NEW YORK (AP) — Retail sales of video games have declined for six straight months.

Analysts are blaming the slow August — which was expected — in part on a disappointing showing from the latest "Madden" title from Electronic Arts.

Market researcher NPD Group reports a 16 percent decline to $909 million in overall U.S. retail sales of hardware, software and accessories.

Sales of games fell 15 percent $470 million when compared with the same month a year earlier. Hardware sales, meanwhile, dropped by a quarter to $298 million.

Still, price cuts lifted sales of Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 by 72 percent over July.

The sales figures do not reflect Septemb er's release of "The Beatles: Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero 5," two titles expected to give the industry a boost.