January 2012 was a bumpy month for the gaming industry, with overall sales down to $750.6 million; this is a 34 percent decrease from the $1.14 billion that the industry enjoyed in January of 2011.

Software accounted for $355 million, a 38 percent decrease from last year. Activision’s juggernaut Modern Warfare 3 unsurprisingly led the pack, followed by Just Dance 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The ten best-selling games of the month are as follows:

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PC, PS3, Wii, X360)
2. Just Dance 3 (Wii, X360)
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC, PS3, X360)
4. NBA 2K12 (PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360)
5. Battlefield 3 (PC, PS3, X360)
6. Madden NFL 12 (PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360)
7.Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
8. Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventures (3DS, PC, PS3, Wii, X360)
9. Zumba Fitness 2: Party Yourself (Wii)
10. Saints Row: The Third (PC, PS3, X360)

Hardware sales totaled $199.5 million, also a 38 percent decrease from last January. Microsoft were the only manufacturer to give specifics, claiming 270,000 Xbox 360s sold. They also say that they held 49 percent market share, not leaving much for the PS3, PSP, Wii, and 3DS to fight over.

Accessories accounted for $195.2 million, an 18 percent decrease; Activision’s wildly successful Skylanders expansion figures accounted for 22 percent of that money pot.

Not an encouraging month for anyone, unless you’re Microsoft getting the lion’s share of the console sales. Hopefully things will pick up for Sony when the PS Vita launches next week.

Source: VG 24/7