NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. retail sales of new video game hardware, software and accessories fell for the eighth straight month in July, according to research firm NPD Group.
Overall sales fell 20 percent to $548.4 million.
Sales of consoles and portable software - the video games themselves - fell 23 percent from a year earlier to $278 million. Sales of hardware such as Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation fell 32 percent to $151 million. Accessories sales bucked the trend, rising 8 percent to $137 million.
Even with the anticipated launch of Nintendo Co.'s Wii U later in the year, NPD predicted full-year sales will be $14.5 billion, down from $17 billion last year.
The study from NPD Group tracks sales of new physical products - about 50 percent of the total spending. Excluded are sales of used games and rentals as well as digital and social-network spending.
NPD also listed the top-selling games in July:
"NCAA Football 13," Electronic Arts Inc.
"Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes," Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. Interactive
"The Amazing Spider-Man," Activision Blizzard Inc.
"Just Dance 3," Ubisoft Group
"Batman Arkham City," Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. Interactive
"Call of Duty: Black Ops," Activision Blizzard Inc.
"Assassin's Creed: Revelations," Ubisoft Group
"NBA 2K12," Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.
"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3," Activision Blizzard Inc.
"Dead Island," Deep Silver