PS3 and Xbox 360 still way behind Wii in April despite GTA 4 release
By Dave Parrack
The Nintendo Wii has been kicking the Sony PS3 and Microsoft Xbox 360’s butts on a monthly basis for the last year. However, it was assumed that the release of Grand Theft Auto 4 in April would put a stop to that and allow them to catch up. Not a chance.
It was universally believed that the release of GTA IV on the Xbox 360 and PS3 would help the two consoles catch up and maybe pass the Wii in terms of hardware sales. Industry analysts such as Michael Pachter insisted that the game was a system seller.
The official NPD data for hardware and software sales in the US for April is now out, and shows that despite the game selling 2.85 million copies between the two consoles, it hasn’t helped actual hardware shift at all. Courtesy of GameDaily:
April US Hardware Sales
Nintendo Wii - 714,000
Nintendo DS - 414,800
Sony PSP - 192,700
Microsoft Xbox 360 - 188,000
Sony PS3 - 187,100
Sony PS2 - 124,400
As you can see, Nintendo is still kicking major butt, with the Wii selling over 3 times as many consoles as either the PS3 or Xbox 360. The DS meanwhile, roundly kicked the PSP where it hurts. As for the battle between what many regard as the only true next gen/current gen machines, the Xbox 360 slightly beat the PS3 but its such a tiny figure difference, this month has to go down as a draw.
On the software front, Grand Theft Auto 4 was always going to be top, and it is by quite a margin. On this score, the Xbox 360 did beat the PS3 but that’s not surprising with the huge difference in installed user base in the US.
April US Software Sales
GTA IV – Xbox 360 – 1.85 million
Mario Kart Wii – Wii – 1.12 million
GTA IV – PS3 – 1.00 million
Wii Play w/ remote – Wii – 360K
Super Smash Bros. Brawl – Wii – 326K
Gran Turismo 5: Prologue – PS3 – 224K
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness – DS – 202K
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time – DS – 202K
Guitar Hero III – Wii – 152K
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Xbox 360 – 141K
Obviously we won’t get a true picture of the difference Grand Theft Auto has made to the gaming landscape until we get the figures for May. With GTA 4 coming out a mere 3 days before the end of April, May will be a truer reflection. However, Wii Fit is out this month in America, and that is sure to shift a healthy number of Wiis, meaning Nintendo are likely to stay ahead for quite some time to come.
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Tips N4G
May 16th, 2008
damn the ps3 is catching up
May 16th, 2008
What is so special about this dame Wii Who the hell is buying it and why. I really don’t factor it in as a real console. But those numbers are crazy. They don’t even have real games. I just don’t understand and yes I have played it. I consider it a gimic.
May 16th, 2008
i had no idea gt5 pro sold that few. i thought i heard it was a system seller. guess not…
congrats to the wii…
May 16th, 2008
“It was universally believed that the release of GTA IV on the Xbox 360 and PS3 would help the two consoles catch up and maybe pass the Wii in terms of hardware sales. ” - by who? the ps3 fans? noone ever thought one game would do that.
May 16th, 2008
This numbers are fake, the wii is selling beacuase its alot cheaper then PS3 or 360.
but the thing has no games and its a gimmick game cube with a new name.
May 16th, 2008
360 beat ps3 again… ps3 is never going to catch up.
May 16th, 2008
By 900 units in the US country wide…that looks like a creaming wu tang, you clown.
If it is now that close in the US (the mother land for 360) imagine what the figures are like for the rest of the world (there is a a “rest of the world”)
May 17th, 2008
God in his infinite wisdom… made me a human… a HUMAN BEING… I am a me… NOT A Mii… and my family and I.. are a we.. NOT A Wii…
these new Japanese voo doo witchy machines are just the toys of the devil… you have to ask yourself… is this what god wants?? NO!!!
God gave us an ass…. so we can sit on it… so we can sit on it and play games… NOT STAND AROUND JUMPING UP AND DOWN LIKE A BUNCHA IDIOTS!!!
He gave us hands… so we can hold our controllers.. our controllers… NOT a remote… remotes are the tool of the devil… god and our dear lord baby jesus wants us to play REAL games… games where we can blast each other on the face… games where we can see the blood and guts pouring out of our enemies.
just like Biblical times… (those were the days)…
He does not want you to spend your hard earned dollar on some stupid devil maker foreign electric hoo ba joo… buy American made games and consoles… its the patriotic AND christian thing to do….
He doesnt want you to pay “extra” for an “entertainment” centre… he wants YOU to play games… just like uncle sam wants YOU to protect our interests in foreign soil… they have games where you play as a “GOD”… BLASPHEMY!!!
NEVER FORGET baby jesus… he died for YOUR sins… and how are you paying him back??
JP: I’ve deleted some inappropriate comments darkwhitehair. I’m happy for you to share your views, but I won’t tolerate rascist remarks.
May 17th, 2008
oooookkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 17th, 2008
idiots the facts are there, if the ps3 is catching the 360 in the 360 “safe land” and the gap is only 900 units, people are waking up to the fact that the future lies with the powerful ps3. The 360’s days are numbered, by next month we could see a new best seller in the U.S.
May 17th, 2008
DWH,
Too far, not funny. And Jesus was not a baby when he died. Just FYI.
Bourne,
It’s just as likely that the PS3 outsold the 360 by 900 last month. 900 units is smaller than the allowed margin of error in compiling these statistics. Stasticially, the PS3 and 360 tied. I just know Kevin will have something to say about this…
-Arvis
May 17th, 2008
oh yes, how do we know these figures are valid kevin?
May 18th, 2008
yeah arvis im waiting for kevin to with his verbal diahhrea
May 18th, 2008
Looking at the ratio of PS3s vs 360s sold, the Ps3 may catch up to the 360 around 2012 worldwide. I’ll probably would have been one of those who bought it before 2012, depending on how cheap it gets. I’ll probably be married with kids by then too and wouldn’t give a crap about who sells more than who.
May 18th, 2008
Christ, Kevin is like one of those annoying things that just won’t flush. Why necessarily ps3 fans? Why not 360 fans? They have GTA4 too.
wu tang , once you leave the shore and sail out to sea, you will realize that there is actually other islands out there called ‘countries’. There is quite a few of them, apparently.
May 18th, 2008
Bourne,
If we’re talking about USA only, PS3 beat the 360 in Jan and Feb. 360 has won the past 2 months. I don’t claim to be a mathematician but if something sold more than the competition in Jan and Feb but sold less than the competition in March and April then it’s hardly catching up.
Anyway, at the end of the day should it really effect anyone? Neither system is going away.
Baby, you’re giving me blue balls.
June 25th, 2008
PS3 = sucks
360 = good
Wii = good