Pachter expects the NPD Group to announce October US videogame software sales data following market close this Thursday. He forecasts software sales of $555 million, up from $369 million last October.
Of the total, Pachter estimates that $425 million was generated by software sales for new platforms (PS3, Wii, 360, PSP and DS). PS2 software sales are expected to have generated $110 million. Activision's Guitar Hero III, which raked in $115 million in first week sales in North America, is expected to be the main driver of software sales growth.