NPD: February US game sales up 28 percent

Nintendo highlights hardware sales with DS and Wii system sales while Crackdown takes the month's software crown.

The industry-tracking NPD Group released its February tallies for the US gaming market Thursday evening, and the numbers show significant growth in both hardware and software sales year over year.

Game sales were up nearly 28 percent from $345 million to $441 million, while hardware sales nearly doubled. For February 2006, gaming hardware accounted for $203 million in the US, while last month's system sales added up to $402 million. Combining those numbers with accessory sales, the industry as a whole was up more than 53 percent, from $639 million to $978 million.

On the hardware side, Nintendo's DS led the way, selling 485,000 systems during February. Its console counterpart was the second-best-selling system, as 335,000 Wiis were sold in the US. Domestically, the Xbox 360 sold around 228,000, while Sony saw its older hardware outselling newer offerings. The PlayStation 2 moved 295,000 units, followed by the PlayStation Portable's 176,000, and the PlayStation 3's 127,000.

While Nintendo posted the best numbers in the hardware sector, it was a Microsoft game that claimed the top of the software sales charts. Sporting a coveted invite to the Halo 3 beta testing program, the Xbox 360 game Crackdown had the top of the charts on lockdown for February, selling 427,000 copies during the briefest of months.

Top 10 games for February, 2007, based on number of units sold:

1. Crackdown--Xbox 360
2. Wii Play with Wii Remote--Wii
3. Diddy Kong Racing--DS
4. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess--Wii
5. Guitar Hero 2 bundle--PlayStation 2
6. Gears of War--Xbox 360
7. MLB 2K7--Xbox 360
8. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition--Xbox 360
9. WarioWare: Smooth Moves--Wii
10. NBA Street: Homecourt--Xbox 360

447 Comments

  • KingovGames

    Posted Mar 30, 2007 1:24 pm PT

    With the Wii being better than I thought I also realize how the Wii and Xbox360 together will bring down the PS3 down to it's knees. Sony has almost lost this game already. Who knows, it may have been a different story between the Xbox360 and PS3 if the PS3 actually had great games, but what I don't understand is how can you put out a $600 system and expect people to buy it without great games to justify it? (Or virtually no great games). The nerve of Sony. That or some really bad decisions made in that department of Sony. No doubt they will all be fired by the time the console war's decided. It will probably be known as the biggest blunder in console history.

  • KingovGames

    Posted Mar 30, 2007 12:24 pm PT

    You know, I would like to go back on my comment about the Wii. It seems better than I had first thought. I just went looking on Youtube for some more video of games about it and it looks pretty fun with the way you control everything with your movements and the controls. It ain't no Powerglove this time I can tell you that much, hehe. I had thought it was only really good for sports games, but if you can play action games and driving games by moving your arms and it's also still fun I might consider getting one. I'm gonna go look at some more clips of the action games cause I'm not that big of a sports game fan. Too bad they couldn't just give the machine better graphics, it might've added $100-$200 more and they would've had the same success cause of the fun controllers that have made it a success. If the success continues I think there will be a Super Wii with much better graphics.

  • KingovGames

    Posted Mar 27, 2007 3:34 pm PT

    No, learn how to read. These are U.S. figures. PS2 is still outselling them because it's much much cheaper. As for next-gen systems Xbox 360 is the system to beat. I think it's outselling the PS3 in Japan too cause the PS3 is too expensive over there also. As for the Wii, it's selling a lot cause it's cheaper too. Playing tennis with that controller will be fun for awhile but it's gonna get old real fast. Anyway that system is a backwards system, not a next-gen system. It should be categorized as a retro-gen system and not compared to the next-gen systems.

  • hardhittin12

    Posted Mar 27, 2007 9:52 am PT

    only reason the PS2 out sold the 360 is because the 360 doesn't well well outside the US as much Japan still hates anything xbox

  • sebtko

    Posted Mar 26, 2007 4:56 pm PT

    sony's ps3 just came out a couple months ago so for all u dumb noobs just get over yourself and just wait for sony to get its halo game and gears of crap game then you can start talking some smack!!!! when the 360 came out it took them @ least a year to come up with a decent game!!!

  • Myriam_D

    Posted Mar 25, 2007 7:41 pm PT

    Eh, Ninty's got the hardware charts. Nice stuff, nice stuff, but then again, I always had faith. *hugs DS, mourns dead X-Box* Really though, that's so eerie. NOTHING Sony, or PC. My family would hardly be upset about the former, lol.

  • Lefty2k5

    Posted Mar 24, 2007 8:42 am PT

    It's good to see no PS3 games on the top 10. The gaming community needs to show Sony the mistakes made on PS3. Wii and 360 are awesome systems, great balances of price, games, and graphics. I can't wait to see how many Wii's sell once the big titles are launched. Smash Bros., Super Mario Galaxy, Super Paper Mario. Nintendo is looking great. And lets not forget Halo 3.

  • KingovGames

    Posted Mar 22, 2007 11:39 pm PT

    Sony President Kutaragi over Sony's competition- "we don't care."

    lol the arrogant ass should be asked if he cares now.

  • themeteor

    Posted Mar 22, 2007 8:58 am PT

    slow month for PC so i wouldn't expect it to be there as a Microsoft hater (there OS's suck...) it's nice (imo) to see the PS2 still out selling Xbox 360, also nice to see fun out selling graphical power

  • Acemaster27

    Posted Mar 21, 2007 11:22 pm PT

    lol, sony's getting screwed... a lot

  • mr17x

    Posted Mar 21, 2007 2:14 pm PT

    does this count PC game sales or did the games just did not make the list?

  • playforpride372

    Posted Mar 21, 2007 1:50 pm PT

    Not surprised for no PS3 game. It lacks great games like the DS, Wii, and Xbox 360 do. Congrats to Crackdown. I don' t have it though, but i have 8 of the top 10.

  • meowww

    Posted Mar 21, 2007 1:05 pm PT

    No game for PS3 ,what a shame

  • Flimsyfishy

    Posted Mar 21, 2007 12:30 pm PT

    it's been out for 4 months though... well for the first 4 months, the wii's doing well, eventhough there are a lack of titles. they say the first 6 months defines a console's future, but damn, i wasn't expecting 335 thousand wii's to be sold in a 28 day month... that's over 10 thousand sold everyday... it's shocking to see the ds selling 485 thousand... that's like almost 15 thousand everyday... holy crap, nintendo's making a ton of money.

  • r3351925

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 12:21 pm PT

    Goood new gamespot

  • brhisawsome

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 9:02 am PT

    woot 360 but this is all consoles no PC right?

  • omegabyte

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 8:26 am PT

    "(read:nintendo lovers, zelda's excellence does not make up for the dearth of quality titles on the Wii; every other piece of software is mediocre at best, except for maybe madden)"

    The Wii has only been out 6 months, so there's no telling what's around the horizon. Think about how long it took for the DS to produce some of the really amazing games that have since come out for it. It takes time for developers to get the hang of utilizing the new control aspects of the system, so the first generation of games for the Wii are, expectedly, going to be a little weaker than what's to come. People made fun of the DS when it came out, and now look at it - it's more popular than the normal consoles and is actually stealing big name titles away from the consoles (ie. Dragon Quest IX). I'm personally waiting for the second generation of Wii games before I pick one up, because a) It will be far easier to find, and b) the games right now are, as you said, not that great. But I believe they will be.

    For this year though, the 360 is set to dominate. It's finally getting all its big console sellers out - Gears of War, Halo 3, Blue Dragon, etc.

  • Kicken

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 4:06 am PT

    360 owns half of the top 10? take that sony

  • Captainintendo

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 1:42 am PT

    "Yeah all you Nintwndo fans sit down youve been out far less then half the time of the 360 and you are barely pushing 100,000 units on it, you aren't winning his race the 360 owns all the console stuff."

    you obviously haven't seen the overall numbers. Nintendo is catching up very fast and the Wii hasn't even been out 6 months.

    "Also there are very few people waiting on a Wii price drop, watch the sales of both te 360 and PS3 skyrocket once both companies annouce the price drop."

    even when the 360 decides to price drop it will still be more expensive than the Wii. Not to mention all the money wasted on replacing your 360 when it overheats and dies. Bahahahahahahaha!!!!

  • JustQuest

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 1:33 am PT

    I know its amazing how things pan out ohh well im glad for the gamers who are supporting the Wii and its games.

  • king_bodian

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 12:05 am PT

    Yeah all you Nintwndo fans sit down youve been out far less then half the time of the 360 and you are barely pushing 100,000 units on it, you aren't winning his race the 360 owns all the console stuff. The DS is awesome though, peace.
    Also there are very few people waiting on a Wii price drop, watch the sales of both te 360 and PS3 skyrocket once both companies annouce the price drop.

  • WisdomLink

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 7:48 pm PT

    mmmm Wii60...oh snap
    wiis sellout as quick as they come in...I can't get another Wii...where's my precious 360...

  • gatsbythepig

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 6:45 pm PT

    I am not even a litle surprised and the joke is on all of those people last year who tried to put down the wii on april fools

  • msudude211

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 6:43 pm PT

    I am begining to want a Wii.

  • assassinX01

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 6:16 pm PT

    I'm not going to make an attack on the PS3, since it's still a good console, and, objectively, has a better game lineup than the Wii does, (read:nintendo lovers, zelda's excellence does not make up for the dearth of quality titles on the Wii; every other piece of software is mediocre at best, except for maybe madden) but there's something that Sony might want to learn from the fact that the three best selling consoles are coincidentally the cheapest. 600 dollars is far too an exhorbitant a price for a console that is intended for the mass market.

  • thomasonfa

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 5:41 pm PT

    People want what Nintendo is offering, they have a great bargin. I have been looking for a Wii and I would like to get a DS one day. A while back I was telling my cousin that they will find there own place in the console war and it is because they are smart enough to offer a system for people who can't pony up the money for a PS3 or 360. For all gamers, this is great news because every time a company wants to do more business in gaming, they have to bring their best products out. Since Nintendo has something for every one and it is offering the right price maybe the others will come out with more cheaper games or a cheaper services so we can all afford to play. One day my gaming dream is that all prices will be reduced and the products offered will be superior for all systems; so no matter what system we choose we will have quality games. BUT THEN I WAKE UP>>>

  • mathias89

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 2:59 pm PT

    PatL Tornado, you are missing one very important point; back then online functions were a novelty, right now that is already set in and nintendo has already made it clear what their intentions in that matter are. In fact, the wii's motion sensing has been obviously a huge hit compared to PS3's power house graphics, otherwise we wouldnt be hearing bad news about it every other week. You may argue that down the line PS3 sales will increase and Wiii sales will decrease as people realize that the Wii is nothing mroe than a "fad"; but that brings me back to precisely my previous point...people buying the Wii right now know pretty well (unless they are idiots) what they will be getting for the next few months in terms of hardware and features...unless something unexpected equivalent of the online funcitonalities for the old generation come up.

    In summary, unlike the Gamecube...right now the Wii has already said what it is doing like or different then to the other two consoles...so people buying it are doing so because they are willing to try it despite its weaknesses. If it fails along the line due to lack of third party support as the Gamecube does...is another concept entirely.

  • dj_b02us

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 2:35 pm PT

    hahahaha! that bare minimum game library having psp beating the ps3, and ps2 beating them both! bwahahahahahahaha!!!

  • ManOfTeal

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 1:45 pm PT

    Go Nintendo, long may you reign.

  • PatLTornado

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 11:52 am PT

    What Odmillian said.

    It's funny how all the crazy fanboys are trying to spin this as exciting news, when it isn't. From normal U.S. sales a prespective consoles that sell less than half a million a month shows that hardware sales are far lower then they were five years ago.

    Mind you fanboys, the normal amount of hardware in the U.S. sold monthly is supposed to be about half a million the PS2 usually sold about 650,000 a month and the Dreamcast sold about 550,000 a month during 2000.

    This means that demand is lower then it normally is and that the market is in decline this is not good, this is bad. It means the the industry is slowing down and stagnation has set in.

    From what I remember, the Gamecube got off to a great start selling about 2.5 million units in the spring of 2002, but when Nintendo stubbornly refused to build online gaming the Cube failed. Once people realize that Wii has little big name titles,dated graphics and lame ports like the consoles before it the Wii will fail and Nintendo's last console will be looked at by historians as nothing more then a novelty console. And by 2009 there will be little interest in a Gamecube with a new controller, because that's what Fads are all about.

  • Mark2099

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 11:47 am PT

    Wii play is a $10 dollar, below budget game. It should not be ranked with the other games.

  • RPG_Worshiper

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 11:46 am PT

    puppiemaster is right. There is a place for all three consoles, and everyone should embrace them instead of condemn them. They each have something to offer and they will all grow better over the years. This is why I own a 360 and a PS3 now, and I plan to buy a Wii eventually.

  • puppiemaster

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 8:38 am PT

    wwonka666

    Wii is kinda sucky, how come everyone love Nintendo now? Where were you when Gamecube was out Nintendo Fans? Look a the games I own, over 100 gamecube titles, I was there, I've always been there and I'll still be there in years to come.

    The Wii does not suck at all, unless having fun gaming sucks and in that case all of the consoles suck in some way, too much ephisis is put on graphics nowdays, it should be about gameplay.

    I love playing on the Wii, hell even my wife loves playing on it and thats a first for any console, it does not mean I hate playing on my 360 or PS3 though.

    There is a place for all 3 of the consoles in my opinion and I'm so glad that nintendo are doing really well at the moment, there have brought and inovative product to the market place and scored big with it, to me thats great business sense and thinking out of the box. Whats the bigger market, gamers or non gamers, hardcore gamers or casual gamers, people have to put aside their fanboys traits and actually appreciate that the most powerful does not always = the best. In gaming the DS proved that over the PSP, we play games to have fun, the Wii = FUN. Simple concept. I had 3 friends over for a bowling tournament last week and they all now want to buy a Wii, they all played the PS3 and loved it, but all said it was too expensive.

    Getting non gamers to play games is what nintendo is doing, good luck to them, great marketing, ask M$ and Sony, they would admit they wish they had thought of it first.

  • R3DN1N3

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 8:31 am PT

    The PS3 is doing so poorly I think Sony should just stick with their PS2 seen as how they refuse to stop supporting it. If u support the old console (PS2) then the new one (PS3) won't rake in sales. Sony is unintentionally shooting themselves in the foot. They should issue a statement that may sound something like this: "We feel that Sony products should last 20 years. We don't like the notion of changing every 5 years" -PRICELESS-

  • razu_gamer

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 6:35 am PT

    we see next year...

  • Rect_Pola

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 5:56 am PT

    wwonka666: " Wii is kinda sucky, how come everyone love Nintendo now? Where were you when Gamecube was out Nintendo Fans?"

    First off, I enjoy the Wii, but do respect how it doesn't appeal to everyone. As for the Gamecube, I'm sure the Nintendo fans were doing the same thing I was; playing what games my Gamecube had to offer. Broader-minded fans (also including myself) played something else when there were lulls. As for the all "passionate" who are now converts, don't neglect that the following is legitimate in all matters of fandom:
    http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/01/10

  • LosDaddie

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 5:36 am PT

    Another victory for the Microsoft & Nintendo alliance!!

    Go, Wii60!!

  • wwonka666

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 3:15 am PT

    Wii is kinda sucky, how come everyone love Nintendo now? Where were you when Gamecube was out Nintendo Fans?

  • ulrikz

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 2:04 am PT

    Nice stuff!

  • buildar

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 12:54 am PT

    Is it just me or is comparing the success of the consoles to each other a little ridiculous based on one month, give it a year and you'll have a better idea. All three consoles have different circumstances and reasons for purchase. The true winner is the consumer, more competition makes for better products.

  • sja28

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 12:34 am PT

    wii60 all the way ps3 for sale you will save about 150$

  • hulkmad67

    Posted Mar 18, 2007 10:30 pm PT

    the wii is doing great... the 360 is doing fantastic... the ps3 not so great

  • Deckfos

    Posted Mar 18, 2007 9:37 pm PT

    GO Wii60!!!!!!!! Ps3 the best don't think so....

  • cheesytaco69

    Posted Mar 18, 2007 7:45 pm PT

    The Wii exploded! Still aren't ready on the shelves to buy. You have to show up the day they are received by the store within an hour of opening to get one. At my Best buy there is a dusty PS3 just chillin there on the shelf.

  • sizzlemebacon2

    Posted Mar 18, 2007 7:14 pm PT

    I know who won... nobody, the PS3 and Wii aren't even a year old and everyone's talking about how Nintendo will always be the supreme ruler of gaming (I have all three consoles so don't accuse me of fanboyism) Nintendo's third-party support is crippled, Sony had a terrible coming out party, and the 360 had the luxury of being the first console out it's installed base really did help out but Sony and Nintendo are catching up. One month won't make a difference by the end of 07' I'd excpect a few amazing first-party titles from Nitendo in Q4, and the 360 and PS3 both competing to get a flood of AAA titles out throughout the year, all-in-all it's a good year for gamers.

  • oscarVD

    Posted Mar 18, 2007 7:01 pm PT

    oh yea i bought a wii is the most stupid and dumb @ZZ console ever!!!!!

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