Latest marketing and retail statistics show that Sony and Nintendo continue to compete with each other to raise the sales of their respective gaming stations. With the PlayStation 3 failing to live up to expectations, Sony seems to be struggling to kick start the market for the most evolved version of its gaming station yet.
The PlayStation 2 continues to enjoy far better sales than the PlayStation 3, clocking in at over 3 million sales in February 2008, while the PS3 languished below its older brother at a measly 2 million. The Nintendo DS ruled with almost 6 million in sales, surpassing both the PS 2 and PS 3 combined!
Meanwhile, Microsoft is fooling no one by suggesting that their Xbox sales have been overtaken by Sony thanks to a hardware shortage. The Xbox 360 clocked in at a little over 2 million in sales last month, and even the PS 3 was more successful. Microsoft was barely able to sell more than the ever popular PSP (PlayStation Portable), which has maintained a decent sales rate ever since its release.
Sony may have gotten a little bogged down by the release of the PS 3, and has had its attentions divided between its newest child and its previous one. Frustratingly for Sony, the PS 2 has consistently remained higher on the sales charts than the PS 3, although Sony should be more than a little satisfied that last month’s combined sales of the PS 2 and PS 3 place it at a far greater advantage than Microsoft, and in a more strategic position to compete with Nintendo. However, there seems to be no upstaging Nintendo from the top spot as it sits pretty with the most successful game console in the history of the market. The PS 3 did surprise the market by selling more than the Nintendo in January, and one of the biggest surprises of February was the comeback of the PS 2, which hadn’t even been in the top five biggest selling gaming consoles at the beginning of 2008.
The gaming industry continues to grow steadily in its worth, and came in at a whopping $18 billion at the end of 2007. One of the quieter but most steady in terms of popularity has been the Wii, which has consistently been lapping at Nintendo’s heels in the gaming industry. It’s sales for last month surpassed those for the PS 2, although not for the PS 2 and the PS 3 combined. However, Sony also has two consoles in the market, so its combined sales place it as second only to Nintendo. But many gamers would agree that the understated elegance of the Wii is preferable to the Sony consoles, which invariably come with glitches and flaws that make smooth usage difficult.
Sony is gearing up to boost its sales considerably with the imminent release of the latest episode of one of the most successful games ever: Grand Theft Auto IV. The game is set for an April 2008 launch, and if Microsoft does not get its act together by then, Sony may well end up leaving it far behind!