Americans spent record $5.5 billion on games in December
Americans spent a record US$5.53 billion on video games in December, the most money ever in a single month, according to market researcher NPD Group.
But even that wasn’t enough to make up for the rest of 2009, and so the year ended with a sales decline.
It had been a rough 12 months for the industry, as the recession led people to cut back on discretionary spending and many gamers’ attention turned to cheaper – or free – online games.
Even so, there were a few notable bright spots, mainly Nintendo Co. and Activision Blizzard Inc. whose latest “Call of Duty” game set entertainment records when it hit stores in the fall.
NPD said Thursday U.S. retail sales of gaming software, hardware and accessories climbed 4 percent in December when compared with the same month a year earlier.
Much of this increase was due to sales of gaming systems, a signal that price cuts by console makers in August and September helped lure holiday shoppers into buying them as gifts.
Hardware sales jumped 16 percent to $2.19 billion.
The Nintendo Wii sold 3.8 million units, more than its rivals, the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 did, combined. It set a record for most gaming systems ever sold in a single month.
“Despite all of the dire predictions,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, Nintendo had a “historic” 2009.
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Anime Midstream, a North American anime company which debuted in late 2008, announced Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh’s first volume today. The 1991 mecha series from Sunrise is scheduled for 1/20/10 for $23.99. It will contain episodes 1-5, and contains both English and Japanese languages. Special features include a clean opening, bloopers, and a Dream Shift [...]
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Of all the hype generated by the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, few products generated more headlines and heat than tablet PCs.
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Zinio, the world’s leader in digital publishing, technology, distribution and services, today announced the launch of its iPhone app as the cornerstone of its ubiquitous “Unity” reading platform. Currently offering its digital content to be read on PC, Mac, netbook, touch-screen and tablet devices, Zinio [...]
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Computing tech that defined the decade
Bill Gates anticipated great things from the so-called “noughties” when he described it as the “Digital Decade” back in 2001.
“The innovations of this decade will be more than just a handful of new features,” he wrote. “They’ll transform the way the PC fits into our lives, and the way we think about computing.”
Was he right? [...]
Apple : An emerging threat for Microsoft
Apple Inc, the famous iPhone and Mac maker was just $5 billion company in 1998, but has now reached the market value of $180 billion. Now, market analysts have started an assumption that “could Apple replace Microsoft as world’s most valuable tech company?” Microsoft Corp, the software giant is the world’s most valuable technology company [...]
Richard Trincellito – Apple Tablet Talk
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On Monday we heard from Michael Scalisi, an IT manager writing in PC World, that the Rumored Apple Tablet Is a Train Wreck.
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