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Analysts Divided On November Video Game Sales EstimatesAnalysts Divided On November Video Game Sales Estimates

Ahead of the November NPD Group U.S. retail sales data scheduled to be released Thursday, analysts have predicted year-over-year growth for video game software, though their estimates vary by as roughly 7 percent.

Tom Curtis, Blogger

December 7, 2011

1 Min Read
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Ahead of the November NPD Group U.S. retail sales data, to be released tomorrow, analysts have predicted year-over-year growth for video game software, though their estimates vary by roughly 7 percent. On Monday, for instance, Wedbush Securities' Michael Pachter estimated that U.S. video game retail software would increase 3 percent year-over-year, totaling $1.5 billion in all. Recent estimates from Sterne Agee's Arvind Bhatia are even more optimistic, predicting that software sales will increase by "at least" 10 percent from last year ($1.6 billion), with high-end estimates going as high as 15 percent ($1.67 billion). Both analysts agree that leading games for the month will include Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Uncharted 3, and Saints Row: The Third. Bhatia also said Assassin's Creed Revelations will see healthy performance, continuing the growth of Ubisoft's annual action-adventure franchise. For December, Sterne Agee estimated that software sales data would remain flat or show a slight increase from last year, compared to an 8 percent drop in 2010. Last month, NPD data showed software sales below analyst estimates. For October 2011, U.S. retail game software saw an increase of 3 percent, which fell well short of Wedbush Securities' estimated increase of 14 percent and Sterne Agee's projected increase of 10 to 15 percent.

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About the Author

Tom Curtis

Blogger

Tom Curtis is Associate Content Manager for Gamasutra and the UBM TechWeb Game Network. Prior to joining Gamasutra full-time, he served as the site's editorial intern while earning a degree in Media Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

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