NPD June 2010: Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony talk the talk

US sales figures for June are in. Microsoft trumped rival consoles, Red Dead Redemption stampeded the software chart. The big three have released their statements on the numbers: hit the drop and judge for yourself who deserved bragging rights.

US sales of Super Mario Galaxy 2 cross the 1 million mark

In the month of June, Nintendo systems sold a combined 933.2K units, accounting for 50 percent of all gaming hardware units sold in the US.

DS hand-held systems topped the charts with more than 510K units sold, bringing life-to-date unit sales to around 41.8M.

Wii system sales totaled more than 422K, closing in on a cumulative milestone of 30 million units (29,540,081) sold in the  US alone.

US sales of Super Mario Galaxy 2 for Wii reaches 548K units, according to NPD, bringing the game’s cumulative nationwide sales to more than 1.1 million units.

Six of the top ten best-selling games of June were available on Nintendo systems, including Super Mario Galaxy 2 for Wii taking second place, New Super Mario Bros. Wii at number four, Just Dance for Wii in the five spot, Toy Story 3 in sixth, Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board coveting its spot at number seven, and LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 for Wii finishing ninth.

"Consumers continue to look to Nintendo for exceptional value and one-of-a-kind gaming experiences," said NOA’s Cammie Dunaway in a company statement.

"Between games like Super Mario Galaxy 2, the pioneering motion controls of the Wii system and the portable fun of Nintendo DS systems, Nintendo offers something for everyone.

"As we prepare to launch a remarkable lineup of new games in the second half of the year, we are grateful that consumers are supporting Nintendo consoles to continue their run as the nation’s most popular game systems."

Consumers spent over $151M on Xbox 360 games in June

Riding the momentum of the new slimline 360 console released in June and price reductions of existing inventory, Xbox 360 sales jumped 88 percent for the month yoy with the movement of 451.7K units.

Overall, the increased console sales contributed to more than $333 million in total spent on Xbox 360 hardware, software and accessories in the month.

US consumers spent more than $151 million on Xbox 360 games alone last month, driving Microsoft’s industry-leading software attach rate of 8.9.

In addition, Xbox 360 had two of the top ten software titles sold in June, including Red Dead Redemption taking first place with  over 583K units sold, and UFC 2010: Undisputed at number eight with over 148K units moved.

"Retail demand for the new Xbox 360 250GB console remains high, and retailers continue to order as many units as Microsoft is able to supply," said Microsoft in a statement. "Collectively, Microsoft has also heard from retailers around the US that Kinect and its related games are a top priority this holiday".

Year-to-date units moved for Xbox 360 now stand at 1,924,900, with life-to-date units at 20,555,886.

Sony experiences eleventh consecutive month of year-on-year growth

Sony’s response to tonight’s NPD figures focused on PS3’s eleventh consecutive month of year-over-year growth, with console sales up 42 percent since January, and 85 percent since June of last year.

Software sales for PS3 were up 42 percent since January, and 17 percent over June 2009.

The firm propounded the 13 million PS3 units in living rooms across the US, and the 17 million who chose PSP as their core mobile gaming platform, as evidence for the increase.

In response to the NPD figures, SCEA's Patrick Seybold said PS3 inventory issues are resolved, and thanks to new inventory, it should give the firm a good boost this holiday season.

"Video games are fueling new innovation for the entire consumer entertainment category and today’s numbers are a testament to the big impact we’ll play this holiday," said Seybold.

"With a healthy flow of PS3s back in the channel, and eleven months of PS3’s consecutive growth behind us, we’re confident the PS3 will become the main entertainment hub for many new consumers this year and provide countless reasons to congregate in the living room."

Seybold also focused on what lies ahead this year for Sony, stating in the back half of the year, PS3 would be offering "groundbreaking experiences in 3D and new motion control games with PlayStation Move" along with current content options such as Hulu Plus, MLB.TV, and Netflix.

You can get the full figures and analysis for May through here, and the full top 20 software chart here.