There is little doubt that 2009 was a huge year for Sony. According to figures released by Sony today, The PlayStation brand generated more than $5.1 billion in revenue in the U.S. in 2009, which is a 26 percent share of the total video game industry revenue in 2009.

In December, there were some 1.3 million PS3s sold in the U.S., which represents an 87 percent increase compared to December 2008. The good news for Sony, December 2009 marks the highest selling month for PS3 hardware and software in the U.S.

It’s also pretty clear that many people purchased a PSP during the holidays, as hardware sales increased by more than 122 percent from November.

Sony released a statement today about sales in 2009, and how the future looks for the PS3. Patrick Seybold, Sr. Director of Corporate Communications at Sony Computer Entertainment America, said: “It’s no surprise we’ve seen PS3 units sold every month nearly double since October. We knew 2009 would be a turning point for the platform due to the new price and a content line up that is fueling unprecedented consumer and industry interest with games like UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves. The consumer response has simply been overwhelming and we anticipate the high demand for PS3 to continue into the coming months as we work closely with retail to meet the demand. The best part of PS3’s story today is that 2010 will offer entirely new gaming experiences to consumers as we launch MAG, God of War III, 3D gaming, and the new motion controller this year. It’s never been a better time to be a PS3 owner.”

On the software front, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was quite the seller for the PS3. It ranked in the top five software skus for December. The game has sold about 2.8 million copies on the PS3, followed by Madden NFL10, and Assassin’s Creed II. It was also revealed that Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has surpassed 1 million units in North America.

-PSU