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The US games retail market generated $3bn overall in November representing a year-on-year rise of 0.4 per cent.
NPD data shows software sales increased 16 per cent from $1.5bn to $1.74bn year-on-year, while sales of games hardware fell nine per cent from $1.08bn to $982.4m.
Accessories generated $273.8m from retail sales last month, a dip of 34 per cent over November 2010’s $414.4m.
It was the best November on record in terms of sales of new physical content.
The Xbox 360 was the best-selling console in the US for the fourth consecutive month.
Additionally, the top-selling game in the US last month was Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, beating sales of Black Ops in November last year by seven per cent.
NPD Group’s Anita Frazier said: Overall, the new physical portion of industry sales was essentially flat versus last November. While content sales grew substantially thanks to a great slate of new content, a decline in average retail price in all categories with the exception of portable hardware resulted in flat dollar sales even though unit sales grew for console hardware, as well as console, portable, and pc software.
This November marks the best November on record for sales of new physical content. November 2008 was previously the best November on record.
New physical retail sales are likely to end December down three per cent in dollar sales based on historical seasonality trends.”
These figures do not include sales of digitally distributed games, pre-owned products, subscriptions, apps, rentals or social network games.
Top Ten games sold in the US in November
1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
3. Battlefield 3
4. Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
5. Just Dance 3
6. Madden NFL 12
7. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
8. Saints Row: The Third
9. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
10. Batman: Arkham City
