John-ShepardThe console race is closer than ever with each passing month, and the latest November NPD estimates indicate that Sony has retained its momentum established by the price cut this fall.
Both Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter and EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich have offered their predictions for the previous month, and first and foremost, both believe we saw a definite increase in overall software sales. Pachter thinks we'll see total sales for the month hit $1.55 billion, which would represent a 7% increase over 2008's $1.45 billion, although he does expect overall hardware sales to be down 19% in a year-over-year comparison. Said Pachter:
"PS3 unit sales last year were 1.1 million for the November–December 2008 period (compared with 2.3 million for Xbox 360 and 4.2 million for Wii). The Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 for 13 consecutive months until September, likely due to a higher perceived value proposition. (The Xbox 360 'core' model was priced $100 lower than the PS3.) We think that the PS3 will again outsell the Xbox 360 in November and December, prompting a price cut some time early next year."
Pachter says the PS3 will have sold 700,000 units in November with the Xbox 360 coming up close behind at 650,000 while EEDAR's Divnich expects something similar: the PS3 at 725,000 and the 360 at 700,000. Both believe the Wii will top the million mark and as incomprehensible that is to me, the Wii won't be destroying the competition as it did during last year's holiday season. As for the PS3, we're certain that a few must-have exclusives will continue to fuel hardware sales for December.
…and RROD units that are now out of the extended warranty.
Exclusives for not only December but February and March especially.
If course everybody wants a PS3 now. Everybody and the family pet already has an xbox 360. Just wish that sony would have dropped the price sooner.
You guys killed me with that you pay more cause it does more crap…Nobody outside of this forum or in the real world saw that. Or could justify paying 100 USD extra for a PS3 over a xbox 360.
I knew that when sony dropped to price to be equal with xbox 360. This would level the playing field.
Sony has made some major gains in the past few months. The question is what is microsoft going to do counter and stop sony's gains in the coming year.
If i was a betting man. I would say buy more proven sequels and make them exclusive.
It's now a horse race may the best company win.
No, not strictly. "Best" is a subjecive term in this case(like was the snes or the Megadrive(Genesis) best?)and I con#'t see a clear winner of the beneration even if the Wii keeps on as it is and the other two sell less month over month. The installed bases of each are big enough to ensure the fight oes to another generation just as, though disappointing on the surface, last gens Xbox sales ment that MS stayed in the game-and this gen all have sold better than that with Sony still aiming or the PS2 figures.
It always makes me laugh when fanboys on either side .llist why the other platform is the "me too" console that co[pies theirs as well. They ALL copy each other. Sony ripped of Achevements with trophies(though Insomniac claim to this day, with some truth, to have invented the whole thing with their R&C skillpoints), MS ripped of Singstar with Lips and Miis with Avatars while Sony can easily claim the Wii motion control boom ws a direct result of what they first tried with Eyetoy. It's all further proof that the console manufacturers are closer together than we might like to imagine(and with Sphere and Natal will get EVEN closer)-so is "best" possible? not in ultimate, factual terms, no. In subjective "I ike the way they do it best" terms? Certainly. That's where Sony win for me as I just think they push more interesting projects than MS or Ninty. F'rinstance I can't see MS funding a risk like HR, can anyone?LiS?TLG?Home?
So, like the stupid "who won E3" articles we always get(seriously, people think you can "win" a fekkin press junket these days?)winning this generation is a very personal thing and depends more on who you are than any empirical evidence.
@mastiff
I think I agree with what you wrote. Please take the time to read and edit your comments before posting.