Video Game Sales See Large 1st Quarter Growth

If you had any doubt about the strength of the video game industry, check out the new sales numbers from research company NPD Group. For the first quarter of this year, total US sales of video game hardware, shareware, and accessories rose 23 percent to more than $2.2 billion. With a 162 percent sales rise, portable video game hardware is leading the growth, thanks to the recent launches of the Nintendo Dual Screen (DS) and Sony Playstation Portable (PSP). Console game sales surpassed expectations and registered more than $1 billion in sales—a 7 percent growth. This year's sales are expected to match the $10 billion that the movie box office earned, too. With new consoles and games on tap for this year, expect to see this market continue its amazing growth.