Hardware drives videogame industry sales to best gain since late 2021
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Videogame sales rose 6% year-over-year in February, their biggest percentage growth since October 2021, with broad jumps buoyed by sharply higher spending on consoles.
Overall sales rose to $4.6B from the previous February's $4.321B, according to Circana (the research company resulting from the merger of NPD Group and IRI).
And hardware spending jumped 68% from the prior year to $495M - the highest spending on hardware in a February since 2009. That was driven by growth in spending on the PlayStation 5 (NYSE:SONY), which was the best-selling platform in both unit terms and dollar terms. Year-to-date hardware spending is up 29% so far in 2023, to $888M.
Accessory sales showed their own rebound in February, rising 13% to $212M. Sales of gamepads dropped, but were offset by growth in virtual reality headsets. Year-to-date, accessory sales are just off 2022's pace by 1%, at $377M.
The biggest category, videogame content, eked out a mild gain as PC/console game sales rose and made up for ongoing declines in mobile game sales. Content sales rose 1% year-over-year to $3.893B; that helped soften a year-to-date decline for 2023 to -2% ($7.681B).
And while several best-selling games repeated their positions from January, it was a splashy new property that boosted the group: Warner Bros. Games' Harry Potter-based Hogwarts Legacy (NASDAQ:WBD) debuted atop the dollar sales list, and became 2023's year-to-date best-seller as well.
It bumped January's top 4 down a notch each. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (NASDAQ:ATVI) dropped to No. 2; Dead Space (NASDAQ:EA) fell to No. 3; Madden NFL 23 (EA) dropped to fourth; and FIFA 23 (EA) to No. 5.
As The Last of Us: Part I (SONY) made its way toward the PC platform -- nicely timed with the hit TV series on HBO (WBD) -- it jumped back up to the No. 6 spot in dollar game sales, bumping Elden Ring (OTCPK:NCBDY) to No. 7.
And the top 10 in game sales was rounded out by three new February releases: at No. 8, Wild Hearts (EA); at No. 9, Like a Dragon: Ishin (OTCPK:SGAMY); and at No. 10, Octopath Traveler II (OTCPK:SQNNY).
As for mobile, the top 10 games in February spending according to Sensor Tower were Candy Crush Saga (ATVI), Roblox (RBLX), Royal Match, PokÃ©mon Go (OTCPK:NTDOY), Coin Master, Township, Bingo Blitz (PLTK), Homescapes, Jackpot Party, and Evony. 
Related tickers: OTCPK:NTDOY, SONY, MSFT, HEAR, LOGI, CRSR, EA, ATVI, TTWO, WBD, OTCPK:UBSFY, OTCPK:NCBDY, OTCPK:SQNNY, OTCPK:CCOEY, OTCPK:SGAMY, OTCPK:KONMY, SKLZ, SE, NTES, OTCPK:TCEHY, RBLX. Retail stock: GME.
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