NPD: Gaming industry hauls in $3 billion in November 2011

By Mike Flacy December 9, 2011

Based off data released by consumer market research firm NPD on Friday, the gaming industry had a very profitable November due to sales of games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Totaling just over three billion dollars, approximately 58 percent of that figure is attributed to software sales. Software sales are up by 16 percent over the previous year, but hardware sales are down by nine percent due to slowing Wii sales and accessory sales are down approximately 34 percent over November 2010. After the NPD numbers were released today, Microsoft released a statement that the company sold about 1.7 million consoles in November and approximately 60 percent of those sales happened on Black Friday.

While Activision’s Modern Warfare 3 and Bethesda Softworks Skyrim easily took the number one and two spots respectively, Electronic Arts Battlefield 3 and two Ubisoft games, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations and Just Dance 3, rounded out the top five. Other popular games during November include sports franchise Madden NFL 12, Sony’s popular adventure game Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, THQ’s sandbox title Saints Row: The Third, Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Warner Brothers popular sequel Batman: Arkham City. According to NPD, sales of Skyrim in November brought Bethesda Softworks within about half a million units of matching lifetime sales of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Batman: Arkham Asylum’s lifetime sales figure is also very close to being beaten after just two months of Arkham City sales.

Recommended Videos

In a related story, gaming social network Raptr stated in a blog post that Skyrim is the most played game of 2011 with just being on the market for a period of four weeks. While Modern Warfare 3 has more total playtime due to sheer volume of sales, the average Skyrim player has about 23.5 hours of playtime in the game and the average gaming session runs nearly three hours long.

Topics

Contributing Editor

By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…

Gaming

How to revive dead companions in Baldur’s Gate 3

Withers offering services to the player in Baldur's Gate 3.

You're given a good bit of leeway during battles in Baldur's Gate 3 before you or a companion actually bites the dust for good. While in battle, if a teammate does take enough damage to drop, they aren't dead then and there. Instead, they will be downed with a chance to roll every turn to get back up. If they roll successfully three times, the battle ends, or you use another character to pick them up, they're good. If they fail that roll three times, however, they will be completely dead. That can be harsh when you've become attached to certain characters and want to further their stories, so you'll be looking for any way you can to bring them back. Thankfully you do have a few options for reviving companions in Baldur's Gate 3, but just like respeccing, they aren't so obvious.
Pay Withers to bring them back

Withers is a friendly undead you can find in a secret room in the Dank Crypt found inside the Overgrown Ruins. After finding and speaking to him in his sarcophagus, he will offer you various services, one of which is bringing back any dead companions. He won't do this out of the kindness of his heart (probably because it isn't beating) and will charge you a heavy fine of 200 gold to do so. Still, that's a small price to pay to bring back a beloved character. Once paid, that character will appear in your camp where they would normally be, so there's no need to go back to their corpse and find them.
Use a scroll of Revivfy or learn it

Gaming

Every video game delay that has happened in 2023 so far

The player skates toward the moon in Skate Story.

Few things feel as inevitable in the video game industry as delays. Ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, game delays have only become more and more common as developers find previously set timelines unrealistic and adjust their release plans accordingly. More than halfway through 2023, we've already seen some notable AAA games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Skull & Bones, and Pragmata delayed pretty heavily. Because video game release date delays are so common, it can be tough to keep track of every game that has had its launch date shifted in some way.
That's why, just as we did in 2021 and 2022, Digital Trends is rounding up every game delay that's announced throughout 2023. Here are the high-profile ones that have happened so far, listed chronologically by their new intended release dates.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR (March 16)

As Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is one of the best games for PlayStation VR, The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, Supermassive Games' PlayStation VR2 successor, is a highly anticipated launch title for the upcoming VR headset. Unfortunately, it will no longer make PlayStation VR2's February 22 launch and will instead be released on March 16. On Twitter, a message from Supermassive Games says this delay will ensure that players "receive the most polished, terrifying experience possible" at release. The game was released on that date to mixed reviews.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (March 24)

Gaming

Is Remnant 2 cross-platform?

Three characters shoot at a boss in Remnant 2.

Aside from the focus on firearms and integrating some randomly generated environments, the Remnant series sets itself apart from other souls-like games mainly with its focus on co-op. Both titles encourage you to team up with two friends to fight your way through the mutated monsters that await. After so many years of progress in terms of multiplatform games incorporating full cross-platform support, you might assume Remnant 2 will follow suit and let you make a group with anyone regardless of what platform they're on. However, the truth may be a bit more disappointing. Before you make plans with your squad, here's what you need to know about Remnant 2's cross-platform support.
Is Remnant 2 cross-platform?

Unfortunately, Remnant 2 does not have cross-platform play between PS5, Xbox Series X or PC -- and there's no word about it being added in the future.