NPD's Video Game Sales Data For September: What To Expect

The NPD Group will release its September video game sales report on Oct. 12, which is expected to show the video game industry having benefited from a mid-teens increase, said Stifel's Drew Crum. In fact, the upcoming report is considered to be of "greater interest" for investors, as it includes a few key AAA titles that were recently released, including "Destiny 2," "NBA 2K18" and "FIFA 18."

Overall video game sales should show a gain of 20 percent or more on a year-over-year basis, Crum stated. But the hardware category will likely show a double-digit decline although the Nintendo Switch gained further traction. It is important to note that the same period a year ago was boosted by the Xbone S and PS4 Slim, which were relatively new at the time.

The analyst also made the following projections for third-party publishers for the month of September:

• Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI): sales of $90 million ($20 million a year ago) reflecting the launch of "Destiny 2."
• Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA): sales of approximately $80 million amid "modest growth" for "Madden NFL" and slightly lower results for "FIFA 18."
• Take Two Interactive Software Inc (NASDAQ: TTWO): Retail sales will likely be down in the high-single digits to around $100 million despite gains in the "NBA 2K" franchise.

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