that it only looks at the USA. North America is the only region in which the 360 leads. The other two of the top 3 markets (Europe and Japan) sell far more PS3s than 360s. If you look at worldwide numbers, the PS3 outsells the 360 by 20-30%. In Japan, the 360 is neck and neck with the PS2 for sales.

@ytsejames

Its not that its a problem NPD only looks at the United States. That's their purpose to look at the US.

Shouldn't we be at the point where we just don't care. Games are being sold, consoles are being sold. It seems like every time these posts on console and game sales come up people want to say who sold more or who is selling more in an attempt to make their consoles wang look bigger.

Dark Souls. Is on the list.

Excuse me while i cry tears formed of pure joy, and then ones of ultimate suffering when i actually try and advance myself in the game.

Not to sound like a fanboy but ...jasonGW is 100% correct... i also have both systems and i had the ps3 1st... i like the ps3 but there is nothing like the xbox360....the online is plain better... psn is awful..( not counting the wii), I hate the ds3( bad back buttons and awful joysticks) ...games are pretty even...(games like bayonetta , nG is perfect for the 360....where as batman , dead space etc... works so well with the DS3 maybe its me but i have to be careful what game i get for what system ( like i cant play Dead space on the 360)

@thisguy101
how the hell is the online better? no one ever gives a definite answer other than "huur it just is, you should try it yourself" but then all i hear from my xbox using friends is "Laaaaaagfest"

@Roxas560
i own both systems and even i dont get that argument. its the same as psn imo besides the cross chat but i never use that anyways. and i actually prefer the ps3 controller over the 360. i hate the back buttons on the 360 :P lol to each his/her own :P

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October NPD: 3DS rising, a good month for games with 'Bat' in the title (Update: BF3, Batman, RAGE numbers)

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