Despite recent analyst gloom-and-doom statements that June would be a slow month for gaming, NPD reports that videogame sales increased 25 percent year over year. The game industry was predicted to be in a slump this year, as game and console manufacturers gear up for the holiday console launches. But to date this year, videogame sales are up around 4 percent, despite any earlier slowdown.

The biggest driver appears to be the Nintendo DS, which sold an amazing 593,000 units in June. This bested the sales figures for the PS2 and the Xbox 360 combined. The PS2 pulled in 312,000 consoles sold, and the Xbox 360 trailed slightly at 277,000 units. The DS also drove portable software sales, bringing an increase of 30 percent over last year. Right now, at least, it looks like the DS is becoming a phenomenon in the portable world. Any gamer who judged the DS by its mediocre launch two years ago would have to be surprised by its immense success today. While the DS dominates, every videogame category was up percentage-wise.