GTA V spurs 27% gain in overall game spending
The game industry rakes in over $1 billion in revenue in September, getting "a much needed shot in the arm" from the latest Grand Theft Auto, says NPD.
Game spending in the US was up considerably in September, thanks to the wildly popular Grand Theft Auto V.
Total game spending in the physical channel, which includes game discs, hardware, and accessories, hit $1.08 billion in the United States last month, research firm NPD reported Thursday. The spending was up 27 percent compared to September 2012, when consumers laid out $848 million in the US.
The gain stemmed from the massive success of Grand Theft Auto V. In fact, total game software spending was up 52 percent year over year to $754.3 million. Total hardware spending was down 13 percent to $183.2 million.
"The launch of Grand Theft Auto V this September was a much needed shot in the arm for the industry," NPD analyst Liam Callahan said in a statement.
On the hardware side, Nintendo's 3DS was the top-selling device for the fifth-consecutive month. The PlayStation 3 was tops among consoles, snapping the Xbox 360's 32-month bestselling streak. Nintendo was also pleased with its console results last month, reporting that Wii U hardware sales were up considerably compared to August. But Nintendo didn't say exactly how many Wii U units it sold during the period.
