Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo talk NPD figures - PS3, Xbox spun to beat Wii!
By Dave Parrack
The April sales figures for the U.S. were released at the end of last week by NPD. They again showed the Wii way out in front, beating the PS3 and Xbox sales figures combined for yet another month, despite the release of Grand Theft Auto IV. But of course, Sony and Microsoft couldn’t just admit that they are losing the current generation console battle so they instead issued press releases spinning the figures their way.
Make no mistake about it, the Wii is absolutely thrashing the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 in terms of sales month on month in the U.S. This is despite fans of both rival consoles stating categorically their belief that the Wii shouldn’t even be regarded in the same breath as their beloved machines.
Let’s start with Microsoft, as they were the first to prepare and issue a sickness-inducing press release full of more spin on the figures than an Olympic figure skater exhibits in a gold medal winning routine.
Microsoft
Instead of focussing on the most recent month, Microsoft decided to talk up the long game, and pointed yet again to the fact that the Xbox 360 is the first console of this generation to sell in excess of 10 million units in the U.S. In fact, it saw fit to add a .1 to the total since it made the original announcement 3 days previously.
It also talks up the attach rate for the console, and in particular when it comes to Grand Theft Auto 4. It cites the fact that GTA 4 sold to a ratio of 2:1 over “the other platform”. Which is interesting when looked at in light of Sony’s press release to follow.
Sony
Keep in mind while reading the following that the PS3 sold in the lowest quantity out of all three of the current gen home consoles. Not able to do a Microsoft and talk up their overall sales figures, Sony decided to compare year on year figures instead. Apparently the PS3 sold 127% more this April than last.
Sony also talked up the fact that Grand Theft Auto sold to a higher percentage of Playstation 3 owners than Xbox 360 owners. 23.6% of PS3 owners in the U.S. had purchased a copy of the game, which is a 29% higher attach rate than GTA had on Xbox 360 which according to their maths, had a 16.75% attach rate. Oh how statistics can be used to prove anything.
Nintendo
And so last but not least we come to Nintendo, which rather than talk up their victory end up almost downplaying its continuing success.
The company cites Mario Kart Wii coming second behind the Xbox 360 version of GTA 4 as a prime reason for the success along with the fact that 6 of the top 10 games for the month were on Nintendo platforms.
The monthly sales figures are becoming a very predictable pattern. Nintendo wins, obliterating the competition by a huge margin, and then Sony and Microsoft spin the figures to show that actually all is right with the world. Is this pattern going to change any time soon? Wii Fit is out this week too…
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Tips N4G
May 18th, 2008
It’s sad that Microsoft and Sony still have to spin so furiously. But I guess it’s somehow necessary.
I dunno what’s going to happen when MS is overtaken by the Wii in the US. I think that GTA IV is going to have potentially a much smaller effect for MS than Halo3 did with regards to console sales.
Oh well, being a Nintendo Fanboy…I’m cool with that. Just as long as I’m able to play me some Gears 2, Too Human, Resistance 2 and (maybe) MGS IV.
Yeeeeehaaw!
May 18th, 2008
NPD should be comparing Wii to PS2 and Xbox, and figuring out how long it will take it to catch up to its head on competition. Sorry Dave Parrack, you may not like it, but Nintendo has no device that truly competes. Yes they are all 3 sold at same time, but so what? That’s like saying a Civic is competition for Maserati and Ferari just because they are both being sold at same time.
May 19th, 2008
and yes like you said being released at around the same time and it IS in the same generation as ps3 and 360 because generation is a time measurement.
You are a classic ms/sony fanboy. Nintendo is winning so lets make up some bull crap that the wii is not realy in competion with the other platforms because it is technoloigcaly inferior.
“no device that truely competes”
please do tell me why you think that.
The ds is technologicaly inferior to the psp and its kicking it all about the ring but according to your logic the psp has no competion.
You sir are actualy a complete f(_)cking idiot
May 19th, 2008
that was at davidb by the way
May 19th, 2008
The PS3/Xbox has the better graphics, the Wii has the better controler and the broader game choice. All of this consoles are next-gen. But the Wiinner takes it all.
May 21st, 2008
broader game choice???? wtf