Xbox One scores high number of preorders

The upcoming console has picked up more preorders than its predecessor over the same period of time, says Microsoft.

The Xbox One is proving a hit even before it officially launches, according to its maker.
Preorders for the Xbox One have surpassed the number seen by the Xbox 360 during its prelaunch months, Microsoft has reported. The upcoming console has been sold out at most of its major retailers in the U.S.
But the Xbox 360 continues to heat up sales.
For the 30th month in a row, the 360 was the top-selling console in the United States last month as consumers bought more than 140,000 units. Total spending on the Xbox 360 (including hardware, software, and accessories) hit $197 million in June, research firm NPD said on Thursday, the highest number for any console in the U.S.

Nintendo also played well in June, as its 3DS earned the top sales spot across all gaming platforms for the second month in a row, according to NPD.
"To quote Nintendo during E3, 'software sells hardware', which is evident in this month's 3DS results," NPD analyst Liam Callahan said in a statement. "Strong double-digit increases in the 3DS hardware sales were coupled with triple-digit digit increases in software for June sales. 3DS software sales momentum is building due to a steady flow of content over the past few months, leading to positive year-to-date sales results."
And what of the rest of the video game industry? As usual, not so bright a picture.
Sales of video game hardware fell to $142 million last month, a 30 percent drop from June 2012. Sales of video games nestled in at $296 million, down 10 percent from the same month last year. Still, some titles lit up the charts.
"'The Last of Us' was the top selling game at retail in the month of June," Callahan said. "To put this in context, it had the second highest first-month sales of a PS3 first-party game, after 'God of War 3' in March 2010. 'The Last of Us' was also the third highest game to launch during the month of June since NPD began tracking sales in 1995."
Other titles on the top ten sales list included "Animal Crossing: New Leaf," "Minecraft," "Call of Duty: Black Ops II," and "NBA 2K13."