US Video Game Chart: Sales Down 5%

The NPD has published its January results for the buying habits of gamers in North America, and it's not looking too brilliant. Overall sales suffered a five per cent drop compared to sales in January 2010, while the relatively quiet release period kept Call of Duty: Black Ops at the top of the software chart.

Just Dance 2 claimed the second spot in the US January 2011 Top Ten, while EA's sci-fi sequel Dead Space 2 creeped up to #3. Plenty of activity-based games pepper the chart here, with Zumba Fitness for Kinect being the most popular at #5. Who knew? Dance Central and Michael Jackson: The Experience bring up the rear of the Top 10.

1 - Call of Duty: Black Ops - Activision
2 - Just Dance 2 - Ubisoft
3 - Dead Space 2 - Electronic Arts
4 - LittleBigPlanet 2 - Sony
5 - Zumba Fitness: Join the Party - Majesco
6 - NBA 2K11 - Take-Two
7 - Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood - Ubisoft
8 - Dance Central - MTV Games
9 - Michael Jackson: The Experience - Ubisoft
10 - DC Universe Online - Sony

Software sales dropped five per cent compared to January 2010, while hardware was hit the hardest with an eight per cent fall. Accessories picked up some of the slack with a six per cent boost thanks to Kinect and Move.