AP
November Video Game Sales Soar
Thursday December 13, 6:44 pm ET
Video Game Sales Soar in November, Led by Nintendo, Activision
NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. video game sales soared 52 percent to hit $2.63 billion in November, according to market researcher NPD Group, as shoppers snapped up millions of consoles and video games in the busy holiday season.
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Hardware sales jumped 41 percent to $1.1 billion from $772 million a year earlier, and software sales rose 62 percent to $1.3 billion from $804 million.
Nintendo was the clear winner among console makers, with its portable DS selling 1.53 million units. The Wii, which has been plagued by shortages, still sold 981,000 units.
Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 sold 770,000 units in November, and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3, 466,000. It was still outsold by its predecessor, the PS2, at 496,000 units.
Activision Inc.'s "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" for the Xbox 360 was the month's top-selling game with 1.57 million units, followed by "Super Mario Galaxy" for the Wii, from Nintendo, with 1.12 million. Ubisoft's "Assasin's Creed" for the Xbox 360 followed with 980,000 units sold.
November and December are the video game industry's most crucial months, as companies make most of their money during the holidays.