Despite the launch of Nintendo’s new Wii U console, continuing sales success for the Xbox 360, and growth for Nintendo DS and Skylanders accessories, overall physical retail sales of video games in the US dipped 11% for November 2012, according to NPD data.

The sales decline, however, was the smallest year-over-year monthly decline in 2012, as the industry heads into the important December shopping season.

Game hardware sales fell 13%, but the Wii U, priced 35% higher than the Wii at launch, brought in more sales dollars than the original Wii’s launch in November 2006, up 21%. In a statement, Nintendo said it sold 425,000 units of the Wii U in the US following its November 18 launch.

In other hardware news, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 led overall hardware platform sales for the sixteenth-consecutive month.

For accessories, Skylanders unit sales of both original and new Skylanders Giants increased more than 250% compared to November 2011.

Total video game sales (excluding digital, used and rental sales) fell from US$2.87 billion in November 2011 to US$2.55 billion last month, marking the twelfth straight month video game sales have declined.

Factoring in digital, used and rental sales, NPD estimates the total consumer spend in November at over US$3.1 billion.