April 2010 NPD Results

What a sucky month for the game industry. Don't believe me? Check out the sales of hardware as well as software!

Data care of NPD Group
Reporting Period: 4/04/2010 through 5/01/2010

PlayStation 3 180.8K
PSP 65.5K
Xbox 360 185.4K
Wii 277.2K
Nintendo DS 440.8K

1. TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION* 360 UBISOFT Apr-10 486.1K
2. POKEMON SOULSILVER VERSION NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA Mar-10 242.9K
3. NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Nov-09 200.3K
4. POKEMON HEARTGOLD VERSION NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA Mar-10 192.6K
5. GOD OF WAR III* PS3 SONY Mar-10 180.3K
6. WII SPORTS RESORT W/ WII MOTION PLUS* WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Jul-09
7. BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 360 ELECTRONIC ARTS Mar-10 166K
8. WII FIT PLUS W/ BALANCE BOARD* WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Oct-09
9. JUST DANCE WII UBISOFT Nov-09
10. SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV PS3 CAPCOM USA Apr-10 143K

*. SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV 360 CAPCOM USA Apr-10 108K

(*includes CE, GOTY editions, bundles, etc. but not those bundled with hardware)

I'm tearing up, it's so abysmal. Wii leads the carnival of tears with under 300,000 consoles sold. On the other end of the spectrum, the PSP is pretty much dead in the water. Now is the time to unveil a successor, Sony. Like anyone from Sony reads SPC, but you know what I mean. Software-wise, the biggest surprise is not seeing Monster Hunter Tri in the top ten. I hate to say I was right, but this does support my statement that third parties squandered the now absent hardcore Wii userbase. Splinter Cell: Conviction takes the top prize with over 450,000 total sales with both Pokemon titles following closely behind. Meanwhile, SPC's Game of the Year for 2009, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, continues to tear up the charts (even in Japan, too). Throw in God of War III and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 with the usual suspects, and you have your April 2010 NPD. Hopefully, next month jumpstarts things with several anticipated titles coming out with Super Mario Galaxy 2 headlining.