Niagara's Precipitous Downpours

Welcome to June, the month of summer vacations and summer storms. Along with the sun comes the rain as June introduces the beginning of the hurricane season for both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. An ominous 6-month long period guaranteed to unearth every name ever christened from Isidore to Humberto. This particular June feels especially ominous with the passing of some famous names. From a TV host to a TV salesman from an angel to that of a musical king, the sunshine gives way to gloom clouds as summer struggles with the storm and strife.

Gloom clouds didn’t miss the videogame industry this month either according to reported figures from the one and only NPD Group, Inc. The overall industry declined to its greatest year-to-year percentage since September 2000 and its 41% drop! Whoa. Not such a panic in March but this is the 4th month in a row where we see the revenue not match up to its corresponding month from 2008. Whether you credit this to the ongoing economic struggle or simply people going outside, it’s apparent that people are not concentrating as much on videogames right now. Or are they? Taking a closer look at the stats we see all hardware numbers improve over their performance from a luster-lacking May. Ah, there’s that sunshine. Then again, June is one of the 5-week tracking periods compared to May’s 4-week one. Oh, the rain’s back. Navigate the rocky weather with slickers and galoshes on while I drop NPD’s estimates for the U.S.A.

Nintendo’s DS was the Big Daddy selling 766,500 i-cons of lite in the month of Father’s Day. In the month of Mother’s Day, the dynamo supreme sold 633,500 serious muthas showing a salmon-like increase. Once again, DSi and DS Lite are counted as one making it speculative to all but NPD which DS version sold what. Is it the $170 DSi or the $130 DS Lite which lays the shoppers in a craze? Who knows? Who cares? All Nintendo sees is that familiar refrain: It Prints Money™.

Nintendo’s Wii shone as bright as the high noon sun selling 361,700 plus-motioned packages during the 1st month of the summer solstice. During the 3rd month since the vernal equinox, Miyamoto’s Revolution freed 289,500 new play controllers from the retail shelves showing a strong increase. What a difference a year makes! A little over half the Wiis were sold this June compared to last June. But this number is in the neighborhood of the June before that (in 2007). Does this mean that the Wii is leveling off in popularity or was 2008 simply the record year of record years? Does it matter? It still outsells its competitors by far…with objectively healthy numbers to boot. Whether mortal or immortal, Wii still wins.

Microsoft’s XBox 360 let Old Glory whip wildly in the vicious winds with 240,600 in sales for the month of Flag Day. In the month of Memorial Day, the X-factor sold 175,000 verde greens showing a solid increase. Well, the 360 broke its 2 month declining streak this month with sales that beat last June’s output and approach the system’s first June in the market. The stable middle-grounder of the consoles resumes its interrupted rising trend and solidifies its image as the Wii alternative and “hardcore” haven. No significant changes in this story. Wait until next month maybe?

Sony’s PlayStation 3 proclaimed itself emancipated with 164,700 infamous imports sold in the month of Juneteenth. In the month of Cinco de Mayo, the Blu-ray bellweather sold 131,000 PS Triples showing an increase. A little better for the PS3 this month compared to May. Still this is the 8th month running that the system fails to meet last year’s monthly numbers. The publishers are demanding it, Sony. Drop the price NOW! It’s now or never. The mates are abandoning ship as we speak.

Sony’s PlayStation Portable pulled over on the road due to the torrential storm with 163,500 sold in Juno’s month. In Maia’s month, the PSP sold 100,400 UMD-format bearers showing a necessary increase. It saved itself from sub-six-digit embarrassment but it is now month number 10 that the PSP fails to meet last year’s monthly sums. It’s selling like this now and they’re planning on selling a new higher-priced version of the PSP this October? Gotta give it to ‘em for their moxie if nothing else. Go PSP Go!

Sony’s PlayStation 2 had summer vacation plans ruined by a tropical depression with 152,700 budget bargains sold in the month of Kamehameha Day. In the month celebrating Asian/Pacific Islander heritage, the PS2 sold 117,000 slimline superstars showing an increase. The diehard refuses to go softly into that good night one more time. Setting a standard for future consoles to follow, the PS2 vows to make it to year 10 of retail relevance by every means necessary. You almost want to cheer it on. Such a fighter.

In the final mix, the U.S. videogame industry puddled $1.17 billion in total sales for June, a lightning-shocking 31% drop from last June. Of this billion-dollar figure, total hardware sales downpoured 38% to $382.62 million while total software sales rainfell 29% to $625.79 million. Meanwhile, total accessory sales splashed down 22% to $158.20 million. Recession-proof is a MYTH! Believe it.

For the year-to-date, the industry bogged down 12% to an undisclosed dollar amount which probably hovers around the $7.29 billion range. Once again, NPD didn’t specify the hardware, software, or accessory portions of this amount so use your imagination. Also, never forget that all percentages refer to year-to-year comparisons between June 2009 and June 2008.

Game-wise, there was a shocker this month. No, it’s not that XBox 360 titles showed strong representation or that a big PS3 title charted. It’s that Wii Play is NOT in the Top 10! WHAT? After a record 29 months, 2 years and 5 months on the Top 10 each and every month since its February 2007 debut, Wii Play is nowhere to be found. It had become like the number 1 in multiplication, assumed to be always there. But it may have a suitable replacement with EA’s take on Wii-based exercise. People had diverse tastes this month from legendary boxing to living legend golfers to legend-making martial artists. Prototypical for June, wouldn’t you say? Get wet and drench yourself in all the info!

NPD’s Top Hardware Sales in June

Nintendo DS – 766,500
Nintendo Wii – 361,700
Microsoft XBox 360 – 240,600
Sony PlayStation 3 – 164,700
Sony PlayStation Portable – 163,500
Sony PlayStation 2 – 152,700

NPD’s Top Ten Software Sales in June

01. Prototype (X360) – 419,900
02. UFC 2009: Undisputed (X360) – 338,300
03. EA Sports Active (Wii) – 289,100
04. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Wii) – 272,400
05. Wii Fit (Wii) – 271,600
06. Fight Night Round 4 (X360) – 260,800
07. Fight Night Round 4 (PS3) – 210,300
08. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) – 202,100
09. Red Faction: Guerilla (X360) – 199,400
10. inFAMOUS (PS3) – 192,700

A special treat for you patient types, NPD was kind enough to also share the rest of the Top Twenty software picks (THERE'S Wii Play!)...More raindrops below.

NPD’s Top Twenty Software Sales in June

11. Ghostbusters: The Video Game (X360)
12. UFC 2009: Undisputed (PS3)
13. Prototype (PS3)
14. Pokémon Platinum (DS)
15. Punch-Out!! (Wii)
16. Wii Play (Wii)
17. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (X360)
18. Mario Kart DS (DS)
19. The Legendary Starfy (DS)
20. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)