Videogame Sales Continue Record Pace

The videogame industry continues at a record pace with no signs of sluggishness, despite the current recession. Total videogame hardware, software and accessories sales were up 57 percent over March 2007 to $1.7 billion.

Videogame software is driving the growth with $945.6 million in sales, which is up 63 percent over last March.

Nintendo had the top game of the month. Super Smash Bros. Brawl sold 2.7 million copies. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 had four games in the Top 10, while Nintendo had three and Sony had two PSP games and one PS3 game.

Rounding out Nintendo’s top titles were Wii Play Remote (409,800 units sold) and Activision’s Guitar Hero III (264,100 units).

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 had the number two slot with Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (752,300 units), and the number three solt with Electronic Arts’ Army of Two (606,100 units).

Rounding out the Xbox 360 titles were 2K Sports’ Major League Baseball 2K8 (237,100 units) and Activision’s Call of Duty 4 (237,00 units).

Sony’s God of War: Chains of Olympus sold 340,500 units on PSP and Square Enix’s Final Fantasy: Crisis Core sold 340,500 units on PSP. Rounding out the Top 10 was Electronic Arts’ Army of Two for PS3 with 224,900 units sold.

Overall hardware sales were up 46 percent in March to $551.3 million. Nintendo continues to dominate in the hardware war on both the console and portable fronts. Wii, which is still in short supply, topped all hardware sales with 721,000 units sold in March. Nintendo DS sold over twice as many units (698,000) as PSP (297,000) in March. Microsoft sold 262,000 Xbox 360s and Sony sold 257,000 PS3s and 216,000 PS2s in March.

What was once a fall-heavy slate of gaming releases has gradually become a year-round affair.

Last year, game sales topped year-over-year sales in every month and that trend continues.

The big guns of April, including grand Theft Auto IV and Mario Kart Wii, haven’t even shipped yet.