One bright spot in February is software delivered over the Internet, which SuperData Research said jumped nearly 23% to $291.3 million. Joost van Dreunen, head of SuperData, said sales were primarily driven by demand for add-on content software, such as additional story lines or maps for war simulation games, which are often sold separately from the traditional games.
He noted that blockbuster videogame launches, such as the release of Take-Two Interactive Softwares Grand Theft Auto V in September, attracted customer attention away from other titles.
SuperData said the top selling traditional videogame software title sold over the Internet was Activision Blizzards war simulation game Call of Duty: Ghosts, followed by Grand Theft Auto V and Ubisoft Entertainments Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag.
Among game disks sold in U.S. retail stores, Call of Duty: Ghosts was also the top seller, followed by Warner Bros. Interactives The Lego Movie Videogame, followed by Take-Twos popular basketball title, NBA 2K14, NPD said.
Revenues for videogames that dont initially charge customers to play, such as Riot Gamess battle arena style game League of Legends for PCs and King.coms mobile device puzzle title Candy Crush Saga, continued to rise, jumping nearly 27% to $584.8 million, SuperData said. Meanwhile, subscription-based games, like Activisions World of Warcraft, saw sales drop more than 24% to $82.8 million.
