Madden-ing Wii effect: U.S video game industry earns $1 billion in August 2007

The US video game industry hit a purple patch in August 2007 as revenue shot up to a staggering $1 billion, according to a NPD Group report. This is a 46% rise from the industry’s revenue of $679 million in August, 2006. It seems that Christmas has come early for the video game industry, and it only can get better from here.

The industry earned its billion dollars in August 2007 on back of strong Wii hardware and Madden NFL 08 sales, both of which are bankable and consistent performers.

Madden ruled the roost in the U.S game charts for the month of August, 2007, with three of its different console versions taking the number 1, 2 and 4 spots. The 360 version of the game sold 896,000 copies, followed closely by the PS2 version’s 643,600 copies and the PS3 version was a distant third with 336,000 copies. The eerie Bioshock spoiled Madden‘s party by taking the third spot and preventing the football game from securing all three top slots in the charts.

The hardware charts tell a, now familiar, tale of Nintendo’s domination. The Wii topped the charts with 403,000 consoles sold, and the DS gave it brotherly company at the second spot with 383,000 units sold. The total hardware sales accounted for $384 million in revenue, nearly double of the revenue in August, 2006.

It is likely to get better with another scintillating game, Halo 3, releasing September, 25. The game will have a ruthless disdain for game-sales records. Another billion doesn’t seem far away from the video game industry.

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