Mario just wasn't strong enough to hold off Big Daddy.  BioShock 2, the eerie first-person shooter set in the underwater world of Rapture, topped video game software sales in the month of February, says data from research firm the NPD Group.  The action game featuring the Big Daddy sold 750,000 last month, 562,900 of which was for Xbox 360.  However, it couldn't stop continued declines in the industry overall. Video game sales fell 15% compared to February 2009, and they're down 14% year-over-year.  "Honestly, I had expected the industry to perform somewhat better this month," says NPD analyst Anita Frazier in a statement.  Fitness and music games continue to drag down video game sales, says Jesse Divinich, analyst with Electronic Entertainment Design and Research.  "It's obviously pretty clear that both categories are weak at this point," says Divinich. "We don't expect revival within the music and fitness genres for at least another eight or nine months."  Finishing a close second to BioShock 2 was Nintendo platformer New Super Mario Bros. Wii, selling 555,600.  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 continues to maintain sales momentum, selling a combined 567,100 copies. The 360 version of the game finished third.  "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has become the third-best-selling game of all-time, now at just under 10 million units," says Frazier.  A complete look at the top 10 (publisher, platform in parentheses)  1. BioShock 2 (Take-Two Interactive, Xbox 360) - 562,9002. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo, Wii) - 555,6003. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision, 360) - 314,3004. Just Dance (Ubisoft, Wii) - 275,4005. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo, Wii) - 272,5006. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision, PS3) - 252,8007. Mass Effect 2 (Electronic Arts, 360) - 246,5008. Dante's Inferno: Divine Edition (Electronic Arts, PS3) - 242,5009. Dante's Inferno (Electronic Arts, 360) - 224,70010. Heavy Rain (Sony, PS3) - 219,300  The Xbox 360 finished first in the console race for the first time since September 2007, selling 422,000. The Nintendo Wii was second with 397,900 and PlayStation 3 third with 360,100.  EEDAR's Divinich cites a shortage of Wiis on store shelves as a reason for the Wii's slower month. "We believe February numbers reflect entirely on the Wii being supply constrained and has little to do with declining demand of the product," he says.  A complete look at hardware sales:  Nintendo DS - 613,200Xbox 360 - 422,000Nintendo Wii - 397,900PlayStation 3 - 360,100 PlayStation Portable - 133,400PlayStation 2 -101,900  The NPD Group's Frazier anticipates a rebound for March, led by the arrivals of Final Fantasy XIII, God of War III and the Nintendo DSi XL. "Strong new releases, and Easter gift-buying bodes well for industry performance in March."
'BioShock 2' tops February game sales; 360 edges out Wii, PS3 - Game Hunters: In search of video games and interactive awesomeness - USATODAY.com - Game Hunters: In search of video games and interactive awesomeness