NPD: February sales slump 15%

The value of the video games market in the US fell 15 per cent year-on-year in February to $1.28bn – a number that has surprised even NPD itself.

The year to date market value stands at $2.42bn, a 14 per cent decline compared to 2009.

The industry realised another month of decreased sales as compared to last year,” NPD analyst Anita Frazier stated.

In fact, for most categories, unit sales declines were greater than dollar sales. Higher average retail prices on all categories except console hardware boosted dollar sales performance somewhat.

Honestly, I had expected the industry to perform somewhat better this month. Nonetheless, strong new releases, and Easter gift-buying bodes well for industry performance in March.”