US video game sales drop 8 percent in November, ‘Call of Duty’ does well

November US video game retail sales slide

NEW YORK — A market researcher says Americans spent 8 percent less on video games in November than in the same month last year.

Retail sales of video game systems, software and accessories totaled $2.7 billion during the month, the NPD Group said Thursday.

Hardware sales fell 13 percent to $1.05 billion.

Nintendo’s Wii and handheld DS systems were the big sellers, followed by Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360. To boost sales, gaming console makers have all cut the prices of their systems in recent months.

Software sales were led by Activision’s “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.” The game set entertainment records last month. In all, game software sales slipped 3 percent to about $1.4 billion.