Aided in part by multiple hardware launches, video game hardware and software sales rose 31 percent to $1.1 billion in June from a year ago, according to The Globe and Mail.
With few new games going on sale, consumers focused on buying new consoles from the major players: Microsoft's Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii, and the Sony PlayStation 3.

All consoles had considerable jumps in units sold from May to June. The Nintendo sold 381,800 Wiis in June, 13 percent more from the previous month; Microsoft sold 198,400 Xbox 360s, a 28 percent jump; and Sony sold 98,500 PSs, up 20 percent.