“Across hardware, software, and accessory new physical retail sales, the Xbox 360 platform showed dollar growth versus last October, as did the 3DS/DS platforms (when combined). Overall, the new physical retail channel saw a sales increase of $26 million over last October, driven primarily by the performance of new physical console software[...]

Based on historical seasonality trends, new physical retail sales of video game hardware, software and accessories should come in flat to down by as much as 2% once full year sales are in[..]

The Xbox 360 was the top-selling hardware platform for the month, realizing a unit sales increase of over 20% versus last October. The 3DS was the second best-selling hardware platform, with combined 3DS/DS sales up over 25% from last October.

On an average sales per week basis, October 2011 unit sales of 3DS, DS, PSP, Wii and Xbox 360 platforms all saw an increase over September 2011, which was a 5-week retail month (Oct'11 was a 4-week retail month)

NINTENDO 3DS POISED TO SURPASS FIRST-YEAR SALES OF NINTENDO DS

In its eighth month on the market, the Nintendo 3DS™ system crossed 1.65 million units sold in the U.S., according to the NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. This milestone puts the platform on track to surpass the first-year total of Nintendo DS™, the best-selling game platform in U.S. history.

The Nintendo DS system sold 2.37 million units in its first 12 months (November 2004-October 2005), with approximately 50 percent of those sales occurring in the holiday time frame. With its first holiday season and the launches of the Super Mario 3D Land™ and Mario Kart™ 7 games on the horizon, Nintendo 3DS is poised to eclipse that number and establish a new benchmark for hand-held gaming launches in the United States.

"With a massive lineup of software on the way and the first-year sales record of Nintendo DS in its sights, Nintendo 3DS enters its first holiday season with a full head of steam," said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing.

Other Nintendo news from the month includes:
• Nintendo sold more than 675,000 combined hardware units in October. This includes more than 250,000 units of Nintendo 3DS, nearly 250,000 Wii™ systems and nearly 180,000 units of the Nintendo DS family of systems.

• For the year, Nintendo has sold a combined 7 million hardware units and more than 55 million units of software have been sold for Nintendo platforms. Both of these numbers should increase with the Nov. 20 launch of The Legend of Zelda™: Skyward Sword for Wii.

• Both Wii, up 8 percent year over year, and Nintendo DS, up 23 percent over the previous month, demonstrated strong momentum heading into their respective sixth and eighth holiday seasons. In total, the two platforms have sold more than 87 million combined hardware units and more than 540 million combined units of software in the United States.

Xbox 360 turned in the most successful October on record maintaining its lead in the current-generation console market. This holiday season, Xbox 360 delivers outstanding value as an all-in-one entertainment platform and is already off to a great start as a hot holiday gift.

October 2011 NPD highlights:
· Holding 44 percent share of the overall current-generation console market, Xbox 360 sold 393,000 units in October, maintaining the number-one console spot in the U.S. for 2011. This marks the eighth consecutive month Xbox 360 has had more than 40 percent of the current-generation console market share. (Source: NPD Group, October 2011)

· Xbox 360 unit sales grew 21% YOY in October, and it was the only current-generation console showing double digit growth. (Source: NPD Group, October 2011)

· Total retail spend on the Xbox 360 platform in October (hardware, software and accessories) reached $490 million, the most for any console in the U.S. (Source: NPD Group, October 2011)

· During the month of October, Xbox 360 held six of the top ten console game titles including: “Battlefield 3,” “Batman: Arkham City,” “NBA 2K12,” “Rage,” and Xbox 360 exclusives “Forza Motorsport 4” and “Gears of War 3.” (Source: NPD Group, October 2011)

Kinect momentum continues with a growing portfolio of more than 75 new Kinect for Xbox 360 titles in the market by holiday – four times more than last holiday. New titles include sequels to best sellers such as “Kinect Sports: Season Two” and “Dance Central 2.” New games like “Kinect Disneyland Adventures” are making Xbox 360 home to the best family friendly content available; more than 90 percent of Kinect titles are rated Everyone or Teen.

Xbox 360 also released some of the biggest excusive blockbuster games this holiday with titles like “Gears of War 3,” “Forza Motorsport 4” and “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.”

In addition to games, Microsoft is rolling out the next generation of TV entertainment on Xbox LIVE this holiday, bringing a breadth of content providers and innovative user experiences unmatched by any other games or entertainment devices to Xbox 360 . With nearly 40 world-leading TV and entertainment providers including Comcast, HBO GO, BBC, Bravo and Televisa, the platform is taking a major step toward realizing its vision to bring all the entertainment you want, shared with the people you care about, made easy.

With a robust holiday portfolio that has something for everyone, we are expecting another blockbuster holiday and finishing the year as the number one console worldwide.

PlayStation 3 is primed for a great holiday season as this month's NPD report shows. We're seeing increased momentum in our 1st and 3rd-party software sales at retail, which are up 5% over last year, and we're demonstrating the industry's strongest software line up with blockbusters like UNCHARTED 3, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, Battlefield 3, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and new Move titles Everybody Dance and Carnival Island. On the digital front, we are also pleased to report that inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood is the fastest selling PS3 digital game ever launched on PSN."

6. Dark Souls (PS3, 360)** Namco Bandai Games

Assmung you ever get one that is.

The 360 owns America now.

I see MS is still expecting to be the worlds best selling console at years end.

3DS - >250k

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The 360 owns America now.

DS 50,180,001
360 29,234,373
PS3 18,141,921
Wii 36,764,494
3DS 1,667,000

Assmung you ever get one that is.

I think people wrote it off too quickly.

I'm sure the wife will want one next year once the DS no longer has anything.

As soon as it gets a Layton and a good Mario platformer she'll want it.

You have attained permanent LEGENDARY EXEMPTION STATUS

I will pay every active forumite £10 if the Playstation 4 is released in 2014.

360 29,234,373
PS3 18,141,921

Better be ready to buy one next week.

The 3DS has a fantastic line up coming up, people seriously wrote it off too quickly and forgot the DS sold strawberry float all in it's first year.

not possible. according to Nints figures Sony have outsold them by 2 million globally this year. If MS don't cut their price then they will be in third place just as the next gen starts going into 2013 (a huge turnaround from last gen but not something that would happen if they were top seller this year).

next month, after Zelda, should see Wii storm back for a month or two.

For this year? Yes, but it still has a fair bit to go to overtake the lifetime sales of the Wii and DS in the US