PS3 sales are not surprisingly down. The reason PS3 sales were dramaticaly up in june 08, were due to MGS4. The PS/Sony userbase have been waiting for the release of this game since day one of the announcment. Many PS fans waited until MGS4 was released then bought a PS3. And when FFXIII hits the PS3 you will see number climb again. Why? Many of the SquareEnix fans are waiting...key word WAITING...to buy the PS3 for FFXIII. videogame editors need to understand the videogame industry first before writing articles. This generation belongs to the Wii and Xbox360.

Well of course MGS4 explains the PS3 numbers, as I said in another related post, and I along with many others ended up being right, they dropped back down.

However, as a reply to Batman here, FFXIII will also be released on the Xbox 360, I don't foresee the sales jumping as dramatically as MGS4 or as they will with Resistance 2.

If you are a hard core gamer don't buy a Wii because there are no hardcore games coming out this year or next for the Wii. Nintendo has shifted focus and is catering to the casual gamer and shafting the hardcore audience. Also the Wii is more expensive then the PS3 when you factor in the controller costs with the new adapter that is coming out. Plus the Wii has very crappy online play and has crappy storage for down loadable content.

I have all three consoles plus a very high end PC. The Wii has been collecting dust since Brawl.

For me the most played system is the PC and by far the best. I like the Wii but I need hardcore games. Not stupid singing games or games that a 2 year old can beat blindfolded. Plus the Wii's graphics are slipping behind. Think 3 years from now how advanced the PC, 360 and PS3 will be as far as graphics and the Wii will still be stuck with gamecube graphics. I know eye candy isn't everything as I still play my N64 but come on Nintendo.

Just an angry Wii owner from E3.

Fyi: no one buys a Wii for the graphics, they buy it for the experience (ie: fun gameplay, and being able to play with others as a group in the same room - what percentage of 360/PS3 games have non-networked two player modes compared with the Wii?).

Also:

"Think 3 years from now how advanced the PC, 360 and PS3 will be as far as graphics..."

Umm, in three years the 360 and PS3 will look exactly the same as today.

Don't get me wrong, we dev games for the 360, but you need to see the benefits of both the Wii and the nextgen consoles.

Another reason for a decline in sales is because of a major shortage. The big retailers dont have them in stock..BB, CC, Walmart, Target. When I got my new TV I wanted a bluray player and the 399 PS3 was reallllly hard to find in stores

What??? Dude the BB, CC, and Walmarts by me have tons of PS3 stacked to the friggen roof. Same goes for the 360. The only console you have trouble finding from time to time is the Wii.

PS3's next pop is GT5 after that I don't see any more pops for the PS3. This Gen is set in stone baring a game changing game. Wii 1st, 360 2nd, ps3 3rd.

Why are you failing to show that overall video game sales (games and consoles) were the strongest of the year at 1.2 billion dollars in July? You are making news out of selective data yet again.

Console sales are important but the game sales data is the most important. If you factor the sales in(of just consoles), the 360 dominates the Wii and PS3.

I know there's many people that just buy a PS3 for blu-ray. There for the game sales are lacking for it. The Wii still doesn't have any great 3rd party games for their console. That is where the 360 is excelling because developers want larger game sales without the large cost of developing for the PS3.

"what percentage of 360/PS3 games have non-networked two player modes compared with the Wii?)."

-- umm, almost all of them. I have a 360 and I play splitscreen multiplayer every time with my buddies and on live.

""Think 3 years from now how advanced the PC, 360 and PS3 will be as far as graphics...""

"Umm, in three years the 360 and PS3 will look exactly the same as today."

-- umm, sorry again there buddy but Mark is right. Think in terms of development and engines. As developers have more time with game engines and produce 2nd and 3rd generation games they will look better and better every time. However with the Wii due to the hardware limitations the games will look very outdated.

I do agree with you, no one buys the Wii for the graphics, but rather the gameplay, which is very fun. But you have to agree that the Wii is a fun casual party games console and NOT a serious hardcore gamming console ... so I'll stick with my 360 and PS3.

I hate it when people try to find reasons why a console they love is doing so bad. The PS3 is doing poorly for 1 reason, no one wants a game system without a game library! Almost every game worth mention is available on both consoles, and the 3 that are PS3 only (by sony) are not worth the price tag.

Claiming the PS3 is down because of system shortages is complete BS. I can go to 5 game stores or 3 Wal-Marts in my area and get a PS3 with no difficulty. In fact, I saw a bestbuy that had them out front one time BEGGING for people to buy them. Compared to the Wii shortages, PS3 doesnt understand the meaning of the word. And look how the Wii is doing. If shortages caused a 50% drop in sales, the Wii wouldnt be on top.

Again, it all boils down to the games. People buy game consoles because of the games on the system. Case and point, DS and PSP. Now, I love my PSP. It has some games that are a lot of fun, but compared to the DS library (combined with the Advance library) and its no contest. The ratio of quality games to crap games is just better. And that is why the 360 will continue to outsell the PS3.

I doubt highly that the PS3 sales will jump for FFXIII. If you are slow to get the news, the 360 will be getting the game.

Isn't "serious game console" a bit of an oxymoron? I mean, the whole point of a "game" is not to trade stocks on, write up legal papers or perform bank transaction (although some consoles allow web access), but to provide enjoyment. As much as consider myslef to be a "serious" gamer, it pays to take a couple of steps back and look at the picture from a different perspective.

The point being, the Wii is succeeding elegantly at what it set out to do: Pull in gamers from all age groups. The side benefit for Nintendo has been phenomenal sales and much notoriety.

There's an old saying anyone who has take economics should know: "Consumers decide with their wallets." As such, there is no question the Wii is the winner of this generation of consoles for now, despite less capable hardware and a somewhat mediocre online experience.

The thing missing for the 360 and PS3 is a SERIES of "killer apps" in quick succession to overcome the appeal of the Wii's novel control system and "everyone's invited" approach to gameplay. One or two blockbuster games is not going to be enough for the 360 and PS3 to take the prize. They need a string of good, solid content, for a significant duration, to make a shift in the trend.

Nintendo's become the 800 pound gorilla again...

"Serious" gamming consoles is NOT an oxymoron where there are tournaments where PROFESSIONAL GAMMERS earn thousands of dollars. Not so for the Wii, last I check there was not tournament where a person can earn $25,000 for balancing on the balance board with 1 foot while blindfolded after 6 beers (which BTW I have done with some friends:) ).

"the Wii is succeeding elegantly at what it set out to do: Pull in gamers from all age groups."
That is not true ... the Wii does NOT attract the "hardcore" gamming community (males, ages 18-26). Instead it is pulling in women and children and an older generation (ages 40 ). That is where they are making there money.

"The thing missing for the 360 and PS3 is a SERIES of "killer apps""

Dude are you crazy, or are you just posting stuff up for fun. Let me just say:
Halo
Bioshock
Gran Turismo
Metal Gear
Mass Effect

I guess non of those are "killer" enough for you?

Nintendo is only the 800 pund gorilla when it comes to retail and 1st party titles. They sell a lot of harware which looks good to investors, but do VERY poorly with 3rd party games. In the "real" gamming community it is seen as nothing more then a novelty. Many developers say they wont/cant make games for it because of the inadequate hardware.

Bottom line, the Wii is a fun party console (I have lots of fun with it) but don't say that its a better console then the PS3 or 360 because it sells more ... thats just dumb.

I dont know the last time Nintendo was the "800lbs gorilla." The Gamecube was not a comercial success, the N64 had a few hits but did nothing, comparitively, to Sony's hold on the markets share. Nintendo has been surviving, since the end of the SNES, on its handhelds.

The Wii's marketing strategy was not to get people from all ages but to get non-gamers to buy thier consoles. They succeeded because they did research and found most non-gamers can still be considered "casual" gamers. The problem most "serious" gamers have with the Wii is the lack of titles that appeal to them. The other problem people have with the Wii is lack of 3rd party quality titles. Namco ruined a Soul Calibur title by catering to the Wii, for instance. Traditionally, video game consoles survive on thier 3rd party support. The Wii has killed that stereotype by marketing to people who dont really care about depth in video games. It works, go Nintendo.

To correct you, the thing missing from 360 and PS3 that would compete with the Wii is Casual games. XBLA is starting to work that way as is the PSNetwork, but they cant quite touch the Wii because of the gimmick.

Saying the 360 only has a couple blockbuster games is misleading. Of the games shared between the PS3 and 360, there are dozens of blockbusters that CANT be put on the Wii due to hardware limitations. On top of that, Microsoft owns many of the most successful first party development groups in the market right now. Mistwalker Studios is enjoying 2 premier games that are both 360 exclusives and pretty big hits. Also, buisness strategy, Microsoft is good at keeping up relationships with ex-development groups such as Rare. Microsoft is proving to many 3rd party companies that the old way of using Exclusives is no longer the best way to make money. Square Enix, Atlus, and Capcom have all jumped on this bandwagon, stealing any reason to buy a PS3.

Its clear that the only company without a strategy for thier console is Sony. Sony's PS2 survived on Exclusivity. It wasnt the best console technically speaking, it just thrived and flourished on 3rd party support. PS3 shows little chance of sharing that market control.

Have to agree with Arcie. PS3's are everywhere. Blockbuster Video has piles of those things for sale. Toys-R-Us, Target, Circuit City all have plenty for sale. I am a 360 guy but I am not opposed to a PS3 but a few things need to change in order for me to buy. 1) It MUST be re-designed and sized down. It is one ugly pile of machinery. 2) It must get much cheaper. Half of the retail price it currently is for me to bite. 3) Come up with some exclusive games that are actually must haves. If a stand alone BD player become available at the $150-$180 range before the PS3 hits the $200-$250 range I will never buy one.

I own one and it was great fun for a month. Now my kids don't even play it anymore. They would much rather play the 360. It was a must have and now it's a dust collector. The problem with the Wii is the same as the PS3, it lacks a good amount of quality games. The gimmick of the Wii wears off very quickly. Can't deny it is still selling well but I would be willing to bet that it fades away rapidly. Although it's design of control will be used by all games makers for years to come.

"As developers have more time with game engines and produce 2nd and 3rd generation games they will look better and better every time"

The current generation of 360 games (can't comment directly on the PS3, though I suspect a similar trend) are already pushing the hardware *very* hard. It's highly unlikely that games a year or two (or even three) down the road will look that much better than they do today.

Mark's comment, grouping the 360 and PS3 with the PC in terms of visual scaling, is complete BS. Obviously you can change your PC's hardware, not your console's.

June = 5 weeks

July = 4 weeks

I'm surprised so many news organisations still make this mistake

stupid NPD pr machine

Still doesn't matter about that. The PS3 sales dropped 406,000 units. I doubt they were going to make it up in one week.

I just don't see Sony being profitable with the PS3.