Analysts expect February sales spike

Wedbush Morgan tags game sales up 20 percent, Pacific Crest estimates 25 percent leap.

The industry-tracking NPD Group is expected to release its US retail sales figures for the month of February later this week, and a pair of analysts are expecting the industry's run of growing months to continue. Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter and Pacific Crest Securities' Evan Wilson sent investors their expectations today, and their predictions are more in line with each other this month than last.

For the month of February, Pachter is predicting US retail software sales were up 20 percent year-over-year to $415 million. Wilson is a little more bullish, pegging sales up 25 percent to $430 million. Both analysts noted growing sales of games for "next-gen" systems like the Xbox 360, Wii, and PlayStation 3, as well as continued strength in the PlayStation 2 market.

Wilson noted that his retail checks showed Wiis remained difficult to obtain in stores and predicted that shipments of the system might not improve until April. As for the PS3, Wilson said that sell-through on the system has picked up slightly, but added, "It is evident that growth will not accelerate until prices are reduced and the lineup of games improves."

Pachter said that February's software sales were driven by the continued success of Activision's Guitar Hero II and other releases from the last holiday season. As for more current releases, he specified the multiplatform MLB 2K7, Virtua Fighter 5 for the PS3, Crackdown for the Xbox 360, and The Sims 2 Seasons for PC as the month's biggest newcomers.

41 Comments

  • zsc4

    Posted Mar 14, 2007 6:55 am PT

    Makes sense, I will buy a PS3 when the price drops. IMO its just not worth it at the moment. Especially when there are not a handful of games to play, for thats price.

  • zsc4

    Posted Mar 14, 2007 6:55 am PT

    Makes sense, I will buy a PS3 when the price drops. IMO its just not worth it at the moment. Especially when there are not a handful of games to play, for thats price.

  • LuminosityBlaze

    Posted Mar 14, 2007 12:17 am PT

    Whoever started Wii60 is a moron. I'm sorry, it's just one of those pet peeve things. I now own a PS3 and a Wii but had used a 360 numerous times with my friends while it was the only thing out. It has some good games but I waited. Now I see there is absolutely no desire for me to ever own a 360. Seriously. The ratio of quality games that either are and/or coming out vs. 360 is like 7:1. Bar multiplatform titles and you have your Halo 3 and probably about 10-15 major games against 30+ titles with the Wii and PS3 in the same timespan. I will use the same amount of $ to buy Vista instead. Its just now that we have gone from a 2 to a 3 console industry there has to be some one in the middle, the most mediocre, and thats the 360. Is a good system, don't get me wrong and blast me, but the PS3 is top notch quality. And I like to think of our beloved Nintendo as on the bottom, not because they are last, but because the Wii is diggin' holes underneath the both of them.

  • jrett

    Posted Mar 13, 2007 11:27 pm PT

    Crackdown!

  • ketsuatama

    Posted Mar 13, 2007 11:20 pm PT

    Didn't these clowns or their peers say in fall last year that the video gaming industry was going to be on its knees? I wish I had their jobs; say anything you like and get paid for it!

  • FilthyYamBag

    Posted Mar 13, 2007 3:30 pm PT

    i wouldn't count on a spike with the price of gas going back up

  • LosDaddie

    Posted Mar 13, 2007 12:00 pm PT

    I just hope the Wii60 comes out on top!

  • Sonovius

    Posted Mar 13, 2007 10:32 am PT

    "deadkingdg It's not that February saw an increase, it's january that was below the average month. Most people spent more than their budget allows in december, so they compensate by spending less in january."

    the analyst said year to year not jan to feb. no offense but you shouldnt type things if you dont understand economic concepts. no analyst worth his salt would ever compare any month's sales to january.

  • Kai_88

    Posted Mar 13, 2007 9:58 am PT

    Crackdown, God of War 2, Def Jam Icon. It's an okay month. Definitely better than January. Sales should climb.

  • Kai_88

    Posted Mar 13, 2007 9:57 am PT

    Crackdown, God of War 2, Def Jam Icon. It's an okay month. Definitely better than January. Sales should climb.

  • soldier1993

    Posted Mar 13, 2007 9:45 am PT

    PS3 all the way

  • soldier1993

    Posted Mar 13, 2007 9:43 am PT

    PS3 all the way

  • Blazer88

    Posted Mar 13, 2007 9:03 am PT

    QUOTE - nemes1s3000 "Mainly because of God of War of course. =P"
    Um no,..not at all. The title says February sales and even lists the games that were the biggest sellers. GoW2 isn't even out yet. And analysts tent o right more often than not its fanboys who are pretty much always wrong because they are unable to think nor judge with being biased. You can wish an hope for the PS3's sales to better but the guy is dead right that they are really going to pick up till this things price goes down and it gets better games. (not counting the spike it will recieve for being released in new countires or holidays). Not much sense lying to yourself and living in denial. Just makes a person look and sound dumb.

  • Johann_Lieberg

    Posted Mar 13, 2007 8:43 am PT

    if only Virtua Fighter 5 had online multiplayer, i would have bought it. oh well.. waiting for tekken 6...

  • Toadstool1969

    Posted Mar 13, 2007 7:53 am PT

    nemes1s3000 wrote:
    Mainly because of God of War of course. =P

    Fanboui.

  • ufopuller

    Posted Mar 13, 2007 7:29 am PT

    Good news

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Mar 13, 2007 6:15 am PT

    teh crystal ballz

  • cjcr_alexandru

    Posted Mar 13, 2007 3:58 am PT

    GameStop should make a feature named... "Predictions" where they should put all this analyst stuff.

  • nemes1s3000

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 10:52 pm PT

    Mainly because of God of War of course. =P

  • thekey

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 10:25 pm PT

    gatsbythepig "Analysts? what do they know?"

    They alot more then we do. And this time they didn't bash the PS3, they said positive things about the "big 3" next gen consoles. But there right and I agree with this one.

    "It is evident that growth will not accelerate until prices are reduced and the lineup of games improves." Thats what people been screeming all the long.

  • gatsbythepig

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 9:28 pm PT

    Analysts? what do they know?

  • ckmlb

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 8:08 pm PT

    I'm playing Crackdown more than VF5 and I'm the kinda guy who loves his fighting games...

    I bought Crackdown for Crackdown not to play the Halo demo, I'm not a Halo fan (not generally a fan of FPS).

    Whoever has a 360 go get Crackdown it's my favorite game on the console so far and probably the most fun I've had on it...

  • casshern

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 7:46 pm PT

    Everytime NPD Group is about to release sales figures you got some Analyst trying to come up with BS.

  • Willcow

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 7:32 pm PT

    Pete5506 you are wrong. I personally hate Halo and bought Crackdown for Crackdown, as did every single other person I know of. It seems to be a fairly strong feeling around people I know that they would rather wait until the full game is out.

  • perfect_chao

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 7:22 pm PT

    thylord i disagree.. DOA 4 got a better review, i think its a better game too.. that looks hot

  • RiceCake

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 7:22 pm PT

    Actually, deathmageMonkey, I think PS2 is leading world wide in monthly sales. I think march is gonna be a huge month for gamers. Motorstorm on PS3, GRAW 2 on 360, and God of war on PS2! Some huge titles coming out in the next couple weeks as well.

  • Pete5506

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 7:19 pm PT

    xxThyLordxx they brought it for halo 3 beta

  • xxThyLordxx

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 7:15 pm PT

    did people buy crackdown for crackdow or for Halo 3 Beta?

    best game in Feb, easily Virtua Fighter 5. please everyone should go and buy that game. its the playing and looking next gen fighter.

  • _Colossus_

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 6:54 pm PT

    I would garantee that this month is going to increase profits at least. STALKER, C&C3, Silent Hunter, etc.

  • sja28

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 6:53 pm PT

    1 guitar hero 2 ps2
    2 crackdown xbox360
    3 wow b pc

  • DeathmageMokey

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 6:41 pm PT

    Disciple, PS2 was by no stretch leading.

  • Disciple_Gamer

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 6:14 pm PT

    Sales should be up this month. What was stellar in Feburary last year. the xbox360 was hard to find, nintendo was in the cold, and the ps2 was doing it natural thing, which is stay in the lead.

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 5:41 pm PT

    Well, January isn't a hard month to beat.

  • deadkingdg

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 5:34 pm PT

    It's not that February saw an increase, it's january that was below the average month. Most people spent more than their budget allows in december, so they compensate by spending less in january.

  • NeonNinja

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 5:34 pm PT

    PS3_3DO, I bet you're right about that one man!

  • PS3_3DO

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 5:17 pm PT

    I bet you that Crackdown is the best selling game for February because of some little beta that is included with it.

  • Ironblindfold

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 5:13 pm PT

    Yar.

  • cjnwo4life

    Posted Mar 12, 2007 5:09 pm PT

    We will see. I am a vendor for all of the major retailers and I can tell for first hand that sales will be down due to slower traffic this quarter vs Q1 of 06. I will be interested to see what the final sales are but I am not expecting huge lifts.

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