The NPD Group's numbers and analysis are behind a recent AP story highlighting record numbers for the US video game industry in 2005, led by portable systems like Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS.
Hardware, software, and accessories chalked up a record $10.5 billion in sales, over the previous 2002 record of $10.3 billion. Stateside, the Game Boy Advance continues to be quite the killer. NPD credits both the DS and Sony's PlayStation Portable are credited for introducing older gamers to the portable format.
NPD also notes, interestingly, that these numbers are made even more impressive since 2005 was also the year that supply shortages for Microsoft's Xbox 360 and a consumer "wait-and-see" attitude pending Sony's PlayStation 3 and the upcoming Revolution console's releases in 2006.