May 13, 2009 – 1:11 pm
by Mike 
It’s no secret that in the console wars if you don’t win a round every once in a while you’re not going to make it, just ask Sega. Microsoft is currently in a weird position in the console wars, they have placed 2nd twice in a row and don’t hold a strong position currently as PS3 sales seem to be picking up. The original Xbox barely beat out the GameCube, which itself was a dud, by only 3 million and far far behind the PS2. But having been the new kid on the block, beating Nintendo and coming in second was a victory for Microsoft.
 PS2: 112 Million / 71% Market Share
Xbox: 24 Million / 15% Market Share
GameCube: 21 Million / 14% Market Share
All charts and figures are provided by vgchartz.com.
In round two for Microsoft, they were expected to show some progress and you can say they have, increasing their market share from 15% to almost double at 30%
While doing much better the second time around, Sony seems to be closing the gap against the Xbox360. Considering Microsoft had a year head start, if they lose to the PS3 and come in last this round it could mean big trouble for Microsoft.
Before Nintendo made a smash with the Wii, there were rumors flying around that if Nintendo’s next console didn’t succeed it could be the end of Nintendo as a console maker. The same can now be said about Microsoft, it they do some how end up in last, their next console might be a make or break for them.
However on the flip side to that, if they are able to hold out and finish in 2nd, with the help of Xbox Live, I could see the next Xbox console dominating the next-gen wars. Nintendo might be dominating the casual game market, but they are years behind Microsoft with online gaming. They also seem to be picking up support from hardcore gamers. If I was a console gamer, I would chose Xbox360 over PS3, not only because it’s cheaper but because of Xbox Live. But alas I’m a PC gamer, although I did own a Wii, but gave it away since I hated it.
Update: In response to those people saying the gap between Xbox360 and PS3 is growing, yes that’s correct. But what I was refering to in the article is that if you line up the Xbox360 and PS3 from when they were launched, PS3 is selling faster than Xbox360 was for the same time period as the chart below shows.
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this makes no sense, sony is gaining steam…well they loose every month in the most important market, america! they have a 8 million system lead. it would take a couple years to catch up, and unlike nintendo, and now to a lesser extent sony, microsoft does not rely on xbox360 as main money maker, they rely on their monopolies….i mean windows and such. just look at their compay profiles, microsoft is worth more, overall makes more then both companies, so to compare them to sega is like saying bill gates is middle class.
PS3 fuck the way.
Enaugh said…
If you’re a PC gamer, why would you choose a 360 besides xbox live? most of the 360 ‘exclusives’ are also on the PC.
Your article is kinda flamebaitish but in a way you have a point.
Knowing Microsoft, if the PS3 does ever really catch up, they can just announce the 360′s successor just before Sony meets and surpasses their total install base and declare a ‘victory’ and the current generation ‘over.’
If you ask me the next console race will really shake things up so we ought not to expect a dedux of what we’ve seen. The Wii has changed things permanently. It could very well be likely that Microsoft will follow Nintendo’s lead and marginally upgrade the 360 with it’s own gimmick at target casuals right out the gates with the next one. Nintendo too might upgrade the Wii to affordable HD visuals. And unlike them Sony will stick with their 10 year plan on the PS3 and skip their launches and launch their own next super console much later on by pushing the tech and going for longevity and profitability in the long term. Sony’s probably not in it to win it anymore anyway. It’s like the competition between the PSP and DS. The DS is so far ahead, Sony just said “fuck it” and is no longer interested in cutting price of the PSP to beat the DS, they’re just trying to be successful on their own time with their own strategy focusing on their own market of those that like high quality graphical multi-app products. If Nintendo made a decent profit off the Gamecube, Sony can use the same line of thinking and do that only better.
But anyway, no doubt the PS3 has gained a lot of steam! It is possible that they can still catch up to and go past the 360, but it’ll still likely be awhile.
such wishful thinking i think the ps3 has caught up alot online but that pricehurts in todays economy and for me personally and i know others feel this way at launch no 720p hdtv downgraded to 480p even if u had 1080i has that been fixed u had to buy hd cables their were no games when it came out and the real slap in the face is making blue ray the media which elevated the cost but the funny thing is u can download blue ray quality over the net and watch it over ur laptop hooked up yo ur hdtv or ps3 itself so understand while i love sony they made it hard on themselves for nothing when thy couldve just been about games as a fan it was sad in the beginning and while i had my share of rrod when i got a boost of currency bought a back up 360 which still is cheaper than one blue rayed game system that comes up short online and software sony is catching up but catching up to a reality that 360 owners have come enjoy for the past couple of years not months years so welcome to cross game chat online ease but the all the liquor is gone from the party all we have is beer ps x-mas sales will be interesting yes yes
The Wii’s success is just absolutely unbelievable. The numbers Nintendo pulls in every month are what the other two pull in during the holidays. I hope Microsoft releases a new console because they need to remove that RROD stigma they have. Upgrade the disc drive too! Whether it be Blu-ray or HD-DVD, just upgrade it so that games don’t have to be compressed as much/take up 4 discs. Sony needs White Knight Chronicles, FF XII, Uncharted 2 and God Of War 3 asap. I believe those could really drive hardware sales. A price cut or bundle would help them catch up as well.
The next generation is simply a boarder line era. The one after that will separate video games from the Tv screen completely changing the way we interact with our entertainment, kinda like the matrix + 2 wii style motes/gloves all mixed together. When that hits the shelves i will hang my gaming mitts at the tender age of 27. ahh well…. at least i got 6-7 years left.
yup a lot of wishful thinkin’ going on here.
plus yall know sony didnt start the gamin industry so let them take a loss like all the greats before it.
great games and the best tech don’t get nowhere these days look at the first xbox…lol here i tought sony learned from their mistakes.
The Xbox is DOMINATING the ps3 this year… it just keeps selling… it has 100,000 sales extra every MONTH than the ps3.
How can it be gaining ground. ALl I’ve been hearing for 3 straight years now is how the ps3 is going to overtake the 360 this year…. what total nonsense. The 360 will sell more and more and more the cheaper it’ll get. It has a HUGE gaming library.
Get a grip ps3 fanboys… sony is finishing LAST this generation.
There are some other factors to look at, such as attach rate. And unless what I have heard is wrong, the 360 is killing both the wii and the ps3 in attach rate(ie amount of games sold per system) They make money on every single game sold and it all of their biggest money makers. Nintendo is doing great with profit (I think I even saw that they made the most of any company per employee) and a big part of that is because most Nintendo owners buy Nintendo games and not many 3rd party. They have killed with games like the wii fit
why are xbots so heffed up on sales?
WHO GIVES A SHIT!
seriously what is it bringing you?
i perfer to play better games and play my system for more than 3 days without a hardware faliure.
what because it sells more means its better does it?
ok so what your saying is a suzuki is better than a lambo because im about 99.9999999999% shure suzukis sell better than lambos.
funny how last year and the year before it was all games now that the 360 hasent got any all of a suden games dont count its sales LMAO.
@name or #12
what games exactly are you talking about for the 360 again from last E3?..too human………..i think it was only gears 2 and a few third party games 360 owners mostly looked forward too. i mean its not like halo 4 is coming out anytime soon to sell a million more 360s.
so you can claim exclusivity if you want the truth is inetible more games regarless of developer sell better on the 360…so when fans start throwing words around like xbots for starters then we already know why you’re mad.
here are some third party #s
COD4:MW
360-7.33m
PS3-4.26m
COD:WAW
360-5.45m
PS3-3.25m
wonder where the next call of duty or modern warfare game will sell best?
but than again nobody even tought the 360 would sell that many games when it first came out specially on multiplatforms mainly(ps3). but than again when the 360 first came out every playstation i talked to told me how the xbox 360 wouldn’t get any support from developers ideally the japaneese developers…wonder what part of that was mostly bullshit.
that still has not answerd my question.
i complain that every xbot goes on about sales.
so what do you do?
do the exact same thing
thanks for proving my point.