14 DAY TRIAL // The NPD Group, which tracks both software and hardware sales linked to the video game industry, says that the overall value of sales declined during March in the United States by a full 10 percent when compared to the same period last year.
Liam Callahan, an analyst for the firm, is quoted by GamesIndustry.biz as saying, “March 2013 saw deep declines of 32% in dollar spending for dedicated video game hardware, with stronger declines for portable hardware than for consoles.”
The hardware sector is badly hit because most gamers are unwilling to buy a new piece of hardware when the Xbox 720 and the PlayStation 4 are set to be launched before the end of the year.
The NPD Group also says that accessory sales showed no changes during March and that BioShock Infinite boosted actual retail game sales by about 2 percent.