September 2015 NPD: PS4 leads, Super Mario Maker sells 445,000

U.S. video game sales results for the month of September 2015 are in.

General

Consumers spent $1.01 billion on software and hardware in September 2015, down nine percent from the $1.10 billion spent during the same period last year.

Hardware sales were down 27 percent from $431.2 million to $313.5 million.

Software sales dropped three percent from $480.6 million to $465.6 million.

“The majority of hardware platforms increased their sales from August 2015 to September 2015 when comparing sales on a per week basis,” said NPD analyst Liam Callahan. “All eighth generation consoles [which includes PS4, Xbox One, and Wii U] experienced double-digit growth when comparing sales on a per-week basis.”

Top ranking standalone software for the month include:

1. NBA 2K16 (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3) – “For 8th generation software, NBA 2K16 had the best launch month ever for any Sports game,” via @firstadopter
2. Madden NFL 16 (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3)
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS4, Xbox One, PS3, 360)
4. FIFA 16 (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3)
5. Destiny: The Taken King (Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3)
6. Super Mario Maker (Wii U)
7. Disney Infinity 3.0 (360, Wii U, Xbox One, PS4, PS3)
8. Mad Max (PS4, Xbox One)
9. NHL 16 (Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3)
10. Minecraft (360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4)

(These figures only come from new physical games and systems sold at retailers. The NPD Group does not track digital or used game sales.)

Sony

PlayStation 4 was the best selling console and lead software sales for the month of September.

“As we kick off the holiday season, we would like to take a moment to thank fans for making PlayStation 4 the best-selling console and #1 in software sales in September,” a Sony spokesperson told VentureBeat. “PlayStation 4 was the number one console for NBA 2K16, Madden NFL 16, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and FIFA 16. Including the highly successful limited edition console bundle, PS4 also led retail sales for Destiny: The Taken King.”

“It was also a very strong month for PlayStation Network with September being the highest grossing month in PlayStation Store history. From PlayStation exclusives like the recently launched Uncharted Collection to partnerships with Call of Duty: Black Ops III and Star Wars Battlefront, we are committed to our community and to making PlayStation the best place to play this holiday.”

Microsoft

“Xbox One continued to see strong momentum in September on the heels of Forza Motorsport 6 and EA Sports FIFA 16, with solid year-over-year growth in console sales and strong engagement on Xbox Live,” Xbox marketing corporate VP Mike Nichols said in a statement. “This holiday Xbox One owners will enjoy the greatest games lineup in the industry and in Xbox history, led by Halo 5: Guardians, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Fallout 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Star Wars Battlefront, and the ability to play Xbox 360 games. Xbox One owners will have all of this on the fastest, most social Xbox experience ever with advanced hardware such as the Xbox Elite Wireless controller. Xbox fans and first time console buyers can look forward to an epic holiday.”

Nintendo

Super Mario Maker for Wii U launched in the U.S. on September 11 and sold nearly 445,000 combined units in its first three weeks (September 11 to October 5), bringing the lifetime total to more than 500,000 combined units in the U.S. alone (September 11 to October 19).

For the full month of September, sales of Wii U hardware in the United States increased by nearly 110 percent over sales in August. (Based on this statement, Wii U sold 89,000 units in September.)

Through the first nine months of 2015, sales of Nintendo 3DS hardware have increased by nearly 25 percent over the same time frame in 2014. (based on this statement, 3DS sold 129,000 units in September.)

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer for the Nintendo 3DS system launched on September 25 and sold nearly 115,000 total units in its first week on the market.

Nintendo is preparing a number of titles for the holiday season, including:

• Chibi Robo! Zip Lash (3DS, October 9)
• Yoshi’s Woolly World (Wii U, October 16)
• The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (3DS, October 23)
• Yo-kai Watch (3DS, November 6)
• Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival (Wii U, November 13)
• Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash (Wii U, November 20)
• Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon (3DS, November 20)
• Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U, December 4)
• Devil’s Third (Wii U, December 11)

Thanks, VentureBeat.