Video game industry tracker NPD’s new report highlighted a huge drop in sales for April 2010.  Software and hardware sales in the industry’s largest market, the United States, fell 26 percent to about $766.2 million – the fourth-largest decline in nearly a decade.

Hardware sales decreased 37 percent ($249.3 million) while software sales decreased 22 percent ($398.5 million).  In total, year-to-date industry sales decreased a whopping 11 percent.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction was the top-selling game in April selling nearly 486.1k units, with its exclusivity to the Xbox 360 giving Microsoft a huge boost.

In hardware, the Nintendo DS is sold well at nearly 440.8k units – but that’s a far cry from March’s 700.8k units.  The Nintendo Wii’s sales decreased to only 277.2k units sold in April.  Xbox 360 and PS3 sales hovered around 180k units.

You can read a more detailed breakdown of this information below.

NPD Group: April 2010

Industry Sales: $766.2 million (-26% from April 2009)
Hardware Sales: $249.3 million (-37%)
Software Sales: $398.5 million (-22%)
Accessory Sales: $118.4 million (-9%)

Nintendo DS: 440,800 units
Nintendo Wii: 277,200 units
Xbox 360: 185,400 units
Sony Playstation 3: 180,800 units
Sony PSP: 65,500 units

1. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction (360): 486.1k units
2. Pokemon Soulsilver Version (DS): 242.9k units
3. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii): 200.3k units
4. Pokemon Heartgold Version (DS): 192.6k units
5. God of War III (PS3): 180.3k units
6. Wii Sports Resort w/ Wii Motion Plus (Wii): N/A
7. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (360): N/A
8. Wii Fit Plus w/ Balance Board (Wii): N/A
9. Just Dance (Wii): N/A
10. Super Street Fighter IV (PS3): N/A

Industry Gamers

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Gas Powered Games’ sci-fi RTS Supreme Commander 2 will be available on PC-DVD March 5, 2010, and for the Xbox 360 on March 19, 2010 in Europe and other PAL territories.  The next installment in Chris Taylor’s epic-scale RTS franchise is sure to feature better graphics, more units, and ultimately, more destruction. More experimental units?!  Aw, yea…

Set 25 years after the first Supreme Commander game, which ended in a fragile alliance of the three warring factions, Supreme Commander 2 throws players at the beginning of a new war following the assassination of the alliance’s leader.  Don’t you hate when that happens?

Supreme Commander 2 PAL Release Dates Confirmed
January 26, 2010 – Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces SUPREME COMMANDER® 2, created by critically-acclaimed developer Gas Powered Games, will be available on PC-DVD from 5th March 2010 and on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft on 19th March 2010.

SUPREME COMMANDER 2 is the next installment in the award-winning SUPREME COMMANDER franchise, set 25 years further into the future. Featuring numerous game enhancements, an in-depth campaign mode, online multiplayer and a unique storyline, the game represents a new dimension in RTS gaming.

Boasting intense battles on a massive scale, players will wage war, creating enormous customizable armies and experimental war machines that can change the balance of power at any given moment. Assume the role of one of the three enigmatic commanders, each representing a unique faction with a rich story that brings a new level of emotional connection to the RTS genre.

“The partnership with Square Enix has been a highlight of my career,” said Chris Taylor, Founder and Creative Director of Gas Powered Games. “I couldn’t be more proud of what the team has accomplished, as the game has continually exceeded all of my expectations throughout its development.”

Larry Sparks, Vice President Brands PAL Region of Square Enix Ltd. comments, “SUPREME COMMANDER 2 has already achieved fantastic recognition across media and the RTS community winning E3 Best Strategy Game 2009 from IGN, 1UP and GameSpot. We’re thrilled to be working with Gas Powered Games to release a game that really pushes the genre’s gameplay and storyline expectations to a new level.”
For more information about SUPREME COMMANDER 2 please visit the official website at www.supremecommander2.com

About SUPREME COMMANDER 2
Story
Set 25 years after the end of the Infinite War, SUPREME COMMANDER 2 starts with the galaxy reeling from the recent assassination of the newly elected president of the fragile Colonial Defense Coalition. The members of the Coalition – the United Earth Federation, The Illuminate and the Cybran Nation –blame each other, and the early rumbles of war can be heard throughout the galaxy.
Features
• Take on the role of three enigmatic commanders; former friends from each of the unique factions — The United Earth Federation (UEF), The Illuminate and the Cybran Nation — who get dragged into a conflict of galactic consequences
• Explore a rich, character-driven single-player game which spans over 18 missions and delivers a new level of emotional connection to the RTS genre, or take the battle online for an exhilarating multi-player experience
• Fight action-packed battles on a massive scale, waging war with enormous land, air and naval units in visually spectacular environments, brought to life by all-new rendering technology and a true evolution of RTS controls on both platforms
• Upgrade and customize armies with new weapons and technology and deploy them instantly on the battlefield, turning a base-level tank into a high-powered, multi-barreled, anti-aircraft-sporting multipurpose battle unit
• Deploy wild experimental war machines that can change the balance of power at any given moment.
• Experience a streamlined economy and redesigned UI that put the focus squarely on combat, battlefield tactics and high-level strategic decision making, and give improved player feedback in Strategic Zoom view

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Square Enix announced on Friday plans to release a Limited Collector’s Edition of Final Fantasy XIII, the latest installment in the long-running series, in Europe and other PAL territories.  The Limited Collector’s Edition will be available for purchase alongside the regular edition for both the Xbox 360 and PS3 at launch on March 9, 2010.

The special pack will contain the Final Fantasy XIII game, a soundtrack CD featuring liner notes and songs specially chosen by composer Masashi Hamauzu, “The World of Final Fantasy XIII” hardback book featuring artwork from the game, 3 collectible art prints and a ‘Brand of the l’Cie’ decal.

For more details, read on past the break for the official press release.

SQUARE ENIX UNVEILS FINAL FANTASY XIII LIMITED COLLECTOR’S EDITION

Friday, 22 January 2010…Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces a LIMITED COLLECTOR’S EDITION of FINAL FANTASY®XIII will be available at launch.

FINAL FANTASY XIII, the latest project in the multi-platinum FINAL FANTASY series will be available for both the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft on 9th March 2010.

The LIMITED COLLECTOR’S EDITION, which will be available for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, will comprise the FINAL FANTASY XIII game; FINAL FANTASY XIII Original Sound Selection – an exclusive soundtrack CD featuring in-game music tracks especially chosen for the Limited Collector’s Edition by composer Masashi Hamauzu; The World of FINAL FANTASY XIII – a hardback book featuring character artwork, CG rendered artwork and environments from across the game’s production; Exclusive Art Prints – three highly collectable prints showing artwork of the Eidolons, the powerful summoned allies of the lead playable characters; and aUnique ‘Brand of the l’Cie’ decal – a collectible decal featuring the most iconic symbol from the game’s storyline. The LIMITED COLLECTOR’S EDITION will be available in a branded presentation box.

Larry Sparks, Vice President Brands PAL Region of Square Enix Ltd. comments, “FINAL FANTASY XIII is one of the most anticipated entertainment releases of all time and we’re pleased to announce this LIMITED COLLECTOR’S EDITION for fans across PAL territories, the contents of which have been individually selected by the FINAL FANTASY XIII development team.”

About FINAL FANTASY XIII

FINAL FANTASY XIII marks the dawning of a new era for the celebrated series, bringing the game to multiple hi-definition consoles simultaneously for the first time in its history.

Expanding upon the rich tradition of the series, producer Yoshinori Kitase (FINAL FANTASY VII, X, X-2), director Motomu Toriyama (FINAL FANTASY VII, X, X-2), character designer Tetsuya Nomura (FINAL FANTASY V, VI, VII, VIII, X) and art director Isamu Kamikokuryo (FINAL FANASY X, XII) combine their creative vision to deliver the latest masterpiece in the FINAL FANTASY universe. Additionally, Masashi Hamauzu (FINAL FANTASY X, DIRGE of CERBERUS -FINAL FANTASY VII-) presents a sweeping soundtrack while movie director Takeshi Nozue (FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN) and his team of artists adorn the game with seamless cinematic sequences of unparalleled calibre.

For more information about FINAL FANTASY XIII, please visit the Official Website atwww.finalfantasy13game.com

Limited Collector’s Edition features

Branded presentation box containing the FINAL FANTASY XIII game, plus:

• FINAL FANTASY XIII Original Sound Selection: Soundtrack CD including a selection of music tracks from the game that are especially chosen for this Limited Collector’s Edition by composer Masashi Hamauzu. The CD is presented inside a slipcase featuring artwork from FINAL FANTASY XIII, and also liner notes that are written by the composer.
• The World of FINAL FANTASY XIII: Hardback book featuring character artwork, CG rendered artwork and environments from across the game production.
• Unique ‘Brand of the l’Cie’ decal: Collectible decal featuring this most iconic symbol from the game storyline

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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

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