U.S. video game sales down 5 p.c in May

SAN FRANCISCO, USA: Sales of video game software and equipment in the United States fell 5 per cent in May, industry tracker NPD said on Thursday, dragged down by sagging demand for game consoles.

Game software performed well in the month, with sales rising 4 per cent to $466.3 million. Hardware sales tumbled, however, by 20 per cent to $241.5 million. Sales of video game accessories rose 3 per cent to $115.7 million.

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Overall sales are down 10 per cent this year in the United States, the world's largest market, hurt by lower average selling prices on consoles, NPD said.

In April, the sales of video game hardware and software had plunged 26 per cent.

Nintendo Co Ltd's Wii was the top-selling home console in May, followed by Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc's "Red Dead Redemption" was the top game in the month, selling 1.5 million units.