U.S. retail videogame and console saw its best sales month ever in December 2009, according to NDP Group retail data.

NDP Group said sales increases in all categories save for game software, which dropped 7 percent from $2.8 to $2.2 billion, year over year.

The video game industry experienced its biggest sales month ever, besting last December by 4%, said NPD analyst Anita Frazier in a press statement

U.S. retail videogame and console sales increased 4 percent in December, rising to $5.32 billion as shoppers snapped up nearly 2.8 million copies each of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Over the full year, though, sales were down as the full impact of tough economic times trickled down to the US consumer and prices dropped as a result.

In total, NPD reports gaming sales of $19.66 billion for 2009, down eight per cent from record-setting 2008 figures, while the $10.5 billion spent specifically on gaming software as 11 per cent lower.

January and February were both up, and since the decline that began in March, only September experienced growth, Frazier said. The big sales [in December], particularly on the hardware front, [are] a positive move for the industry headed into what will hopefully be a recovery year in 2010.

Hardware

3.81m - Wii
3.31m - Nintendo DS
1.36m - PlayStation 3
1.31m - Xbox 360
655k - PSP
333k - PlayStation 2

Software

2.82m - New Super Mario Bros [Wii]
2.41m - Wii Fit Plus [Wii]
1.79m - Wii Sports Resort [Wii]
1.63m - Modern Warfare 2 [Xbox 360]
1.12m - Modern Warfare 2 [PS3]
1.01m - Wii Play w/remote [Wii]
936k - Mario Kart w/wheel [Wii]
783k - Assassin's Creed 2 [Xbox 360]
729k - Left 4 Dead 2 [Xbox 360]
657k - Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story [DS]

Video