NPD says ‘NCAA Football 13’ tops video games titles in July, sales down 20 per cent

NEW YORK, N.Y. – U.S. retail sales of new video game hardware, software and accessories fell for the eighth straight month in July, according to research firm NPD Group.

Overall sales fell 20 per cent to $548.4 million.

Sales of consoles and portable software — the video games themselves — fell 23 per cent from a year earlier to $278 million. Sales of hardware such as Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox and Sony Corp.’s PlayStation fell 32 per cent to $151 million. Accessories sales bucked the trend, rising 8 per cent to $137 million.

Even with the anticipated launch of Nintendo Co.’s Wii U later in the year, NPD predicted full-year sales will be $14.5 billion, down from $17 billion last year.

The study from NPD Group tracks sales of new physical products — about 50 per cent of the total spending. Excluded are sales of used games and rentals as well as digital and social-network spending.

NPD also listed the top-selling games in July:

1. “NCAA Football 13,” Electronic Arts Inc.

2. “Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes,” Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Bros. Interactive

3. “The Amazing Spider-Man,” Activision Blizzard Inc.

4. “Just Dance 3,” Ubisoft Group

5. “Batman Arkham City,” Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Bros. Interactive

6. “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” Activision Blizzard Inc.

7. “Assassin’s Creed: Revelations,” Ubisoft Group

8. “NBA 2K12,” Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.

9. “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3,” Activision Blizzard Inc.

10. “Dead Island,” Deep Silver