Videogame Sales Rise Four Percent in December; Best Month Ever

The videogame industry posted sales of $5.53 billion in December, up four percent from a year ago, and the best single month ever, according to market research firm NPD. Hardware sales were especially strong, up 16 percent, and accessories were up 15 percent. But software sales were down seven percent from a year earlier.

Among the consoles, the Nintendo Wii sold 3.81 million units, more than triple the 1.26 million sold in November. The Sony (SNE) Playstation 3 sold 1.36 million units, nearly twice the number sold in the previous month. Microsoft (MSFT) Xbox 360 units were 1.31 million, up from 819,500 in November. Even the aging PS2 had a good month, with 333,200 units, up from 203,100 one month earlier.

In the handheld category, the Nintendo DS sold 3.31 million units, up from 1.7 million in November, while the Sony PSP sold 654,700 units, up from 293,000.

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