Video-game sales hit new peak |
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Video-game sales hit new peak
OK, here's that positive news we've been looking for: The video-game industry finished 2008 in record style, topping $5 billion in total sales of hardware, software and accessories in the U.S. in December. It's the first time the industry has exceeded that number in a single month, according to NPD Group data released today.
On the hardware side, Nintendo's Wii continued to outpace its rivals, selling 2.15 million units in the U.S. for the critical holiday shopping month. Microsoft's Xbox 360 came in second, at 1.44 million units sold -- about twice as many as the PlayStation 3. Sony sold 726,000 units of its console in the U.S. during the month, according to the NPD data.
It's interesting to note that the PlayStation 2 continues to sell well -- registering 410,000 units sold for the month.
The overall trend in the industry confirms the notion that people are turning more to home entertainment, such as video games, in the midst of the difficult economy. For the full year, NPD reports that total sales were $21.33 billion, up 19 percent from the year before.
About Todd Bishop
Todd Bishop is co-founder and managing editor of TechFlash. He has covered Microsoft and the technology industry for more than five years, most recently as a daily newspaper reporter and blogger based in Seattle.
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