US: Nintendo Ruled 2008

The final NPD figures for 2008 games software and hardware sales in the US are in, showing a record year dominated by Nintendo.

Total sales were up 9% to $5.29 billion (£3.54 billion), pushing full year sales to $21.33 billion (£14.29 billion), a 19% increase over 2007. Hardware sales were up 2% in December to $1.88 billion (£1.26 billion) bringing the year's total up to $7.81 billion (£5.23 billion) – an 11% increase on 2007. Software sales were up 15% to $2.75 billion (£1.84 billion), driving total 2008 sales to $10.96 billion (£7.34 billion).

For December, Nintendo flew ahead in hardware sales. A whopping 3.04 million DSes were sold, with the Wii next in line at 2.15 million sales. The Xbox 360 took a respectable third with 1.44 million units shifted, with the PSP behind it clocking up 1.02 million sales. The PS3 trailed at the back with 726,000 consoles put into homes – only a smidgen over half the 360's sales. The PS2 was at the bottom with 410,000.

It was Wii Play, a Top 10 mainstay, that proved the best-selling piece of software for 2008. Behind it were three more Nintendo titles, all for the Wii. The only thing that came close to Nintendo as far as the NPD rankings are concerned was GTA IV. It's worth noting, however, that the combined sales of the 360 and PS3 versions add up to 5.18 million sales – a figure that would, if NPD consolidated multiple-platform sales of the same title (as Chart-Track does in the UK), have put GTA IV in at second.

You can see the US Top 10 for both December and 2008 below.

Top 10 Games of December 2008

1. Wii Play - Wii – Nintendo, 1.46 million
2. Call of Duty: World at War - Xbox 360 – Activision, 1.33 million
3. Wii Fit – Wii – Nintendo, 999,000
4. Mario Kart Wii – Wii – Nintendo, 979,000
5. Guitar Hero: World Tour - Wii – Activision, 850,000
6. Gears of War 2 - Xbox 360 – Microsoft, 745,000
7. Left 4 Dead - Xbox 360 – Electronic Arts, 629,000
8. Mario Kart - DS – Nintendo, 540,000
9. Call of Duty: World at War - PS3 – Activision, 533,000
10. Animal Crossing: City Folk - Wii – Nintendo, 497,000

Top 10 Games of Calendar Year 2008

1. Wii Play - Wii – Nintendo, 5.28 million
2. Mario Kart Wii – Wii – Nintendo, 5.00 million
3. Wii Fit – Wii – Nintendo, 4.53 million
4. Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Wii – Nintendo, 4.17 million
5. Grand Theft Auto IV - Xbox 360 – Take-Two, 3.29 million
6. Call of Duty: World at War - Xbox 360 – Activision, 2.75 million
7. Gears of War 2 - Xbox 360 – Microsoft, 2.31 million
8. Grand Theft Auto IV - PS3 – Take-Two, 1.89 million
9. Madden NFL '09 - Xbox 360 – Electronic Arts, 1.87 million
10. Mario Kart - DS – Nintendo, 1.65 million

^{via Game Daily}