US video game sales fell 23% in April, which is worse than some had expected, and game console sales stumbled, NPD Group reported Thursday.
The poor performance was due to the slowing economy .The video game industry had a rough April, with with overall revenues falling 17% from a year ago, according to new data from market research firm NPD. Video game hardware sales were down 8%, while software fell 23%, and accessories declined 15%. The U.S. video-game industry saw sales fall for the second consecutive month in April, as the dismal economy and the absence of major video-game releases took its toll, a market research firm said.
The biggest surprise was the 43% drop in Nintendo Wii console sales from March to 340,000 units. The Wii, with its popular motion-sensor control, has regularly sold out at retail
stores since its release in late 2006. Nintendo has had to increase production to meet demand.
The bad economy also had its impact. Overall unit sales of consoles and games were down 5% from a year ago and average selling prices also fell, which contributed to the revenue drop.