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GAMING NEWS

NPD Says January 2012 Sales Down 37%, Analysts Go Crazy

Posted on Friday, February 10 @ 15:33:03 Eastern by


The venerable NPD released the latest figures for video game sales in January 2012 and concluded that it has dropped to $379.6 million, declining 37% compared to sales in January 2011. This has freaked out analysts at Wedbush and Sterne Agee who estimated a decline of only 15%, especially Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter:
It also makes no sense that sales are below the level from 2004, when games were cheaper and the installed base of consoles was much lower. ... I don't know if the NPD is getting faulty data, but these numbers make no sense.
In other words: "Wwwaaaaahhhh!!! Watch me cover my ass."

NPD anaylst Anita Frasier explains that there were hardly any new releases, nor any of much significance, this January (most worthy of note came out in very late January). Last year's January saw the release of Dead Space 2, Little Big Planet 2, and DC Universe Online. Meanwhile, Skyrim, Modern Warfare 3, and Battlefield 3 have everyone's attention. So, except for Pachter, anyone really that surprised?
Tags:   NPD


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Comments
  • sliverstorm
    sliverstorm

    Joined: Jun 2007
    Posted: Feb 10th, 2012 at 4:01 pm
    Pretty incredible that so many game sales in a month are driven by same-month releases. The only notable releases I can think of in January were FFXIII-2 and SoulCalibur 5, and both of those released on the 31st.

    Regardless, I would love to know more about NPD's methodology. Like, anything at all.
  • Lien
    Lien

    Joined: Feb 2008
    Posted: Feb 10th, 2012 at 11:23 pm
    I love Michael Pachter. People should check out his show on gametrailer.
  • Ranim
    Ranim

    Joined: Nov 2005
    Posted: Feb 11th, 2012 at 2:47 am
    The thing with publishers charging 60 dollars for a PC game is off-putting.
  • 213EDD
    213EDD

    Joined: Sep 2007
    Posted: Feb 11th, 2012 at 11:27 am
    not to mention digital as well

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