The Wii Keeps Video Game Industry Going
20 3월 2009 - 8:05AM
Dow Jones News
Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s (7974.OK) motion-controlled Wii continued to
dominate the video game industry in February, the NPD Group
reported Thursday.
February U.S. video game console revenue increased 11% to $532
million, which beat expectations and once again proved the
industry's recession resilience. A 74% annual increase in Wiis
sold, paired with gains by Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) Xbox 360,
off-set a disappointing February for the Sony Corp. (SNE)
PlayStation 3, NPD Group reported.
U.S. video game revenue grew 9% annually, with Nintendo games
making up half the Top 10 best sellers. Activision Blizzard Inc.
(ATVI) and Capcom USA each scored two top 10 hits.
"We did quite well despite this soft economy," a Nintendo
spokeswoman said.
Results slightly exceed BofA/Citi analyst Justin Post's
expectations. Post sees the NPD results pressuring Sony to lower
the price of its PlayStation 3, which is more expensive than the
Wii. NPD reported PlayStation 3 sales declined 1% last month.
-By Ben Charny, Dow Jones Newswires; 415-765-8230;
ben.charny@dowjones.com