Revamped DS shines amid slow month for video game sales
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Recommend The DSi pushed Nintendo's handheld sales past the 1 million mark for the month of April, says data from the NPD Group.

The DS sold 1.04 million units for the month, far ahead of its second-place competition, the Nintendo Wii, which sold 340,000.

The surge comes in another down month for video game sales, which fell 17% compared to this time a year ago. However, the NPD Group attributes the decline to the 2008 releases of blockbuster titles such as Grand Theft Auto IV and Mario Kart Wii.

"While April sales might appear soft on the surface, it's important to remember that April is being compared against a month (April 2008) that realized nearly 50 percent growth over April 2007," says NPD Group spokesperson Anita Frazier in a statement.


April 2008 delivered three titles that surpassed one million in sales: both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of GTA IV and Nintendo's Mario Kart Wii.

For the year to date, video games are down 4% compared to the pace set in 2008.

In other hardware news, Xbox 360 finished third in sales for the month, followed by the PlayStation 2, likely buoyed by a recent price drop to $99. More on hardware sales below:


Nintendo DS - 1.04 million
Nintendo Wii - 340,000
Xbox 360 - 175,000
PlayStation 2 - 172,000
PlayStation 3 - 127,000
PlayStation Portable - 116,000


Wii Fit reclaimed the top spot for software sales in April, as consumers scooped up 471,000 copies of the exercise title. Pokemon Platinum Version and Mario Kart Wii round out the top three.

In a surprise appearance, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith finished ninth, ahead of fellow music game Guitar Hero: Metallica, just released in March. The Aerosmith title hit retail last June. Here's the full top 10:


Wii Fit (Nintendo) - 471,000
Pokemon Platinum Version (Nintendo, DS) - 433,000
Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo) - 210,000
Wii Play (Nintendo) - 170,000
The Godfather II (Electronic Arts, Xbox 360) - 155,000
Resident Evil 5 (Capcom, Xbox 360) - 122,000
New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, DS) - 119,000
Mario Kart DS (Nintendo) - 112,000
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (Activision, Xbox 360) - 110,000
The Godfather II (Electronic Arts, PS3) - 91,000




As for May, sales may experience similar declines compared to May 2008, when Wii Fit debuted, but Frazier anticipates a tighter gap.

"Given how strong the growth was in the industry last year, there are still some months ahead where year-over-year comparisons may be difficult, but May should be an easier comparison than the last two months have been," Frazier says.

Among the heavy hitters debuting this month: Exercise title EA Sports Active for the Nintendo Wii and inFamous for the PlayStation 3.

By Brett Molina
Photo: The DSi (Nintendo)

i wonder how many units the DS and DSi combined have shifted in total.

the number must be gargantuan.