Those who regard the gaming industry as a thriving behemoth which generates seemingly endless wealth may be sorely mistaken.

The truth is that this sector experienced its worst sales figures in four years this August. According to international research group NPD gaming revenue figures for the month were $818 million - a 10% overall drop compared to the same time last year.

Year to year revenue currently weighs in at $8.37 billion, which is an 8% drop compared to the same period in 2009.

Revenue for gaming software was the hardest hit, trailing off 14% year on year. EA's Madden NFL 11 was the biggest seller for the month, shifting 1.8 million units.

In terms of hardware Microsoft’s Xbox 360 came out on top, selling 356 700 units while Nintendo’s Wii sold just 244 300, which is its poorest performance since the console was introduced to the market in 2007.

In addition, portable gaming has suffered considerably says the NPD group.

"While all categories are down in both dollars and units, the portable portion of the industry is down to a greater extent than is the console portion," NPD analyst Anita Frazier said in a statement.

Although we’re not entirely sure what is contributing to the slow demise of the gaming industry it seems logical that both piracy and the after effects of the recent recession, still fresh in consumers minds and indeed their pockets, may have had a significant effect.