UPDATE 2-US video game sales up 10 percent in Nov--report
* Nintendo's Wii, DS set U.S. sales records in November
* Wii sold over 2 mln units, DS topped 1.5 mln in month
* Microsoft's "Gears of War 2" top-selling game
* "Gears of War 2" sold over 1.5 mln units (Recasts with industry statistics, quotes, adds byline)
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 11 (Reuters) - U.S. sales of video game hardware and software rose 10 percent in November from a year earlier, market researcher NPD said on Thursday, as Nintendo Co Ltd (7974.OS) reported its Wii console and DS hand-held system both set U.S. sales records in the month.
NPD said the U.S. video game industry is set to top $22 billion in 2008, and Nintendo, Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and Sony Corp (6758.T) said their strong sales in November showed that consumers are still spending despite the global economic crisis.
Rising unemployment and tighter credit have dented U.S. consumers' purchasing power, and most retailers have posted dismal sales results in recent months.
But the U.S. video game industry "continues to set a blistering sales pace," NPD analyst Anita Frazier said, with hardware and software sales strong even though this November had seven fewer shopping days than last year's.
Nintendo's Wii console sold over 2 million units in November, up from over 800,000 in the previous month, setting a record for console unit sales in a non-December month, Nintendo said. Nintendo's Wii console has sold over 15 million units since its release in November 2006 and holds the title as the country's best-selling video game console.
Nintendo's DS hand-held system also set a record for U.S. sales in a non-December month, selling over 1.5 million units in November.
"It was a stellar month," Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime told Reuters. "It's clear that the consumer demand is exceptionally strong."
Frazier said the expanded inventory of Wii consoles in stores boded well for Nintendo at the beginning of the holiday season.
But even with more Wii consoles shipped to stores, Fils-Aime said the company still can't keep shelves full.
"With all our activity and effort, we can't commit that the product will be available up until Christmas Day," he said. "We're in uncharted territories when it comes to demand."
Although Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 were both sharply outsold by the Wii, the two systems also boasted strong sales in November, according to NPD. Continued...
