NPD Funworld has today released its report of video game hardware and software sales in the US for the month of April. The highlights include:

• Good month overall: A 20% year-over-year increase with $838.6 million in hardware, software and accessory sales.



• Software sales = "meh": Software sales remained stagnant at $389.8 million (last year's number was $395 milliion.



• Software sale breakdown: Handheld software sales surged 61% to $141.5 million, thanks to Pokemon Diamond and Pearl DS titles. Console software sales, on the other hand, fell 19% to $248.3 million. Keep in mind, April of '06 bragged Kingdom Hearts 2 and The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. April '07 bragged very little.



• Nintendo games selling like gangbusters: Nintendo held the top four spots on the software sales chart with Pokemon Diamond (DS, 1.045 million), Pokemon Pearl (DS, 712,000), Super Paper Mario (Wii, 352,000), and Wii Play w/ Remote (Wii, 249,000).



• Nintendo hardware selling like hotcakes: Hardware sales were up 52% to $338.4. In first place was the Nintendo DS with 471,000 units sold. The Wii came in second with 360,000 units sold. The PS3 came in 7th, between the Game Boy Advance and Gamecube, with 82,000 units sold.

The only surprise I see here is the uber-low 82,000 PS3s moved number. I'm cheering for you Sony, but, egad, you have to get some games out.

Update:
Jer has whined asked that I point out his prediction last month that March would be the last time we would see the PS2 at the top of the console charts.

The PS2, with God of War II has taken its last breath, and granted, it was an impressive gasp, but I predict that the days of seeing the PS2 at the top of the hardware sales for all consoles is now over.

Hey, it beats the big wigs at Wedbush Morgan Securities and Lazard Capital Markets who predicted software sales for the month of April would be up 15 - 24%.

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Gamespot
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