US videogame market down 8% in 2009

The US videogame market was down 8 per cent on last year, despite a record December for sales, according to data released by the NPD Group.

The industry generated $19.66 billion during the twelve months, down from the $21.4 billion in 2008. Every section of the business was down year-on-year, apart from the handheld hardware market which grew 6 per cent by revenue. Console hardware was down 13 per cent, console software down 10 per cent and handheld software also down 10 per cent.

"Clearly, 2009 was tough year for consumers and the national economy," offered Michael Gallagher of the ESA.

"However, the bigger picture is one that underscores the industry’s strength; 2009 and 2008 were the highest grossing years in our industry’s history. Our industry's structure is solid, and I anticipate a strong 2010 with a pipeline full of highly-anticipated titles."

The top ten best-sellers for the year was topped by Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, although Nintendo scored seven hits, six of which were for the Wii.

The full top ten for 2009 follow:

01 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Xbox 360
02 Wii Sports Resort - Wii
03 New Super Mario Bros. Wii - Wii
04 Wii Fit - Wii
05 Wii Fit Plus - Wii
06 Mario Kart Wii - Wii
07 Wii Play - Wii
08 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - PlayStation 3
09 Halo 3: ODST - Xbox 360
10 Pokemon Platinum Version - NDS

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ercent-in-2009