PS3 Picked to Pass 360 in 2011

[Andy Chalk]

PS3 Picked to Pass 360 in 2011

It may be Move [http://www.amazon.com/Kinect-Sensor-Adventures-Xbox-360/dp/B002BSA298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290621816&sr=8-1] for the holidays but analyst group DFC Intelligence nonetheless predicts that 2011 will be the year that the PlayStation 3 overtakes the Xbox 360 in worldwide sales.

Things are looking rosy for Kinect, the motion control device for the Xbox 360 that came out earlier this month. A million of the things sold in just DFC Intelligence [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/105318-One-Million-Kinects-Sold-in-Just-Ten-Days] says it won't be enough to hold back the surging onslaught of the Big Sony Machine.

The fight is for second place, of course - the Wii is still far and away the dominant console of the current generation - and the Xbox 360, with 45.2 million units sold worldwide, has a slight edge over the PlayStation 3, which has notched up 41.2 million units sold. But in spite of that lead and the apparent advantage of Kinect over Move during the vital holiday quarter, 2011 could be the year that the PS3 actually moves ahead of its Redmond rival.

There are several reasons, according to the analyst group. Sales of the redesigned Xbox 360 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101335-E3-2010-Xbox-360-Slim-Announced-Shipping-Today] have been strong but software sales haven't kept up, suggesting that many of the new purchases are replacements for broken hardware or secondary systems in the same household. The PS3, on the other hand, came out almost a full year after the 360 and has shown steadily climbing sales numbers ever since.

The PS3 also has a big edge in Japan, where it has outsold the 360 by about four to one and where the Kinect is apparently "SOCOM 4 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/105566-Anecdotal-Evidence-Suggests-Japan-Isnt-Buying-Kinect] that are expected to ship next year could drive sales enough to make up for it.

Source: Digital Trends [http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/ps3-expected-to-overtake-the-360/]


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[Danpascooch]

If it ever overtakes the 360, Microsoft will just release the next Xbox a year later and get all of the sales back, face it Sony, you made a damn good machine, but you made it too hard to code for and just when it's starting to hit its stride it's going to be left behind.

 

[carpathic]

I can see the logic here, but I am unsure about whether this will happen this year or not. Japan would appear to be a mostly mature market, and I think the PS3 has likely hit something close to market saturation there, the major growth should be coming from emerging economies where price, not features will likely be king.

My 2 cents anyway.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

It's only taken two thirds of this generation to do it...

 

[ANImaniac89]

sounds about right.
Its year I bought two Playstation 3's a used fat one and after it died ( I will never shop at a pawn shop again) and a newer Slim one.

and I love it, the PS3 has almost completely replaced my 360 as my main gaming system.
The exclusives are much better then the flood of dogshit brown FPS's on the 360 and online is free.

 

[killamanhunter]

Well then I know I could care less. As long as they all still stay in business and keep the competition fresh and innovative then I say keep it up!

 

[sniperworm]

Most of the games I'm interested in are multiformat anyway so I really could care less

 

[Krajin]

As long as they continue to shell out CO-op games (either system), I am not entirely to worried if they do or not, personally I do not agree that ps3 will over-take, but again I do not think anyone is really feeling dread if it does or not...and unless they remake FF7 I still wont buy a ps3 xD

 

[Daemascus]

They have been saying this ever since the XBox 360 and PS3 came out. And guess what, its hasnt happened!

 

[Mats Holm]

Common guys, one more year, you know I'm good for it...

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

If it ever overtakes the 360, Microsoft will just release the next Xbox a year later and get all of the sales back, face it Sony, you made a damn good machine, but you made it too hard to code for and just when it's starting to hit its stride it's going to be left behind.

I highly doubt that MS would just up and release a new Xbox just because the PS3 passes them in sales. Especially not right after releasing Kinect. That's just illogical to even think that would happen.

That and the "PS3 is too hard to code for" was really an excuse for smaller companies to fall back on when their bad games didn't sell.

It's already been said that this console generation will be the longest ever, and everyone can see why. This gen may last 10 years due to the power of both consoles increasing so well, and the use of DLC. We're 5 years into this generation, we're only halfway through, especially if major attachments are just being released now.

 

[WittyInfidel]

Glad you could make it to the party, PS3. Sorry, the beer's gone flat and the dancing girl's have left. Would you mind stepping out and picking up another bad of ice? The main chap who does it seems to have passed out.

Hope you're not this late for the next party. Which should be just a few months after you take leadership once again.

*begins slow clap*

 

[Brotherofwill]

To be honest I just don't care anymore. Around 2 years ago I was really involved with console sales and argued about it all the time. Like how many of the Xbox sales are related to failing hardware that needs to be replaced or how many PS3s are just used as Blu-ray players and all this irrelevant shit.

Here we are, a few years into this generation, arguing over the paltry difference of 4 million units sold or so. What gives? Who cares about which console goes ahead? I kind of like the head to head dynamic that Sony and MS have right now. Let's hope for some better games soon, that's really all we can do (by supporting them with our money).

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

personally I do not agree that ps3 will over-take,

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/104871-PS3-Sales-Hot-on-Xbox-360s-Heels

They're are only 3 million units from doing so, I think it's going to happen. If not christmas, then very very soon after that.

 

[Danpascooch]

If it ever overtakes the 360, Microsoft will just release the next Xbox a year later and get all of the sales back, face it Sony, you made a damn good machine, but you made it too hard to code for and just when it's starting to hit its stride it's going to be left behind.

I highly doubt that MS would just up and release a new Xbox just because the PS3 passes them in sales. Especially not right after releasing Kinect. That's just illogical to even think that would happen.

That and the "PS3 is too hard to code for" was really an excuse for smaller companies to fall back on when their bad games didn't sell.

It's already been said that this console generation will be the longest ever, and everyone can see why. This gen may last 10 years due to the power of both consoles increasing so well, and the use of DLC. We're 5 years into this generation, we're only halfway through, especially if major attachments are just being released now.

First of all, I don't think Microsoft is going to make a new one solely for that, my belief is that they are already well into the development of the next xbox and will release it around the time the PS3 exceeds the 360

Also, it's not an excuse at all, it's true, it's hard to make games for due to its unnecessarily complex nature, the structure of its cells is unlike anything out there, and it deviates from established norms without a clear reason.

 

[Baldr]

If you look at the sales numbers just in the US, in the past 4 months, the Xbox360 has been selling about as many units as PS3 and Wii combined. Then again mostly because of Halo Reach and the Kinect.

It anyone game in the next year, but if they start releasing decent games for the Kinect(Would love to see a Heavy Rain type game for the Kinect) 360 may have an edge, if not then totally PS3.

 

[The Rockerfly]

Yay predictions from analysts who have no idea bar sales figures and not specifications on the market

Look maybe they have done their homework but Microsoft are not that stupid to let the sales figures slip like that, they will release something or some games to make people buy xboxs all over again

For example, Microsoft miss some key demographics with it's marketing. The first being the eastern market and the second being the younger generation. For the younger generation they need to release games parents are more comfortable with purchasing for their children.

While with the eastern market, it's a bit more difficult. They like innovation, JRPGs and characters that are instantly recognisable (e.g. Mario). This could boil down to getting both markets if Microsoft would just release some good child friendly games with a main character. It doesn't have to be easy or stupid. Look at Spyro or Crash as a good example, these are sorts of things Microsoft need to do, something recognisable to stop them looking like the blood hungry fps wankfest that it currently is.

However chances are that Microsoft have done this already so here's hoping. It doesn't matter either way though, the Wii and DS will come up on top

 

[Arkley]

I'm not sure this will actually happen. If things had remained the way they were earlier this year, it would certainly be possible for the PS3 to surpass the 360 in 2011.

However, with Kinect selling like warm cookies and coming in a reasonably priced bundle with a new Xbox, the 360 could definitely maintain its lead. After all, Kinect has captured the imagination of the casual crowd for sure, and most casual gamers don't already own 360s.

Toss in the fact that regular XBL ban waves around the holiday seasons always shore up a few hundred thousand new sales to players who modified their machines, and the fact that the 360 remains the cheaper option - I just don't see it happening. It's possible, sure, but the PS3 has a hard time ahead of it.