PlayStation 4 leads jump in US console sales

Sony's PlayStation 4 led a surge in console sales that lifted theUS video game market in April, according to figures released by market researchfirm NPD Group.Sales of video game hardware, mostly consoles, jumped 76 percent to $192.8 millionduring the month compared to a year ago, more than offsetting a 10-percent drop insales of game software to $227.9 million, NPD reported.Overall video game sales rose 17 percent to $580.3 million from the same monthlast year, according to NPD.PS4 was the top-selling console for the fourth consecutive month, followed byMicrosoft's Xbox One."Titanfall" was the top-selling game, followed by "Call of Duty: Ghosts."NPD estimated that the total spent in the US on video games topped a billion dollarsduring the month after adding in rentals, mobile apps, social network play,subscriptions, digital downloads, and other non-traditional revenue channels.Microsoft said Tuesday it would sell a reduced-price version of its Xbox One consolewithout the Kinect motion detection system.The move comes with Microsoft locked in a tough battle with Sony, which has beenleading the game console market with its next-generation PlayStation 4.