U.S. sales of video game hardware and software jumped 75 percent in September, driven by Microsoft Corp’s (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) “Halo 3″ and Nintendo Co Ltd’s (7974.OS: Quote, Profile, Research) Wii console.
Total sales in September, a 5-week retail period, soared to $1.36 billion, up from $779 million a year earlier, according to market research firm NPD.
“Halo 3″, the latest installment of Microsoft’s flagship franchise, sold 3.3 million copies, more than twice as many as the next nine games combined, the data showed.
The game received such positive buzz that it spurred consumers to buy Xbox 360s just to play it. Microsoft sold nearly 528,000 of the consoles in September.
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