Global sales of Sony’s PlayStation 3 console now trail those of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 by as little as three million units, reports IndustryGamers.
According to the latest hardware figures obtained from both Sony and the Big M, PS3 has now sold 41.6 million units worldwide, with the 360 having moved 44.6 million units since its launch in November 2005.
Sony’s flagship console hit stores a year after its leading competitor and back in May 2010 was positioned around 4.4 million units behind Microsoft’s platform. Since then, 360 has managed to shift an extra 4.3 million units, while PS3 moved an additional 5.3 million during the same time frame.
As such, many believe it is only a matter of time before Sony’s black box overtakes the Microsoft money machine in worldwide sales; however, analyst Jesse Divnich argues that things aren’t as cut and dry as they seem on the North American front.
“I don’t know if the PlayStation 3 will ever overtake the Xbox 360 in North America,” he noted. “Maybe 2014? 2016? We do know the PlayStation 3 has incredible long-term value as a Blu-ray player, much like the PlayStation 2 did as a DVD player, but with strong competition coming from the digital front, one has to wonder if the PlayStation 3 will receive long retail legs like its predecessor did.”
“Unlike previous generations, I don’t foresee third place being a “doom and gloom” scenario. Even with it being in third place now the PlayStation 3 is an incredibly healthy platform. It all comes down to the active installed base; a company can sell as many consoles as it wishes, but if consumers are not actively buying games, they are not part of the installed base’s economic ecosystem. The PlayStation 3 doesn’t have the same problem the GameCube had with its third place finish last generation.”
As for Sony and Microsoft’s foray in to the motion-control market with the PlayStation Move and Kinect, Divnich observed that their success ultimately boils down to how well both devices are marketed and supported by third-party companies.
However, he added that Move is likely to achieve long-term success, drawing parallels between Sony’s peripheral and Nintendo’s Wii-mote.
“I believe both have met the minimum quality threshold set by consumers,” said Divnich. “Now, it all comes down to marketing and third-party support, elements we know Microsoft is stronger with, for the moment. But the Move is in the right place, and just because it doesn’t “sell” as many units as the Kinect doesn’t make it an inferior product."
“Long-term, there isn’t any concern about the success of the Move, and much like what we witnessed on the Wii, this will be a slow burner that will eventually realize a large installed base over time.”