14 DAY TRIAL // With the videogames industry slowing due to the recession and with a 2009 that could see the fall of more developers and even some publishers as less titles hit it big at retail, everyone is looking at the NPD Group data for December 2008, trying to see who is doing well and who is not even showing up for the fight.
Anita Frazier, who is an analyst for the NPD Group, said that “We get asked a lot why there are so many layoffs and studio closings occurring in the industry when it has just realized another record-breaking year. This is not a case of the rising tide lifting all boats. The increases are not being enjoyed equally by all manufacturers and publishers.”
Still, Nintendo is surely feeling its coffers getting fuller as its releases dominate the videogames chart, the same being available for its consoles in the hardware chart, with the Wii and DS taking the top two spots. Wii Play, which is being bundled with a Wiimote, is topping the December sales chart even as it approaches its two-year anniversary. It managed to sell 1.46 million units.
But its domination was threatened by Call of Duty: World at War, the World War II shooter from Treyarch published by Activision Blizzard. The Xbox 360 version of the game sold 1.33 million units in one month, while the PlayStation 3 version sits at number 9 in the chart, with 533,000 units. If we count both versions, this is the best sold game of 2009.
Wii Fit is at number 3, with Mario Kart Wii at number 4, and Guitar Hero World Tour at number 5. All these games sold less than 1 million units, which is kinda disappointing for a month that included the Christmas shopping frenzy.
The last five places in the top ten as compiled by the NPD Group are occupied by: Gears of War 2 from Epic Games and Microsoft; Left 4 Dead from Valve and Electronic Arts; Mario Kart DS from Nintendo; Call of Duty: World at War and Animal Crossing: City Folk from Nintendo.