Console/handheld software sales were only $156 million, down -13% YOY. In general, those are really weak physical software sales, lowest since the turn of the century.

Although:

PS4 software was down -3% YOY (-46% MOM)

WIU sofware was down +0% YOY (-33% MOM)

XBO software was down -3% YOY (-42% MOM)

So even though the industry was down -13% YOY (-35% MOM), 8th-gen console software largely held steady.

Best-sellers of July 2016:

Call of Duty: Black Ops III was the number-one best physical seller in July 2016 with 194K (including bundle units) and 64K (excluding bundle units)

Minecraft: >175K, top of the physical non-bundle charts

Grand Theft Auto V: 172K, actually up YOY (GTA July 2015: 171K)

Monster Hunter Generations: >165K

Pokemon Ruby + Sapphire (right behind Monster Hunter according to CosmicQueso on NeoGAF)

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Overwatch: 135K

NBA 2K16: 111K

Titles that collapsed in their second month of sale (all below 50K):

1) Mirror's Edge Catalyst (Collapsed at retail from 99K in June to to below 40K in July, high digital shares contribute to its physical decline)

2) Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE (significantly below 35K, I thought it would have legs because it launched late in the month but...nope, it's DOA)

3) Kirby: Planet Robobot (Legs were a LOT weaker than expected, and other 3DS catalog outside of Pokemon was also weak).

Sorry guys, DOOM 2016 declined significantly from June. MLB 16 The Show is still holding steady at >60K.

You keep making this point - and you keep missing the point. Several people have already pointed out the answer to you. Go back and read them.

Also the sales wouldn't have been better. They would have been worse. The price cuts and game bundles were because they were old stock. They were getting rid of old stock for the new stock.

If there was no slim release in site - they wouldn't have gotten rid of their old stock. There wouldn't have been discounts and game bundles. And they would not have sold as many.

Some observations I made when looking at July 2016 physical sales:

Console/handheld software sales were only $156 million, down -13% YOY. In general, those are really weak physical software sales, lowest since the turn of the century.

Although:

PS4 software was down -3% YOY (-46% MOM)

WIU sofware was down +0% YOY (-33% MOM)

XBO software was down -3% YOY (-42% MOM)

So even though the industry was down -13% YOY (-35% MOM), 8th-gen console software largely held steady.

Best-sellers of July 2016:

Monster Hunter Generations: >165K

Pokemon Ruby + Sapphire (right behind Monster Hunter according to CosmicQueso on NeoGAF)

Cheers, Aqua.

No major releases this July either, as compared to 2015. So good to see the 8th gen consoles hold in regards to software sales. No doubt digital will have grown YoY. 

Still, with declines in handheld and 7th gen spend it means the retail packaged software market is considerablly smaller than it was during the same period last gen. Not a great number as you point out. 

Pokemon effect was strong this month. What will be interesting to watch is how Sun & Moon performs this Holiday. 

Rumors that only 1% of the market hear is killing its sales? Maybe by 5-10k MAX.

Pokémon moon and Sun will be the second bigger game of the year after CoD, easy, imo.

Pokémon XY sold 3.17 million in 2013... i expect 5 million for moon and Sun. (November+December)

I wouldn't rule out Battlefield 1.