November 20^th, 2001 (12:00am) - The U.S. video game industry generated $4.3 billion in revenues in the first nine months of 2001, up 34 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to a research report released on Monday.

The statistics from NPDFunworld, a service of research firm NPD Group, showed sales by number of units for game hardware, software and accessories rose 12 percent for the first nine months of the year.

The strong growth was largely driven by Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 2, NPD said. That console was released in Nov. 2000, but was not widely available, due to shortages, until earlier this year.

The statistics do not take into account the two new game consoles launched last week, Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox and Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s GameCube.

NPD said the presence of those two consoles would likely drive the industry to a record year, surpassing 1999’s $6.1 billion in revenues.

Of the 10 best-selling games in the period, five were published by Nintendo of America. Trailing Nintendo were Sony’s game arm and U.S. publisher Activision Inc., with two games each. The list was rounded out with one game from the largest U.S. publisher, Electronic Arts Inc.