The Xbox 360 is champ once again.

Microsoft’s console was the best-selling console in the United States last month, marking 24 consecutive months atop the video game market.

NPD research firm released its monthly December’s statistics and the Xbox 360 sold 1.4 million units last month. Even though that led all consoles, it’s an 18 percent year-over-year decrease from December 2011, when 1.7 million Xbox 360’s were sold.

More than $1.27 billion was spent on Xbox 360-related retail last month. The console also had seven of the top ten best selling software titles during the holidays: Halo 4, Assassin’s Creed 3, Just Dance 4, NBA 2K13, Far Cry 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Madden NFL 13.

It wasn’t a good month for the industry. NPD estimates the total consumer spend for physical retail sales across the industry in December to be $3.21 billion. That’s down 22-percent from $4.1 billion in December 2011. Hardware sales were also down 20 percent to $1.07 billion, while video game software (new physical sales from console and portable devices) was down 26 percent to $1.54 billion.

For 2012, the video game industry registered $13.26 billion in sales, down 22 percent from 2011, which was down eight percent from 2010.

Here are the best-selling games in December:

  1. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (360, PS3, Wii U, PC)
  2. Just Dance 4 (360, PS3, Wii U, Wii)
  3. Halo 4 (360)
  4. Assassin’s Creed III (360, PS3, Wii U, PC)
  5. Madden NFL 13 (360, PS3, Wii U, Wii, Vita)
  6. Far Cry 3 (360, PS3, PC)
  7. NBA 2K13 (360, PS3, Wii U, Wii, PSP, PC)
  8. Skylanders Giants (360, PS3, Wii U, Wii, 3DS)
  9. New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS)
  10. Fifa Soccer 13 (360, PS3, Wii U, Wii, 3DS, Vita, PSP)
And for 2012 overall:
  1. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (360, PS3, PC, Wii U)
  2. Madden NFL 13 (360, PS3, Wii, PSV, Wii U)
  3. Halo 4 (360)
  4. Assassin’s Creed III (360, PS3, PC, Wii U)
  5. Just Dance 4 (Wii, 360, Wii U, PS3)
  6. NBA 2K13 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, Wii U, PC)
  7. Borderlands 2 (360, PS3, PC)
  8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3, Wii, PC)
  9. Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (Wii, 360, NDS, PS3, 3DS, PSV, PC)
  10. FIFA Soccer 13 (360, PS3, Wii, PSV, 3DS, Wii U, PSP)

Previously on GeekWire: Microsoft IlumiRoom turns entire room into video game

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