The July 2014 NPD results are in and, as you probably could have guessed, the PlayStation 4 was the #1 selling console overall, marking the seventh in a row it’s accomplished this feat. That PS4 success didn’t stop there either, as The Last of Us was the #1 selling game during the month.
As for specific numbers, total industry retail sales were up 16% year-over-year to $514.3 million. The breakdown of that sees hardware at $198.8 million (up 100%), while software was down 15% to $178.2 million.
NPD Analyst Liam Callahan offered up some insight into the results for July 2014:
“Similar to the pattern seen in seven out of the last nine months, strong growth in hardware sales offset declines in software sales in July 2014 while accessory sales had modest growth.”
“Two other factors caused declines seen in July 2014 software sales. Reduced sales for new launches and the decline in [last-gen] software not entirely being offset by [new-gen] sales.”
“When combining life-to-date sales of Xbox One and PS4 after nine months, and comparing them to the combined totals of nine months of sales for Xbox 360 and PS3, sales of the newest consoles are larger than the prior generation by close to 80 percent.”
“July is typically a quiet month for software sales, representing about 5 percent of annual sales. Typically, EA’s NCAA Football launches in July, and often ranks as the top game. As that title is no longer being produced, new launch sales declined steeply by close to 70 percent in July 2014.”
Here’s the top 10 selling games in July 2014, which totals retail sales across all systems and includes Collectors Editions, GOTY Editions, and bundles, but not those bundled with hardware (check out June 2014 right here):
- The Last of Us (PS4, PS3)
- Minecraft (360, PS3)
- FIFA 14 (360,PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Vita)
- Watch Dogs (PS4, 360, PS3, Xbox One, PC)
- Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)
- Call of Duty: Ghosts (Xbox One, 360, PS4, PS3, Wii U, PC)
- Grand Theft Auto V (360, PS3)
- Sniper Elite 3 (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3)
- NBA 2K14 (360, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, PC)
- LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (360, PS3, 3DS, DS, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One, Vita, PC)
Following the NPD’s report, SCEA sent out a few highlights focused solely on PlayStation sales in July 2014:
- PlayStation 4 was #1 in sales for the seventh consecutive month and remains the cumulative leader for next generation game consoles.
- PlayStation 4 led the month for next generation software sales by a considerable margin, with The Last of Us Remastered taking the #1 spot.
- PlayStation 4 games accounted for more than half of total next generation software sales.
- For the second consecutive month, PlayStation was #1 in combined home console hardware sales (PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3).
[Source: Venture Beat]
