xbox360

Game industry sees hardware sales plummet 42 percent

The latest data out on the gaming industry indicates one, simple message: times are tough.

Overall spending on game industry products in the U.S. in April hit $495.2 million, down 25 percent compared to the $657.5 million consumers spent during the same period in 2012, according to monthly sales data on the game industry from research firm NPD. Hardware sales were hit hardest with just $109.5 million spent on consoles and handhelds last month. That figure is down 42 percent compared to the same period in April 2012.

Once again, the Xbox 360 led the market … Read more

Analyst: Nintendo sold 55,000 Wii U units in April

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter has released his monthly estimates on console sales, and not surprisingly, given recent months, April didn't look too swell for Nintendo and its Wii U.

According to Pachter, who estimates console sales in the U.S. based on retail checks, Nintendo sold just 55,000 Wii U units in April, down 19 percent compared to March. The company's Wii, which has been on store shelves for years, sold 75,000 units in April, according to Pachter.

Microsoft was once again the leader in the console market in April, selling 205,000 Xbox 360 units … Read more

The new Xbox: Six things Microsoft needs to do

Microsoft has made it official: the next Xbox will be unveiled at a May 21 event in Redmond, Wash., just weeks before E3 opens its doors. This looks like the inevitable Xbox-PlayStation next-gen console war we've all been expecting.

What will it take for Microsoft to keep its strong foothold in the gaming industry? Here's what I'm looking for.

Be the ultimate TV-streaming (and movie-playing) box The Xbox 360 has already carved a great role for itself as a streaming-media hub, and rumors point to the next Xbox possibly being a true rival to a future Apple … Read more

Xbox again reigns supreme in U.S. console market

Another month, another victory for Microsoft's Xbox 360.

Research firm NPD released its monthly game industry sales figures yesterday, revealing that, for the 27th consecutive month, the Xbox 360 was the top-selling console in March, beating out Nintendo's Wii U and Sony's PlayStation 3. According to Microsoft, it sold 261,000 units Xbox 360 units in the U.S. in March. Total consumer spending on all Xbox-related hardware, software, and accessories hit $402 million.

Once again, though, the game industry overall had a down month in March, generating just $992.5 million in physical sales. During the … Read more

Special feature: The Ken Levine interview (podcast)

Now that BioShock Infinite has been released to the masses, The 404 Show's Jeff Bakalar goes one-on-one with the mind behind the game, co-founder and creative director at Irrational Games, Ken Levine.… Read more

The 404 1,244: Where we take a spa day (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Microsoft may announce the next generation of Xbox on May 21.

- Chinese people burn Apple products to pay respect to the dead; Americans do it just because.

- Here's a list of porn currently being watched in the Vatican.

- The season finale of "Alf": could it have been done differently?… Read more

Ouya, apps, and the future of gaming

The annual Game Developers Conference, which attracts tens of thousands from the gaming industry, had all of the usual players this year: Nintendo, Sony, EA, Activision, etc. But they weren't the only players in town this week at GDC.

There was plenty of buzz about Ouya, the new $99, Android-based gaming console that broke Kickstarter records like Adrian Peterson breaks tackles.

Now, before the serious gamers out there savage me, let me be clear: The Ouya isn't going to be displacing the role of traditional consoles like the PlayStation or the Wii (although the Wii U has gone nowhere). … Read more

The 404 1234: Where we trade in our books for Bioshock Infinite (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Jeff's Bioshock Infinite review: in a class by itself.

- Get that tune out of your head! Scientists find out how to get rid of earworms.

- I rewatched this video over the weekend and it blew my mind.

Bathroom break video: Eastern Wayne Harlem Shake fail.… Read more

The half-cut cord: What's bugging me about cable

I cut the cord years ago. My wife sat across from me on the sofa and finally convinced me that paying well over $100 a month for the privilege of a bunch of random cable channels wasn't worth it. We could save money, learn to live lower to the ground, read more, and watch TV shows and movies on demand. Netflix, Hulu Plus, and iTunes. I agreed. With apprehension.

It worked. We relaxed, we used an over-the-air antenna, we caught our TV shows on broadcast networks and just sat through commercials. I even borrowed an old DTV Pal DVR … Read more

Wii U unit sales jump 40 percent -- and still disappoint

The video game industry once again had a down month as console and software sales slipped.

Total industry sales hit $810 million in February, representing a 25 percent drop compared with the same period last year, market researcher NPD said yesterday. Hardware sales were down 36 percent to $244.2 million, and console and portable software sales across the physical retail channel could only reach $352 million -- a 27 percent drop compared with February 2012.

The Xbox 360 once again led the hardware market, earning the top spot in console sales for the 26th month in a row. According … Read more