U.S. Retail Sales of Video Games Keep Falling

A new study says U.S. retail sales of video-game hardware, software and accessories fell 28 percent in May to $517 million. It's the sixth-consecutive month of decline.

Sales of console and portable software -- the video games themselves -- fell 32 percent from a year earlier to $255 million, while sales of hardware fell 39 percent to $139 million. That was offset partly by a 7 percent increase in sales of accessories, to $122 million.

Market tracker NPD Group issued the report Thursday. It tracks sales of new physical products -- about 50 percent to 60 percent of the total spending. Excluded are sales of used games and rentals as well as digital and social-network spending.

The top-selling game in May was Activision Blizzard Inc.'s "Diablo III" for PCs.

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