14 DAY TRIAL // Data gathered by the NPD Group shows that the Xbox One has managed to move more consoles in the United States during the month of December, as the overall industry has actually dropped the overall value of its sales when compared to the same period in 2013.
The company is not saying how many devices each producer managed to deliver to fans during the period, but both leading devices are performing much better at the moment than their last-gen counterparts did at the same time in their lifetimes.
Nintendo also claims that its own Wii U has managed its best performance for a month in the United States so far, with total hardware sales increasing by 29 percent over the same period in 2013, while software improved even more, by an impressive 75%.
Liam Callahan, an analyst working for the NPD Group, is quoted by GamesIndustry.biz as saying that “Bundles were a major driver of hardware sales this December compared to last with 71 percent of hardware unit sales stemming from Bundles including software, which compares to 32 percent of hardware sales last December.”
Overall sales for December 2014 were down when compared to 2013 but the decrease is small and current-gen consoles are at the moment pushing the entire industry forward.
2015 will be a year for consolidation
Microsoft seems to have made the 349 dollar (267 Euro) price point for the Xbox One pretty much permanent, at least in the United States, and that might mean that Sony will try to respond by taking down the price of its PlayStation 4.
So far, the company has responded by adding The Last of Us: Remastered, a very solid game, to the bundle which also features the 500 GB device.
The two companies could engage in a price war in the coming months that will be welcomed by potential buyers but might affect the value of overall industry sales.
Nintendo has also managed to push up sales for the Wii U by launching Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros., and if it keeps up the trend for 2015, it might again become a serious contender, although there are already rumors that the new Legend of Zelda title might be delayed.
