December NPD: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 at #1 again

This month's software sales didn't change much from last month, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 holding the top spot for the second straight month. The game was also the year's best seller, marking the fourth straight year a Call of Duty game has held the number one position.

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This month's software sales didn't change much from last month, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 holding the top spot for the second straight month. The game was also the year's best seller, marking the fourth straight year a Call of Duty game has held the number one position.

Only two new games cracked the top 10: Far Cry 3, which came out December 4, and New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the 3DS, While Just Dance 4 actually jumped two spots from #4 in November to #2 in December. Far Cry 3's launch was the second most successful December debut since NPD began tracking retail sales in 1995.

Overall, software sales for the month were down 27 percent ($2.16 billion to $1.58 billion) from the same time last year, and down 22 percent ($9.12 billion to $7.09 billion) from 2011.

"A major culprit in the decline in retail sales in 2012 was the lack of new releases with 29 percent less SKUs across consoles, portables, and PCs," said NPD analyst Liam Callahan. "However, the SKUs that were released generated 8 percent more units per SKU and 11 percent more dollars per SKU."

The Xbox 360 continued to be king of the consoles, marking 17 months on top. The Wii U, however, sold less units this December than the Wii in December it launched (2006), but dollar sales were up 11 percent when comparing the 2006 Wii numbers to 2012 Wii U figures.

    December Top 10 Games (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms including PC)

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops II (360, PS3, PC, Wii U)
  • Just Dance 4 (Wii, 360, Wii U, PS3)
  • Halo 4 (360)
  • Assassin's Creed III (360, PS3, Wii U, PC)
  • Madden NFL 13 (360, PS3, Wii, PSV)
  • Far Cry 3 (360 PS3, PC)
  • NBA 2K13 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PC)
  • Skylanders Giants (Wii, 360, PS3, 3DS, Wii U)
  • New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS)
  • FIFA Soccer 13 (360, PS3, PSV, Wii, 3DS, PSP, Wii U)

Losing their top-10 position this month: Need for Speed: Most Wanted and WWE 13.

The annual list for 2012:

    Annual Top 10 Games (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms including PC)

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops II (360, PS3, PC, Wii U)
  • Madden NFL 13 (360, PS3, Wii, PSV)
  • Halo 4 (360)
  • Assassin's Creed III (360, PS3, Wii U, PC)
  • Just Dance 4 (Wii, 360, Wii U, PS3)
  • NBA 2K13 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PC)
  • Borderlands 2 (360 PS3, PC)
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3, Wii, PC)
  • Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (Wii, 360, NDS, PS3, 3DS, PSV, PC)
  • FIFA Soccer 13 (360, PS3, PSV, Wii, 3DS, PSP, Wii U)

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  • reply
    January 10, 2013 4:45 PM

    John Keefer posted a new article, December NPD: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 at #1 again.

    This month's software sales didn't change much from last month, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 holding the top spot for the second straight month. The game was also the year's best seller, marking the fourth straight year a Call of Duty game has held the number one position.

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      January 10, 2013 5:38 PM

      Zzzz.

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      January 10, 2013 5:46 PM

      I just don't understand.... are there THAT many 15 year olds in the world?

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        January 10, 2013 5:52 PM

        i have some 30 year old peers that are super hyped about that shit as well. it just has more casual appeal.

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        January 10, 2013 5:56 PM

        I'm 28 and have really enjoyed Black Ops2 immensely.

        I actually just purchased the Season Pass.

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        January 10, 2013 6:03 PM

        Yes, because only 15 year olds play COD, lol.

        I'm 28, and I work with people from 25 to 45, and they ALL play COD.

        I, however, prefer Halo, even if the multiplayer in Halo 4 is really unbalanced since 343i's design was guided primarily by CoD penis-envy.

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        January 10, 2013 6:08 PM

        There are guys like my friend out there who swore never to touch one of these games again -- especially after playing Battlefield 3 -- but all his friends online end up playing it and he feels obligated to buy it and try to find it fun to appease them. It's fucking ridiculous herd mentality that's selling these piles of crap.

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        January 10, 2013 6:11 PM

        Hater, stop hatin'. Some people really enjoy this, and it makes more people gamers. Yeah, okay so they play a bro game. But they'll probably be a lot cooler about their kids playing video games than ours were.

        Video game fandom has enough room for everyone

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          January 11, 2013 9:13 AM

          Reasonable people gonna be reasonable. :\

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          January 11, 2013 9:23 AM

          sometimes, i, uh, sometimes i play bro games. and enjoy them.

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        January 11, 2013 9:21 AM

        it's just easy shallow disposable grindy gaming. give the masses what they want. it sells. A LOT.

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        January 11, 2013 10:41 AM

        I'm 30 and have a blast with the multiplayer

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      January 11, 2013 10:22 AM

      CoD brings a lot of new gamers into the fold, which is a good thing. It isn't my cup of tea, but I'm not gonna hate on those people that enjoy it.

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        January 11, 2013 10:40 AM

        this is true, my brother get into the CODs and has since tried Skyrim and I recvently gave him dishonored for Christmas.

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