February NPD: Black Ops sets sales record

The market research firm NPD Group released its retail-only video game industry data for February 2011 last night. Call of Duty: Black Ops took the top spot yet again, making it the top-selling game in history at 13.7 million units in the U.S. alone (via IndustryGamers). Marvel vs. Capcom 3 took second place, followed by the strangely ubiquitous Just Dance 2.

Also notably, Dead Space 2 hung onto a decent slot, while newcomers Bulletstorm and Killzone 3 made respectable debuts considering they were launched late in the reporting cycle.

Nintendo's response revealed that 454,000 Wii consoles were sold in February, and that Just Dance 2 had sold over 554,000 units -- meaning Black Ops and MvC3 both sold more than that number. Otherwise, the company is celebrating Wii crossing the 35 million mark.

Meanwhile, the market showed signs of growth. New physical sales were up 4%, and the console market was up 12% in dollar sales. It was also the best February on record for accessory sales, which includes points cards. Portable software, however, took a dip as releases slow in preparation for the impending launch of the Nintendo 3DS and Sony's NGP.

Top Ten U.S. Retail Titles (All Platforms) - Reporting period 1/30/11 - 2/26/11

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, Wii, NDS, PC)

2. Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (360, PS3)

3. Just Dance 2 (Wii)

4. NBA 2K11 (360, PS3, PS2, Wii, PSP, PC)

5. Dead Space 2 (360, PS3, PC)

6. Zumba Fitness: Join the Party (Wii, 360, PS3)

7. Bulletstorm (360, PS3, PC)

8. Killzone 3 (PS3)

9. Michael Jackson The Experience (WII, DS, PSP)

10. Mario Sports Mix (Wii)