June 2006 videogame sales increased year over year according to new data from research firm NPD Funworld released this week. Games for the Nintendo DS and Xbox 360 were the driving force behind this growth. Microsoft also experienced brisk sales of its Xbox 360 console, helping drive overall console sales to 9.3 percent compared to a 4.5 percent year-over-year decrease in May, according to analyst. Nintendo's titles including the popular New Super Mario Brothers, Brain Age, and Big Brain Academy for the DS were the best selling games for the month of June.
Publisher THQ also increased its market share on sales of Cars. Other publishers like Take-Two and EA experienced declines. Overall dollar sales of video games rose 14.8 percent year-over-year.
Analyst watching the sector are encouraged by this news but are remaining cautious according to published reports from Reuters and the Associated Press.
