July 2015 NPD: PS4 leads, Wii U software sales up

U.S. video game sales results for the month of July 2015 are in.

General

Consumers spent $541.9 on software, hardware, and accessories in July 2015, up six percent from the $513.3 same period last year.

“Overall video game sales [growth was] driven by modest hardware growth and double-digital accessory growth as software sales remained flat compared to last July,” said NPD analyst Liam Callahan.

Callahan noted that the nearly $13 billion console-gaming industry continues to thrive even as people continue to spend a similar amount on software.

Top ranking standalone software for the month include:

1. Lego: Jurassic World (360, 3DS, PS3, Xbox One, Wii U, PS4, Vita)
2. Batman: Arkham Knight (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
3. Minecraft (360, PS3 ,Xbox One, PS4)
4. Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3, PC)
5. Rory Mcilroy PGA Tour (PS4, Xbox One)
6. The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
7. Destiny (Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3)
8. Mortal Kombat X (PS4, Xbox One)
9. FIFA 15 (PS4, 360, Xbox One, PS3, Wii, Vita, 3DS)
10. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3, PC)

(These figures only come from new physical games and systems sold at retailers. The NPD Group does not track digital or used game sales.)

Sony

PlayStation 4 topped both hardware and software sales in July 2015, according to the NPD.

“We are truly humbled by the success of the PS4, and we would like to thank gamers for making it the top selling console and No. 1 in software sales in the United States in July,” a Sony spokesperson said in a statement provided to VentureBeat.

Sony noted that the Batman: Arkham Knight PlayStation 4 bundle it launched last month again helped get the system into consumers’ hands in July.

“We are looking forward to delighting fans next month with the launch of the Limited Edition Destiny: The Taken King PS4 bundle on September 15,” the Sony spokesperson added.

Microsoft

“Xbox One and Xbox Live continued to see strong sales and engagement in July,” Xbox marketing boss Mike Nichols said in a statement. “Xbox One sales in the U.S. [were] up 44 percent over July 2014 and active global Xbox Live users — Xbox One and Xbox 360 — up 22 percent.”

Nintendo

Sales for Wii U are up 10 percent through the first seven months of the year compared to the same period in 2014, Nintendo announced.

Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U are still selling, but Splatoon contributes to much of the platform’s software growth.

“Much of [Wii U’s software] growth can be attributed to Splatoon, which inked nearly 85,000 total units in its third month to bring its lifetime total to nearly 540,000 total units in the United States alone,” Nintendo said in a press release. “As of June 30, the game has sold more than 1.6 million total units around the world.”

3DS continues to do well. Through the first seven months of 2015, sales of the handheld platform have increased by nearly 35 percent over the same period in 2014, Nintendo said.

Nintendo still has a number of upcoming first-party releases slated for 2015, including Super Mario Maker, Yoshi’s Woolly World, Star Fox Zero, and Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U, and Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, The Legend of Zelda: Tri-Force Heroes, and Yo-Kai Watch for 3DS.

Thanks, VentureBeat (2, 3).