Video Game Sales Plummet In April (MSFT, SNE)

Video game hardware and software sales dropped 26% in April. Software sales were down 22%, whereas hardware sales plummeted 37%. Industry tracker NPD said sales in the United States were at $766.2 million in April. NPD further said that overall decline is the fourth-largest since September 2000. United States is the largest market in the world for video game hardware and software. Nintendo Wii occupied the top-spot in home console sales, although its sales were down from last year. Microsoft's MSFT Xbox 360 came in at No.2 with Sony SNE Playstation 3 right behind it. Both consoles recorded an increase in unit sales on a year over year basis. Ubisoft’s “Tom Clancey’s Splinter Cell: Conviction” sold 500,000 copies to become the best-selling game in April.