With many forms of entertainment shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, June video game sales rose 26 percent year over year, according to analysis firm NPD Group.
Mat Piscatella, an analyst of U.S. video games for NPD, reported that hardware, software, accessories and game card sales totaled $1.2 billion in June -- the highest June total since 2009.
Piscatella told GameDaily.biz, “Content and accessories sales continue to show particular strength, with the former hitting levels not seen in a decade, and the latter setting all-time highs in June. Hardware was down in June compared to a year ago, but the challenges around stock for console manufacturers are pretty well documented at this point.
“We recently conducted a gamer segmentation study in May 2020 and found that we have more people playing longer across more devices. The only thing we have yet to see is if this is the new normal or temporary. It’s difficult to say at this point.”
Sparking the June surge was The Last of Us Part II, the Sony game that was released June 19 and was the month’s best seller. Per Piscatella, The Last of Us Part II recorded the second-best launch month for a Sony-published game, trailing only Spider-Man in September 2018.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ranked second in June sales, with Animal Crossing: New Horizons coming in third, Grand Theft Auto V taking fourth and Mortal Kombat 11 placing fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Red Dead Redemption II, Ring Fit Adventure, NBA 2K20, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe and Minecraft Dungeons.
Ring Fit Adventure jumped from No. 835 to No. 7.
Piscatella said in a statement, “Video games are one of the primary ways friends and family are staying connected through a difficult time. The growth in both the number of players across all gaming segments, as well as time spent gaming or watching gaming-related content, reflects the variety and depth of gaming experiences available regardless of device preferences, gaming interests or budget.”
--Field Level Media