Sony PS3 extends lead over Microsoft's Xbox 360 by a cool million
Upcoming next-gen machine a console-ation for 360 fans
Bad news for Microsoft and Xboxers: in December 2012, Sony shipped sufficient consoles for the number of PS3s the Japanese giant has sold to exceed the volume of 360s Microsoft has sent out by a margin of a million machines.
And that’s despite the year in which the second-generation Xbox had no direct competition from Sony.
According to market watcher IDC, Sony has shipped 77 million PS3s - as standalone units and as bundles - from the console’s launch in November 2006 to the end of December 2012. Microsoft managed to ship 76 million Xbox 360s from November 2005 to the end of last year.
Sony’s lead isn’t entirely surprising. Official figures from Microsoft put the Xbox 360 installed base at 70 million units to 30 September 2012, while Sony’s own claims put its total to that date just ahead at 70.2 million.
The 360 is now more than seven years old, so all eyes are on next June’s E3 games industry show when Microsoft is expected to unveil the console’s successor. Sony, with a year’s advantage and the sale lead, can afford to wait and see what its arch-rival will come up with.
Consoles these days do a darn sight more than allow you to play games, and that’s not going to change with the next generation of machines. In fact, IDC reckons the number of games purchased per console will fall by a quarter compared with the current and previous generation.
Still, in the short term, disc sales will rise - “discs will remain the console game revenue mainstay for years to come”, forecast IDC games watcher Lewis Ward - as early grab titles for their new, eighth-generation machines. “Historical norms strongly imply that game disc revenue will stop bleeding in 2013 and rise substantively in 2014,” he said, though he also reckons disc sales will fall year on year by three per cent through 2016 as more games are downloaded. ®
COMMENTS
It isn't a competition for consumers!
Why is this bad news for me, an 'Xboxer'? Just because an alternative item sold better it doesn't seem to have had any effect on how my venerable Xbox 360 functions. Bad news for Microsoft? Maybe. But us consumers aren't all 14 year-old fanbois who flaunt our IT choices as some sort of tribal badge and feel we're in some way embroiled in a personal war against all other manufacturers and their own consumers.
So there.
Re: Kinnect
You're so clever, because, right, Kinect isn't made by Sony! Yeah! Who'd a thunk it! Cos Sony don't sell a product they don't make! Man, I bow to you.
Santa
Santa/OH brought me a PS3 as a chrimbo surprise, to sit alongside the 360.
First impressions:
- It certainly likes updates. Over a 1MB rural connection it was painful at times. The Xbox likes updates too, but they seem to be smaller.
- A lot quieter than the 360 at full throttle.
- The bigger HDD allows for games to be installed, quicker loading times
- The slide mechanism of the PS3 slim does feel a bit flimsy. I know they're built to a cost, but it does feel like it could break if you are a little brutal with it.
- The inclusion of a single RGB lead was a little stingy. I borrowed an HDMI lead from another device. Even the 360 gives you component for pseudo-HD.
- Why oh why did they get rid of the PS2 compatibility? I have a shelf full of PS2/PS games. Though the PS store with some PS/PS2 games to buy does answer this. Seems ridiculous that I would have to re-purchase San Andreas to get round to finishing it, unless I bring the PS2 out of hibernation again.
- No reference between the same games, but GT5 does look slightly sharper than Forza 4. The NFS game bundled with it is the usual EA crazy 500mph driving game.
- Bluray drive a handy inclusion, though we do have a seperate BR player. Could mean that pre-next-gen titles such as GTA5 will be on 1 BR instead of swapping between several DVDs.
- I found the UI not quite as intuitive as the 360, though was similar to the TV UI. Maybe I've been indoctrinated to the 360 tiles. However, the lack of advertising on the console was refreshing.
Re: Not in the UK I don't think.
"I've only ever met 3 real people who have owned a PS3."
So that would be 75% of the 4 people you know then.
Re: Not in the UK I don't think.
1) I've only ever met 3 real people who have owned a PS3. Every other gamer I know is PC, Xbox or PC AND Xbox.
Try harder. I can point to four people in my office who own a PS3, along with several of my friends. 360? Actually, can't remember the last time I saw one in the wild.
In my book, that's pretty meaningful.
Anecdotal evidence is more meaningful to you than actual sales figures? Would you like to buy some of my snake oil? I have plenty of anecdotal evidence that it works great!
