Metal Gear Mario Smack-DOWN!

The block is hot! The yellow ball in the sky blazes the atmosphere. The wind wisps warmly. Oases of thirst relief are cruel holograms of nature. Long lazy hazy days collect on the calendar. Units that condition the air rumble on with the weather prisoners inside feeling the frost. Human beings behave like toasted bread on the sands of the waterways. Grass grows like green plagues. Even the shadows and shades burn in their darkness…their absence of light.

June is the starting month for summer and the charts from the National Purchase Diary burn to the 3rd degree! June was when the long awaited PlayStation 3 savior Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots released to the public’s delight (and my personal embarrassment). It should have been a month of glory for the so long beleaguered console but that dastardly duo stole the spotlight once again. Even MGS4 couldn’t help the PS3 dethrone the WiiDS combo…not in the hardware charts anyway. However it DID help them get an edge on their HD capable foe, the XBox 360. Gotta strike the iron while it’s hot, folks. Time to check the newest NPD estimates and rescue you all from drowning in your anticipatory beads of sweat.

Nintendo’s DS graduated to the top its class with 783,000 touch-screen talismans sold in the month of June. Back in May, the dual sided dynamo sold 452,600 of its clamshell kind showing a strong increase that tells you there’s much more to come. This month the DS half of the WiiDS equation plays the #1 role in the seemingly never-ending tradebacks between the two Nintendominators. It prints money? How about it mints gold coins.

Nintendo’s Wii begat 666,700 world wonders unto the world in the month of Father’s Day. In the month of Mothers, the magic machine moved 675,100 of its blue-glowing type showing the most minor of decreases. This is the 4th month in a row where the Wii has sold over half a million in one month alone. Selling these kinds of amounts in the total opposite of the commercial holiday season. Selling these kinds of amounts in a time period where traditionally it had been slower for sales. With a thousands mark number (666) like what Wii sold, somebody would easily think that the eerie blue glow box was possessed. Not possessed, just Phenomenal.

Sony’s PlayStation 3 jumped the broom with 405,500 Blu-rays of light sold in the month for Juneteenth. In the time of Cinco de Mayo, the PS3 sold 208,700 black and chrome blockbusters showing a powerful doubling increase. This was caused no doubt by the presence of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots which was sold packed-in and separately to an enthusiastic audience. Either way whether bundled or looseleaf, this game did what Grand Theft Auto IV could not: push up hardware sales. Sony gained a victory over its direct rival the XBox 360 for June and only time can tell if this trend will last. Exclusivity is the key as it always has been.

Sony’s PlayStation Portable had a Kamehameha Day with 337,400 PS pockets sold for the summer solstice. Having a May Day last month, the PSP sold 182,300 multimedia machinations showing a near doubling in output. The kids are out for summer vacation and portable console sales go up as usual to prevent cries of “are we there yet?” during such long road trips. With all the features the PSP has, it should keep both kids and adults alike pleasantly occupied enough to not become a nuisance during those travel fatiguing adventures.

Microsoft’s XBox 360 flagged in 219,800 cross-marked boxes for the month of Flag Day. For the month of Memorial Day, we remember the 360 selling 186,600 faceplated facsimiles showing a respectable increase. Flagging is the proper word for what’s going on with Microsoft’s game machine right now. Halfway through the year and it looks like time is standing still for the company which was flying high on the top of the charts surpass the WiiDS duo last September under Halo power. Has the XBox 360’s competitive spirit retired alongside the company’s founder, Bill Gates? A price drop is a MUST. Not a shell game one but a permanent one.

Sony’s PlayStation 2 has a honeymoon after saying “I do” to 188,800 dual shockers sold in the month of Juno the goddess. In the month of goddess Maia, the PS2 sold…uh…sold…um…Oh that’s right! NPD didn’t share any PS2 figures with us that month so we’ll just have to hope and guess that it was somewhere between its current June 188,000 and its April 124,000. Maybe they didn’t hit 6 digits last month and that was the reason for the drop off. Who knows what lurks inside the heads of the powers that be at the NPD? Keep on truckin’, PS2!

All put together, the U.S. videogame industry collected $1.69 billion in total sales for June, a 53% bounce from last June’s collection. Of this billion-and-a-half-plus figure, total hardware sales were rose like vapor up 54% to $615.1 million while total software sales high-nooned up 61% to $872.6 million. Whoa! And don’t forget, total accessory sales grew like summer grass up 25% to $202 million, presumably helped by the various Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Wii Fit, and Mario Kart Wii enhancements and maybe more. For the year-to-date, the industry has tossed graduation caps up 36% to $8.27 billion in comparison to last year’s $6.1 billion showing an ever-growing industry. It is expected that this industry will eventually see $22 billion in record-breaking revenues by the time the year’s out. Thar’s gold in them thar games! A friendly reminder: All percentages refer to year-on-year comparisons between 2008 and 2007.

The big story for June in game sales is none other than Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Old Snake made a fool out of me and my 2006 prediction that it wouldn’t see the light of day on the PS3 when it shuffled out of the stores faster than a politician’s flip-flop. The PS3 has been repairing the damage from their launch and pre-launch periods to gain respectability in 2008 and the MGS4 sales are the just reward. But that wasn’t the only story on the top ten game charts. The ukulele-like handheld version of Guitar Hero on DS put some stank on the charts in June much like Ryu Hayabusa did with Ninja Gaiden II on the 360. Surprisingly, Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures posted up 3 times on 3 different systems showing that Lego interpretations of movie franchises in tandem with new hit movies create serious sales strength. As usual, the Wii contingent grows stronger with Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit holding it down with the everlasting Wii Play. And Battlefield: Bad Company shows that some players still like living out those Cold War dreams. See who charted where as you look below, Joe.

NPD’s Top Hardware Sales in June

Nintendo DS – 783,000
Nintendo Wii – 666,700
Sony PlayStation 3 – 405,500
Sony PlayStation Portable – 337,400
Microsoft XBox 360 – 219,800
Sony PlayStation 2 – 188,800

NPD’s Top Ten Software Sales in June

01. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) – 774,600*
02. Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS) – 422,300
03. Ninja Gaiden II (X360) – 372,700
04. Wii Fit (Wii) – 372,700
05. Wii Play (Wii) – 359,100
06. Battlefield: Bad Company (X360) – 346,800
07. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) – 322,400
08. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (Wii) – 294,500
09. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (DS) – 267,800
10. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (PS2) – 260,300

*Total doesn’t include packed-in versions. If pack-ins were included, MGS4 would total nearly 1 million, according to NPD’s Anita Frazier.