The October 2015 NPD Group results have been published, and they're arguably the most surprising of any in recent memory.
For one, Microsoft claimed a big victory by selling more Xbox One consoles than any other console manufacturer, up 81% year-over-year. Halo 5: Guardians made a huge impact, and in-fact took the top selling software slot despite only being on the market for five days out of the entire month.
Software was as follows:
2. NBA 2K16 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
3. Assassin's Creed: Syndicate (PS4, XBO)
4. Madden NFL 16 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
5. WWE 2K16 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
6. FIFA 16 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
7. Destiny: The Taken King (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
8. Yoshi's Wooly World (NWU)
9. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection (PS4)
10. Rock Band 4 (XBO, PS4)
As seen above, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection took the ninth spot despite being Sony's most marketed first-party title during the period. In addition, the PS4 sold fewer units during the month than October of last year, and this was with a $50 price drop to begin the month.
This is just a prelude to the two months that matter most: November and December. Starting in just a couple weeks huge Black Friday deals will hit the market which will include a $299 Xbox One and PS4. Millions of consumers are expected to make a big purchasing decision at that time. Whether they decide on the Wii U, PS4, or Xbox One is yet to be determined, but last month's success in addition to a strong first-party line-up, and a UI/backward compatibility update hitting this week could potentially tilt things strongly in Microsoft's favor.