Thanks to top-selling games like Batman: Arkham Knight, Lego Jurassic World, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Mortal Kombat X, Warner Bros. is dominating the bullish game market.
According to market research firm, NPD Group, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a unit of Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) is the top performing game publisher thus far in 2015. July makes four straight months a Warner Bros. game has topped the sales chart for U.S. retail. Warner Bros. game sales have increased 200% in dollars earned over last year in the U.S. market.
July alone saw Warner Bros. claim three of the top ten spots – with Lego Jurassic World, Batman: Arkham Knight holding the top two spots, respectively; and Mortal Kombat X coming in at number eight.
The news is not just good for Warner Bros. NPD analyst, Liam Callahan, reports that overall, the gaming industry in the U.S. is growing – more than 6% year-to-year, representing $542M. Hardware sales were up 2% ($202M), software sales up slightly to $178.5M and accessories (including such things as interactive toys, subscription cards, and point purchases) rising 17%, accounting for $161M.
Next generation console sales are up, too. After nearly two years on the market, combined sales of Sony’s PS4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One are nearly 50% higher than previous consoles, PS3 and Xbox 360, combined during the same amount of time following their debut.
With upcoming blockbuster DC Universe films, and the success of Warner Bros. games, could more films join Suicide Squad in getting video game versions?