As your wallet can tell you...there was a ton of money dropped on Video Games. Who were the big winners? How'd the big N do?
Video Games, Hardware Sales Hit Record in 2001
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Spurred by the launch of three new game machines, U.S. sales of video games and related hardware reached $9.4 billion in 2001, shattering 1999's record of $6.9 billion and topping the Hollywood box office for the year, according to a report released on Thursday.
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Sales of game consoles increased 39 percent in unit terms, according to market research firm NPD, while sales in dollar terms more than doubled, rising 120 percent.
Sales of game software reached $6 billion in 2001, up from $5.4 billion in 2000.
In contrast, the total domestic box office receipts for Hollywood movies in 2001 were $8.4 billion.
The best-selling game was Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.'s "Grand Theft Auto 3," a controversial criminal adventure game that has sold 2 million copies since its October launch. The game was banned in Australia due to its violence.
Electronic Arts Inc.'s "The Sims," which has sold 2.6 million copies since its launch and spawned a number of expansion packs, was the top-selling PC game of the year.
Nintendo of America, the U.S. arm of Nintendo Co. Ltd. , was the top publisher for consoles and handhelds for the year, with three top-10 titles. All three games were for Nintendo's own Game Boy handheld line.
Sony Corp. dominated the console market, with seven of the top 10 titles for its PlayStation line.
Electronic Arts dominated the PC top 10, with six titles, four of which were "Sims"-related.
Last year was marked by a flurry of new hardware launches, beginning with Nintendo's Game Boy Advance in June, followed by Nintendo's GameCube console and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox console, both of which launched in November.
