Despite the blockbuster releases of two "Call of Duty" games and "Halo 4," the video game industry had another down year in 2012, according to a year-end sales report by NPD Group, a research firm.
Retail sales of games dipped 22 percent as the $16.99 billion spent on video games in 2011 fell to $13.26 billion in 2012, with December signaling the 13th consecutive month of decline.
Video game systems and accessories sales suffered a similar fate in 2012, dropping 27 percent and 8 percent respectively. Amid these down sales, Microsoft's Xbox 360 remained the industry's best-selling system, a title the console has held for 17 straight months.
The gaming industry confronted several issues in 2012, among them the transition from physical to digital platforms and the controversy stemming from assertions of a connection between gun violence and gaming. Other reasons for the drop in sales are a bit more simple.
"A major culprit in the decline in retail sales in 2012 was the lack of new releases," NPD analyst Liam Callahan told the Los Angeles Times. The past year saw a 29 percent drop in the number of SKUs (stock-keeping units) for the gaming industry, meaning there were fewer unique games. Indeed, every game in the top 10 was either a sequel or part of a yearly series.
Sports and first-person shooting games ruled the year, accounting for seven of the 10 top-selling games. Mature-rated games also fared well, making up half the year's best sellers.
Check out the 10 best selling video games of 2012 below:
