June NPD hardware sales – Recession hits Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3
The signs have been there for the last few months but June finally saw conclusive evidence that the video games industry is not recession-proof. June saw sales fall year-on-year for the fourth month in a row and the largest year-on-year monthly decline since September 2000.
The economic recession is still in full swing, and is now defiantly hitting the games industry in the same way it has hit every other commercial sector. Add in the lack of price cuts on any system and you have a recipe for very few people being willing or able to buy a new games console.
NPD U.S. Hardware Sales Chart – June 2009 (Courtesy of Wired)
Nintendo DS – 766,500
Nintendo Wii – 361,700
Microsoft Xbox 360 – 240,600
Sony PS3 – 164,700
Sony PSP – 163,500
Sony PS2 – 152,700
Nintendo
The Nintendo DS continued its reign at the top of the hardware sales chart. The DS and DSi combined sold an incredible 766,500 units to be one of only two consoles to see a year-on-year rise (the other being the Xbox 360).
The Wii dropped substantially from its lofty position this time last year but its 361,700 units sold still sees it top the home consoles. Nintendo also claims to have sold 374,000 units of its Wii Motion Plus peripheral during the month of June, proving that there were that many people sensible enough to realize the original Wii Remote wasn’t accurate enough.
Microsoft
A good month for Microsoft, with the Xbox 360 not only seeing a monthly increase in sales from May to June but also a year-on-year sales increase. Microsoft may not be capable of toppling Nintendo from its perch but it’s doing a fine job keeping the Xbox 360 on track for second place this generation.
Sony
A bizarre set of hardware sales figures for Sony this month, with the PS3, PS2, and PSP all selling in roughly the same quantities. The good news for Sony is that all three systems are up on last month’s figures, but the bad news is they are all down on the same time last year.
Conclusions
The games industry is going to remain in this lowly position until the economy recovers, which could be a while coming. What’s more, a lot of big games have or are being delayed until next year, so 2009 doesn’t look like yielding a bumper crop of sales figures, even through the holiday season. As has been the case for a while now, the only company that seems able to fight the slide is Nintendo.
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80 Responses to “June NPD hardware sales – Recession hits Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3”
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July 18th, 2009
In your face, space coyote!
July 18th, 2009
alright let get this straight ppl…look at it this way, if sony’s ps3 was 200-250 dollars it would not look this way so selling 164,700 consoles at $400 in a recession isnt all that bad…think goodness ps2 is holding sony above water for now
July 18th, 2009
psp, then ps2 kevo.
July 18th, 2009
wait so going from
Sony PS3 – 131,000
Sony PS2 – 117,000
Sony PSP – 100,400
to
Sony PS3 – 164,700
Sony PSP – 163,500
Sony PS2 – 152,700
is going down? I always thought larger numbers meant going up.
July 18th, 2009
Arckain, you’re correct, and I apologize for the obvious mistake. Post edited.
July 18th, 2009
All I can say is wow… DS doing 750K…
Hopefully this will make games companies learn something. Gamers buy shit. I would suspect the 360 is going to have the largest % of ‘hardcore’ (the people who buy plenty of games) gamers, hence the 360 still chugging along.
July 18th, 2009
So who keeps buying those PS2s?
July 18th, 2009
Hmmm, Sony’s systems are all in the bottom 3. But you add those three numbers up and Sony has moved 408,900 pieces of hardware! Not too shabby, I’m sure Sony would like to see 408,900 or even more for each one, not all of them combined! With that said Sony can not rely on the PS2 forever and needs to get the PS3 down to a price point that is close to the Xbox 360, or these numbers for the PS3 are not going to get better anytime soon!
July 18th, 2009
Sorry for the typo, the 3 systems actually add up to 480,900. Woo hoo, another 72,000 systems for Sony! lol
July 18th, 2009
yeah i was questioning whether 164,000 was a downfall from last months….so does that mean year on year it’s higher then?
July 18th, 2009
A $100 dollar price cut would no doubt greatly benefit the PS3, but damn that K2 and MGS4 bundle is practically the same thing. If only people would notice that. Whatever.
On a side note, is there any place to find npd monthly hardware sales from years ago?
July 18th, 2009
@arckain:
“So who keeps buying those PS2s?”
This is the perfect gift for you’re little brother. The console is for nothing these days and you can buy a stack of used games for very little as well.
@Knighthawk:
Adding the psp and ps2 along with ps3 is pretty pathetic and stinks of desperation from a fanboy. If you want to go down that road you could just as easily ask how many pc’s were sold to play games.
July 18th, 2009
Top 10 Software Sales, June 2009
PROTOTYPE 360
ACTIVISION BLIZZARD 419.9K
UFC 2009: UNDISPUTED 360
THQ 338.3K
EA SPORTS ACTIVE BUNDLE WII ELECTRONIC ARTS 289.1K
TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 10* WII ELECTRONIC ARTS 272.4K
WII FIT WII
NINTENDO OF AMERICA 271.6K
FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4 360
ELECTRONIC ARTS 260.8K
FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4 PS3
ELECTRONIC ARTS 210.3K
MARIO KART W/WHEEL WII
NINTENDO OF AMERICA 202.1K
RED FACTION:GUERRILLA 360
THQ 199.4K
INFAMOUS PS3
SONY 192.7K
Just on my point before about ps2 being the perfect gift for your little brother. Although ps2 is selling well, very few ppl would actually buy new games for it, not when there are so many used games out there.
The ps3 game sales must be a concern for sony also, they are awful!
July 18th, 2009
@ dave,
‘apologize’??? Aren’t you from England? Don’t you spell it ‘apologise’ over there?
Limey bum sniffers are probably going to take The Ashes from us again too.
July 18th, 2009
The fact that MGS 4 was released in June of 2008, is the main reason for the PS3 being down from last year.
I’m interested to see how the rest of 2009 plays out. FF XIII is exclusive in Japan, and if the rumors of the slim are true, it should make for an interesting few months.
July 18th, 2009
That PS3 at ‘effectively’ $299 didn’t do much then, huh?
July 18th, 2009
Come on though harry, we’ve only had the Ashes once in a generation.
July 18th, 2009
“The fact that MGS 4 was released in June of 2008, is the main reason for the PS3 being down from last year.”
Okay fair enough but how do you explain the poor sales for jan, feb, mar, apr, may and jun??? LOL
July 18th, 2009
Harry Sachz – I am from England and yes we spell apologize “apologise” but after writing blog posts in American English every day for over two years now I’m afraid I’ve turned to the dark side I no longer have any need for a “U” on my keyboard.
July 18th, 2009
Hang your head in shame Dave!
July 18th, 2009
2007 year of the ps3……no wait
2008 year of the ps3…….oh not quite
2009 year of the ps3……..damn it!!!!
July 18th, 2009
nobody nerver said 2007 was going to be the year of the PS3.
2008 surely was the Year of the PS3 (gaming wise)
-Buzz Quiz TV
-Metal Gear Solid 4
-LittleBigPlanet
-MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
-Gran Turismo 5: Prologue
-Resistance 2
-Socom Confrontation
-SingStar
-Valkyria Chronicles
-MLB 08: The Show
All came out in 2008, there is a game for every genre and they are all quality games
July 19th, 2009
err…… yes you did ivan!
2008??? Game sales would suggest otherwise
July 19th, 2009
“@Knighthawk:
Adding the psp and ps2 along with ps3 is pretty pathetic and stinks of desperation from a fanboy. If you want to go down that road you could just as easily ask how many pc’s were sold to play games.”
@CON
Ya, and your comment stinks of ingnorance! If you knew anything about me or even read any of my posts you would know I was the farthest thing from a fanboy! I could honestly care less how many consoles Sony sells, but you obviously do as it gets your panties in a bunch by seeing that Sony has three pieces of harware and combined they sold almost twice as much as your precious Xbox 360. I also have a Wii and an Xbox360 which I play (ok maybe not the Wii) just as much as my PS3. So STFU you little insect! lol
July 19th, 2009
@CON
And you didn’t see this part of my post that you were calling me a fanboy on?
” With that said Sony can not rely on the PS2 forever and needs to get the PS3 down to a price point that is close to the Xbox 360, or these numbers for the PS3 are not going to get better anytime soon!”
That’s called seeing two sides of the coin! Nice to see that you failed to see both sides of it!
July 19th, 2009
Lol you’re contradicting yourself. You clearly quoted me above on why I called you a fanboy. The latter comment is irrelivant to my argument …… doh!
July 19th, 2009
^
Yeah whatever you say man! lol, won’t bother wasting my time trying to reason with the likes of you!
July 19th, 2009
Check………..mate
lol
July 19th, 2009
“I could honestly care less how many consoles Sony sells”
I think you’ll find the phrase is “I could NOT….” it comes from not caring as in not caring less lol just thought I would kick you while you were down.
July 19th, 2009
Does Sony actually make any money from the PS2 anymore? They can’t make too much from the console at the price they sell it and nobody is buying new games for it.
I think the only reason Sony keep it on the market is to dissuade people from the Wii.
July 20th, 2009
Wow, I wouldn’t have thought that UNO would inflame such passion
At least the cricket is looking a little better, even after the brits paid off the umpires.
July 20th, 2009
^
As long as Sony is selling PS2, it’s going to make some profit for them. I would say that each PS2 sold makes more profit than each Wii sold. That’s just my guess, anyone feel free to prove me wrong!
July 20th, 2009
Shouldn’t the headline read “hardware sales hits all but Xbox 360 and DSi?” (or something along those lines) as you say yourself that those two are the only ones to have a year on year increase in sales?
July 20th, 2009
this can’t be right….
all the fanboys here, including Dave P and Mike F, SWORE the ps3 would kill the 360 in sales once MGS4 and KZ2 released….
*snicker*…
July 20th, 2009
Naaaa Rimmer, get with the program!
Come the day when – if ever – PS3 is the only one to post year on year sales increases THEN you’ll get umteen specific headlines highlighting that.
kev
Yeah, and that ‘effectively’ $299 PS3 obviously did f*ck all squared for their sales too, huh?
July 20th, 2009
HH said: “Yeah, and that ‘effectively’ $299 PS3 obviously did f*ck all squared for their sales too, huh?”
Thats a stupid point and you know it HH. That sale has only just been announced/begun Einstein. Next month you may have gloating rites, if thats what your into……
July 20th, 2009
As a certified Xbot, that IS all he has to hold on to. Sales do not equal quality, as the Wii has proved for the past 3 years, but what else does he have to make himself feel better?
July 20th, 2009
Oh dear, there there there ladies.
Your obvious projection really is unbecoming of you guys.
July 20th, 2009
lmao. when you can’t effectively argue, at least name calling works.
@Con.
adding the numbers is a bit despearate , but its impossible to ignore the fact that Sony is supporting three systems right now.
July 20th, 2009
the fact is that the PS3 has out sold the x360 by 3 million ever since the PS3 came out.
who care about year on year sales. these numbers means that the 360 tanked in june last years.
July 20th, 2009
Dear Sony,
Would you like to sell more PS3s? If so, cut the price. If not, keep the price the same. You have the option.
There is, however, one option you don’t have: do not stop releasing great games! If that happens, then I will actually start caring. Just keep me happy, Sony…
-Arvis
July 20th, 2009
phranctoast
Surely you’re not suggesting a mild bit of leg-pulling – in response to the usual ‘Xbot’ nonsense I might add – is really ‘name calling’?
Roca
Nope.
What you mean to say is that last spring/summer the PS3 had a little spurt in sales, which is now long over and showing zero signs of returning.
Since then Xbox has just piled up the sales, even the recession isn’t stopping it.
So, what would you rather?
Sales slowed a little year ago but since Sept have continued strongly
or
sales briefly rose for a very short while only to fall to subterranean levels and stay there ever since?
“Tanking”!
Hilarious.
PS3 sales guys wish the PS3 could ‘tank’ so badly.
July 20th, 2009
I’m the only Ivan here don’t you see the fucking PSP tag morons. The population for idiots is rising.
July 20th, 2009
……says the their leader
July 20th, 2009
excuss my stutter
July 20th, 2009
and excuse the excuss lol
July 20th, 2009
CON,
you forgot to switch names between Kev, Happy and CON lol
July 20th, 2009
If that was deliberate CON.. my props to you, as I got a good chuckle…
if not………
July 20th, 2009
CON:
Is a spammer ban his ass.
July 20th, 2009
Spammer? I can’t see him emailing unsolicited advertisements…..
July 21st, 2009
and why do you want to ban his donkey?
July 21st, 2009
^
Perhaps he was rejected by one too many donkeys? Ivan doesn’t seem to like ANYTHING that does not submit to his ways! lol
July 21st, 2009
Donkeys are rather stubborn, yes. Maybe Ivan would have more luck with a stallion. I know I did.
July 21st, 2009
Going back a few posts, it’s a little hypocritical to accuse someone of name calling when the term ‘xbot’ is flung around so liberally.
July 21st, 2009
Arvis – even sony stated a price cut does not guarantee increased sales. sony has lost the momentum this gen. it’s gonna take a LOT more than a price reduction to get people interested in the monstrosity known as the ps3…. sorry…
July 21st, 2009
what else does sony needs kev? bet u dont have anything else to say
July 21st, 2009
Ooo its a ‘monstrosity’ today.
May I suggest ‘atrocity’ for tomorrow, or after lunch if you wish?
Good day, Ninja.
July 21st, 2009
I predict “Holocaust” within the month.
July 22nd, 2009
frigging hilarious….you have no intelligent rebuttal so you pick one word out of a post and hammer on that….lmao…. truly pathetic….
why aren’t you guys defending the fact the ps3 is “technically” the same price as the 360, according to Mike Ferro, has the most exclusives, and STILL is failing in sales compared to the 360….?
actually, i already know why…because you have no defense….the ps3 is a….wait for it……failure….
sure, it may not be as colorful as “atrocity”, but it’s very appropriate….
July 22nd, 2009
PS3 is a Total Failure Kev,
who’s that blind not to see it
July 22nd, 2009
Yup, might as well DreamCast it.
July 22nd, 2009
I doubt Sony, for all their face-saving PR BS, expected sales as low as they have seen.
It’s pretty much unheard of for devs to publicly start bickering about a genuinely successful system.
It’s pretty obvious that PS3 has been and still is a great disappointment to all involved.
There might be a bright side if sales were picking up, as it is they aren’t.
PS3 is now falling further behind and Xbox is selling pretty well compared – especially considering the recession.
Put a positive spin on those facts, if you can.
July 22nd, 2009
Happy
“There might be a bright side if sales were picking up, as it is they aren’t.
PS3 is now falling further behind and Xbox is selling pretty well compared – especially considering the recession.”
and what are you gaining with all that?
July 22nd, 2009
roca – agreed. the ps3 cost Kuturagi his job. it cost Harrison his job. Finally, Sony Online Entertainment just fired 5% of it’s workforce.
the ps3 couldn’t be a bigger failure if it tried….
July 22nd, 2009
jofa – if sony loses Activision, they just may “dreamcast it”…. after all, the DC failed in part due to the exclusion of EA games…..
it’s not hard to see sony folding up shop when they lose one of the largest publishers in the world (activision)…
July 22nd, 2009
‘you have no intelligent rebuttal ‘
Ill presume you were throwing that at me and Jofa.
Rebuttal to what? You said dropping the price won’t necessarily increase the sales and have units flying off the shelves. I agree.
But then you go typical Ninja Kev style and start firing out the big scarey failure *DUM DUM DUMMMMM!!!!* words…
I like Jofa’s suggestion, use Holocaust next time.
‘why aren’t you guys defending *RANT SNIP*……failure….’
I think over half of blorge have said we really don’t care what sells more, it makes no difference to any of us. I don’t care if the PS3 is a ‘failure’, there are still plenty of games coming out that give us a return on our investments (something I’m not too sure about with my Wii…..)…
July 22nd, 2009
“‘”why aren’t you guys defending the fact the ps3 is “technically” the same price as the 360, according to Mike Ferro, has the most exclusives, and STILL is failing in sales compared to the 360….?”"‘
hmmmm. probably because anyone with any sense saw it for a story to insite fanboy chatter. You keep asking this question , but if you go back to that story you will see that noone defended that and saw it for what it was (except you apparently, because you keep bringing it up)
July 22nd, 2009
Roca.:
July 22nd, 2009
“Happy
“There might be a bright side if sales were picking up, as it is they aren’t.
PS3 is now falling further behind and Xbox is selling pretty well compared – especially considering the recession.”
and what are you gaining with all that?”
Great chuckles & giggles after all the ‘world domination’ BS from the PS3 fanboy element over the last couple of years.
July 23rd, 2009
Happy ur as dumb as kev.
talk to me when Sony go out of business.
good luck with that.
July 23rd, 2009
Roca/Ivan
Er, what?
Where did I say a word about them going “out of business” or for that matter about PS3 having the plug pulled?
You guys really do just invent your own narrative, huh?
July 23rd, 2009
ROCA – sony may not go out of biz, but they can always pull the plug on the PS franchise and become a publisher…..
you can’t bleed money forever…even Stringer answers to people…..
July 27th, 2009
are you in Love with Stringer damn, hop off his ****
Playstation franchise is not going any, you guys forget the the Playstation is not just PS3.
Sony also has PSP, PS2 and the PSN. They are all making money for Sony.
July 28th, 2009
roca – and yet, even with the profits from the old technology, it’s not enough to offset the billions lost due directly to the the ps3. when next gen launches, sony will continue to sell at a loss with the new console and probably continue to hemorage money……
sorry…that’s just the way it is. i know you hate facts, but i just had to remind you of reality…
July 29th, 2009
oh please. kev Companies like Sony can affort to lose money. idk why ur so excited about the fact that Sony lose billions because of the PS3. did I lose any money? did any PS3 owner lose any money? did you gain money because of it?
i dont get what ur trying to prove. SONY, M$ NITENDO can loose all the money then want, I SIMPLY DONT GIVE A FUCK.
July 29th, 2009
ROCA – no..sony can’t afford to lose money. they’ve laid off hundreds of gaming people, their stock grades has been in toilet, they can’t reprice the ps3, and they’ve lost 90% of their last gen market…..
you should care…. future ps iterations are dependent on it….
July 29th, 2009
it’s funny mike claims the recession hit the 360 when it increased it sales from last year….
oh fanboys…lol….
July 29th, 2009
“sony can’t afford to lose money. they’ve laid off hundreds of gaming people”
they obviosly can afford it since they PS3 still sells at a loss.
And All Sony First party gaming studio are intact. and more games keep coming out. what do we have for M$…3 exclusive this year (Forza 3, Mass effect 2, L4D2) and 2 of them are from EA
July 29th, 2009
ROCA – Actually Stinger himself said the ps3 doesn’t drop in price because sony can’t afford to lose money.
it’s sad when you think you know more about sony than their own CEO….
why do you hype exclusives? sony has the most and sells the least…hardly a benefit….
July 30th, 2009
but you keep saying that Sony can’t afford to loose money….but in reality they can because they are losing money on every unit sold.
mayb you should rephrase ur sentence and said “Sony Cant afford to lose MORE money than what they already are”
so since they have been losing money since launch (2006) untill today, im pretty sure i can afford to lose what they are already losing. they Just CANT afford to lose more.
July 30th, 2009
ROCA – that’s a given… the billions lost by sony is already gone…. IF they could afford to lose it, they would not have taken a hatchet to sony’s gaming divisions and online components…. they didn’t expect to lose that much…simple as that.. they were not prepared and not capable of losing it and keeping operations strong…
you’re right (finally) in that they can’t afford to lose more, yet they are losing more….
not good for their future….