What console war? Latest NPD numbers claim everyone wins

Whenever video game consoles' sales data is released, we often depict the comparison as some kind of war. But with E3 having ended and the holiday season approaching, NPD suggests the battle may be entirely in our minds.

June's total video game sales for the US were $680 million dollars higher than last year, with revenues from consoles and portables combined rising 54% over last year, and revenue from game software 61% higher. One NPD analyst expects total industry sales to be $22 billion this year, making video gaming the single highest-grossing form of entertainment today.

With numbers this high, the concept of a "console war" seems silly. The bottom line is that everybody is winning.

Sure, Microsoft's Xbox 360 trailed behind both Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3 last month in sales, but in the United States video game market, placing third in a booming market isn't all that bad. In terms of raw numbers last month, 666,700 Wiis, 405,000 PS3s, and 219,800 Xbox 360s were sold.

NPD analyst David Riley chuckled at the idea that people still believe there is a console war going on.

"There is no console war. Consumers can purchase multiple platforms (e.g., it's not like the core only select one platform). While some manufacturers are selling more hardware than others at this time, all three are holding their own. It's the content that drives hardware acquisition, so if you develop the content, the gaming consumers will come."

"With this in mind," Riley continued, "At E3 we saw plenty of compelling titles across all of the platforms, including PC, that will keep gamers busy this holiday season and well into the new year."

All three major video game consoles announced banner titles for the holiday season, with Nintendo expecting Animal Crossing and Wii Music; Sony expecting Resistance 2 and Bioshock 2, and Microsoft expecting Fable 2 and Gears of War 2.