NPD: Non-traditional game sales rake in billions during first half of 2010
NPD reports US consumers spent around $2.9 billion during the first half of 2010 on mobile, social network, downloadable, used, and subscription-based games.
This is the first "non-traditional" study done on videogame sales outside of brick-and-mortar stores by the firm, which found sales of games in this manner is 40 percent more than previously thought.
NPD estimated that non-traditional sales hit on the low-end of $2.6 billion, but can also be as high as $2.9 billion.
"This is an industry that is going through some pretty serious dramatic changes to its business model," said NPD games president David McQuillan. "We have to change along with them to properly reflect the overall trends going on within the market."
Farmville is more powerful than originally thought, then.
Last night, NPD released its software charts for September. Halo: reach topped it with 3.3 million units sold.