It’s starting to become rote, reporting on the US console sales from the NPD. Every month, the PlayStation 4 is the best-selling console in the land of bald eagles and baseball, and just like clockwork that’s happened agai…hold up. What’s going on here?
Nope, it looks like October’s NPD hardware champion was actually Microsoft’s console. Thanks to the release of the eagerly anticipated Halo 5: Guardians, Microsoft’s beastly black box has claimed dominance in the region for the past month.
In fact, the Xbox One did so well in October, that it’s seen an 81% year-on-year increase in sales.
“The strength of the greatest games line-up in Xbox history drove record Xbox Live usage for October and made Xbox One the best-selling console in the U.S. with 81 percent growth compared to October 2014,” Xbox marketing corporate VP Mike Nichols in a statement.
The thing that makes the Xbox One’s performance so interesting is that October is the month that saw the PlayStation 4’s first official US price cut. I, and many others, expected the lower price to mitigate the Xbox One’s retail performance. Well, I was wrong – and it looks like Halo is a much more revered franchise than imagined.
I did, however, expect that Microsoft would be the to-seller for November – and we’ll have to wait a month to see if this victory can be turned in to a streak. With the new backwards-compatibility, Rise of the Tomb Raider and Fallout 4 co-marketing, it could happen.
Sony’s statement this month is a little more reserved than the usual chest-beating, focusing on the PlayStation’s global dominance.
“We are truly humbled by the success of the PlayStation 4 and look forward to celebrating with our fans at PlayStation Experience in December,” a Sony spokesperson told GameSpot. “Thank you to our community for making PlayStation 4 the top selling console globally.”
The Xbox One is now slowly catching up to the PlayStation 4. In the past, sales of Sony’s console have easily doubled those of the Xbox One, but they’re starting to level. The PlayStation 4 has now sold through in the region of 27 million units, with the Xbox One fast approaching 16 million. Either way you slice that, consoles are doing rather well, far outpacing the last generation.
Should the Xbox One’s resurgence come as a surprise? No really. Microsoft has done a spectacular job of turning the negative sentiment surrounding the console around, and has adopted a more “gamer-centric” approach that seems to be working well for them. They do also have, in my opinion, the far stronger exclusive holiday line-up.
I know that even in my household, the Xbox One has started overtaking the PlayStation 4as the primary console, thanks to a few features missing from the PlayStation 4 – most notably the ability to run games off of an external drive, and its wide-ranging media options. The new dashboard, released yesterday, makes the system a little zippier too.
Here’s the top-selling physical games from last month. Remember, the NPD doesn’t account for digital sales at all.
- Halo 5: Guardians (XBO)
- NBA 2K16 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3) [Note: Second Month]
- Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate (PS4, XBO)
- Madden NFL 16 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
- WWE 2K16 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
- FIFA 16 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
- Destiny: The Taken King (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
- Yoshi’s Wooly World (NWU)
- Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection (PS4)
- Rock Band 4 (XBO, PS4)
A few interesting things to note; the only PlayStation exclusive in the top 10 is a remastered collection – and it was bested by the only Wii U exclusive- Yoshi’s Woolly World. NBA 2K shows off what a sales phenomenon it is, coming in the top 10 for a second month, overshadowing the newest Assassins Creed. That said, multi-platform games all sold better on the PlayStation 4 – except for Rock Band 4.
Last Updated: November 13, 2015
Pieter Kruger
November 13, 2015 at 08:11
Blah blah blah sales figures blah blah……..
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 08:12
But, but the XBox One, I mean won
miaau
November 13, 2015 at 08:13
No, one it is. Past, future and present, it one. Weak. Sad. Tired.
BUT how were the all you can eat ribs?
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 08:14
Had pasta instead 🙁
miaau
November 13, 2015 at 08:14
After all that? I am sorry. Was the pasta totally worth it, though?
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 08:15
It was fantastic
miaau
November 13, 2015 at 08:17
🙂
All that matters. I must admit to wanting ribs, after your mentioning it. I think will go buy some later today and then dust the webber off over the weekend.
Ir0nseraph
November 13, 2015 at 08:28
It’s a good thing , if one console keeps dominating the other one will just die, and if there is no competition, sony can do anything they want and the consumer will lose.
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 08:30
Agreed
WitWolfy
November 13, 2015 at 09:29
Much like M$ tried to do beginning of this gen.
miaau
November 13, 2015 at 08:12
Is it not amusing to you that it is, at least partly, driven by a game that did not uniformly score 9/10?
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 08:16
Good point!
miaau
November 13, 2015 at 08:11
Rose of the Tomb Raider. Classic tense switch. You are so done with that game.
Wow. So Halo 5 is that important? Indeed. Streak will be interesting. Black Friday in US coming up soon as well.
WitWolfy
November 13, 2015 at 08:13
Read that Halo 5’s short campaign sucks though. But the MP is maybe better than Halo 2..
miaau
November 13, 2015 at 08:14
I think the MP sells this game, always has. Played Halo 3 SP, but shooting was not easy, as the aim thingy was tiny AND disappeared in the background to my colour blind vision.
WitWolfy
November 13, 2015 at 08:12
Gamers around the world be like..
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lznzp3jXce1row5z0o1_500.gif
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 08:14
I own 2 out of 10 on that list. Will get Assassins Creed Symilar later
Ottokie
November 13, 2015 at 08:39
You can trade in Blops 3 😛
Ir0nseraph
November 13, 2015 at 08:40
But he needs to trade up.
Ottokie
November 13, 2015 at 08:40
Valid point xD
WitWolfy
November 13, 2015 at 09:27
I’m trading MGS V for TR today.. GOOD TIMES!
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 09:28
Thank fuck we can trade, unlike our steam masters
WitWolfy
November 13, 2015 at 09:36
You can say that again!
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 08:15
Hehe, another nice header.
(COME ON PEOPLE)
Ottokie
November 13, 2015 at 08:30
I am still reading it over and over… I just cant get myself to say “Xbox one”
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 08:31
*facepalms harder
Dutch Matrix
November 13, 2015 at 08:30
Porn star aspirations there, Mr Hammer?
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 08:31
*facepalms
Ir0nseraph
November 13, 2015 at 08:31
Taking a machete into a gun fight , not a good idea 😛
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 08:31
Finally, someone saw it XD
Ir0nseraph
November 13, 2015 at 08:31
XD
Ottokie
November 13, 2015 at 08:31
I am going with this as well 😛
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 08:31
Also, check the pokemon header
Ir0nseraph
November 13, 2015 at 08:32
Will do
Ottokie
November 13, 2015 at 08:33
Crap, it’s a bad Friday xD
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 08:33
*slow clap XD
Ottokie
November 13, 2015 at 08:33
The Pokemon one is pretty well done 😛
Ir0nseraph
November 13, 2015 at 08:37
Pokemon header is very good , so is that hockey player a child of the corn too ? 😛
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 08:42
hahahaha
miaau
November 13, 2015 at 08:43
Yeah, I just do not get it.
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 14:52
Bottom right corner is Jason Voorhees, they do this on special days. Today being Friday the 13th
CaptainNemo42
November 13, 2015 at 08:47
Microsoft should make Halo an annual title. That way, they can beat Sony at least one month in a year.
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 14:52
ROFL
iusedtobe(a)regular
November 13, 2015 at 09:09
You know its something rare when the Xbox’s victory gets this much cover.
Oneijack
November 13, 2015 at 14:30
*Gives zero f**ks about Halo* or M$ for that matter.
Pieter Kruger
November 13, 2015 at 14:47
I feel you man, I feel exactly the same about Dude Raider and those greedy Sony bastards…..????
Hammersteyn
November 13, 2015 at 14:54
Remind me, which console was $100 more expensive at launch?
*Runs
Pieter Kruger
November 13, 2015 at 15:03
Ehhhh that’d be the one WITH the camera, the one that DIDN’T drop the camera last minute to shave off $100 on retail price!????