NPD: $5.9 billion spent on videogames in Q1 2011 in the US

NPD's said today that $5.9 billion was spent in Q1 2011 on gaming hardware, content and accessories.

The figure is a 1.5 percent increase YoY over the same period last year.

On how much was spent on used games, game rentals, subscriptions, digital full-game downloads, social network games, downloadable content, and mobile games, the total amount came to $1.85 billion.

This is in addition to $2.03 billion spent on "new physical video and PC game software" in Q1, according to NPD.

"While the new physical retail channel still generates the majority of industry sales, our expanded research coverage allows us to assess the total consumer spend across the growing number of ways to acquire andexperience gaming, including mobile apps and downloadable content,"said the firm's Anita Frazier.

"Through a combination of point-of-sale and consumer research tracking, The NPD Group is providing an expanded, more comprehensive measure of a dynamic and rapidly evolving games industry."