April’s NPD List Has Dropped
The results are in and Dark Souls 3 was the top dog of the industry last month. According to NPD data, consumers spent $509.5 million on new game-related products at retailers in the United States last month. That is down 15 percent year-over-year from $598.1 million. Also, April saw a decline in both software and hardware sales. Only accessories, which includes interactive toys such as Nintendo’s Amiibo, Skylanders and the now defunct Disney Infinity, saw any growth.
Take a look at the top 10 list from last months NPD data:
- Dark Souls 3 (PS4, Xbox One)
- Ratchet & Clank 2016 (PS4)
- MLB 16: The Show (PS4, PS3)
- Tom Clancy’s The Division (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
- Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3, PC)
- Minecraft (Xbox One, 360, PS4, PS3)
- Quantum Break (Xbox One)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III (Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3, PC)
- NBA 2K16 (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3)
- Star Fox: Zero (Wii U)
There is no question Ratchet & Clank is the shocking surprise here. The PS4 exclusive rose right to the top of the charts unlike any game in the series ever has. NPD analyst Liam Callahan says “Ratchet & Clank had the best launch of any game in the Ratchet & Clank franchise when adjusting for the number of days sold in the data month, with sales recapturing success not seen for the franchise since the height of the PlayStation 2 era.”
Dark Souls 3 earned top spot and is the strongest launch in franchise history. Sales for Dark Souls 3 nearly doubled that of its predecessor, Dark Souls 2
Other noteworthy releases for April include time-bending action game Quantum Break, which didn’t exactly live up to expectations. It was the top Xbox One exclusive, but it could not outperform PS4’s Ratchet & Clank.