December video game retail sales drop 22 percent

Tina, one of a series of top-heavy female characters from the new videogame "Dead or Alive 5." (Team Ninja)

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Christie, one of a series of top-heavy female characters from the new videogame "Dead or Alive 5." (Team Ninja)

Sarah, one of a series of top-heavy female characters from the new videogame "Dead or Alive 5." (Team Ninja)

NEW YORK – U.S. retail sales of video games and gaming systems fell 22 percent in December, capping a year of declining sales for the industry.

Research firm NPD Group said Thursday that overall sales fell to $3.21 billion from $4.1 billion in December 2011. NPD estimates that sales of new game hardware, software and accessories account for about half of what consumers spend on gaming.

Sales of video games themselves, excluding PC titles, tumbled 26 percent to $1.54 billion. Sales of hardware -- gaming systems such as the Xbox 360 and the Wii U -- fell 20 percent to $1.07 billion.

"Call of Duty: Black Ops II" from Activision Blizzard Inc. was December's top game.

For all of 2012, total game sales dropped 22 percent to $13.26 billion.

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The news came amid a nationwide push to reduce gun violence, which many are connecting to violent video games and movies. Vice President Joe Biden leads a task force on policy proposals and has promised to send ideas to Obama by Tuesday.

Biden's proposals are expected to include recommendations to address mental health care and violence on television and in movies and video games. Those issues have wide support from gun rights groups and pro-gun lawmakers.