December 2009 NPD Report: Nintendo wins big in weak economy

The NPD report data is in!  December 2009 and the year’s totals are a testament to Nintendo’s market power. Though 2009′s sales were 8% less than the industry experienced in 2008, December 2009 sales were actually 4% more than December 2008, coming in at a tasty $5.53 billion.

The Nintendo Wii dominated the holiday season’s video game hardware sales, selling 3.81 million units.  The Nintendo DS came in second with 3.31 million units sold, far more than Sony’s PlayStation 3 which sold 1.36 million units, coming in third place.  Software sales dropped 7% to $2.58 billion, but six of the top 10 best-selling games for December 2009 were for the Wii or DS.  No easy feat, Nintendo’s New Super Mario Bros. defeated the combined 360 and PS3 sales for Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.  Take that, gratuitously violent military shooters.

Below are the sales figures from the NPD Group report:

NPD Group: December 2009
Industry Sales (console): $5.53 billion (+4%)
Software: $2.58 billion (-7%)
Accessories: $760,200 (+15%)

Nintendo Wii:  3.81 million units
Nintendo DS:   3.31 million units
Sony PlayStation 3: 1.36 million units
Microsoft Xbox 360: 1.31 million units
Sony PSP: 654,700 units
Sony PlayStation 2: 333,200 units

1. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii):   2.82 million units
2. Wii Fit Plus (Wii):  2.41 million units
3. Wii Sports Resort w/ Wii Motion Plus (Wii):  1.79 units
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (360):  1.63 million units
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3):  1.12 million units
6. Wii Play w/ Remote (Wii):  1.01 million units
7. Mario Kart w/ Wheel (Wii):  936,100 units
8. Assassin’s Creed II (360):  783,100 units
9. Left 4 Dead 2 (360):  728,500 units
10. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (NDS):  656,700 units

NPD Group: Total 2009
Industry Sales (combined): $20.2 billion
Industry Sales (retail PC): $538 million (-23%)
Industry Sales (console): $19.66 billion (-8%)

2009 Top 10 Console/Portable Software Titles:

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (360)
2. Wii Sports Resort w/ Wii motion Plus (Wii)
3. New Super Mario Bros. (Wii)
4. Wii Fit w/ Balance Board (Wii)
5. Wii Fit Plus (Wii)
6. Mario Kart w/ Wheel (Wii)
7. Wii Play w/ Remote (Wii)
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3)
9. Halo 3: ODST (360)
10. Pokemon Platinum Version (NDS)

2009 Top 10 PC Game Software Titles:

1. The Sims 3
2. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Expansion Pack
3. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe
4. World of Warcraft: Battle Chest
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
6. World of Warcraft
7. The Sims 3: World Adventures Expansion Pack
8. Spore
9. Dragon Age: Origins
10. Empire: Total War

Source: Game Daily
Image: Nintendo