spectrum48k

They're figures for the US market and they're just preliminary findings, but it's looking like Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3 were both outsold by Microsoft's year-old Xbox 360 this Christmas - but only just.

The numbers come from US retail market watcher NPD by way of a CNBC video report. According to the research firm, around 2m Xbox 360s were sold between the start of November 2006 and Christmas Day. Nintendo's Wii total was 1.8m units, a very good figure given the machine didn't launch in the US until 19 November, giving the Xbox 360 a head-start of almost three weeks.

Sony sold around 750,000 PS3s during the same period - less than half the amount of Wiis picked up during the key consumer sales period.

In November 2006, some 511,000 Xbox 360s, 476,000 Wiis and 197,000 PS3s were sold, according to NPD numbers published last year. None of the manufacturers managed to sell three times as many consoles in December as they did during the previous month, but Microsoft came the closest, followed by Sony and Nintendo.

Hanslow

Interesting to see how many were actually available and whether or not all stock had sold for the Wii and PS3 and hence no further sales.

Good show by the Nintendo crew

I'll probably pick one of them up once they become plentiful in the shops.

spectrum48k

Hanslow - don't you think the novelty factor will wear off pretty quick for what is essentially a GameCube "underneath" ??

I'm undecided between X360 and PS3, and am quite happy not having either yet as there isn't a game I'd want yet.

Do you know when GTR will be appearting on X360? Thats my mate's cue to buy one.

Rather than upgrade my PC yet again, I'd love it if Crysis came out on X360 as has been alleged. Then I'd get one like a shot. So long as you could buy a keyboard and mouse for it! ;-)

Wish

iTrader: (2)

I have never had a Xbox 360 - but looking forward to the PS3

Is it me or does it seem there are loads of problems with the X360, seems every post i read the owner of the 360 is on his 2nd or 3rd ??

Edcase

As a 15-year veteran of the games industry I'll have a stab at that.

The answer is no.

The fidelity of the remote is fantastic, much much better than I had expected from previous plays I had on early software. The price point is unbeatable. The online is seamless and 'out of the box'.

Once EA and co get a hold of this and start running with PGA, NFL, Fight Night et al, it will become a serious gaming tool above and beyond the 'typical' Nintendo demograph.

Look also at the success SCEE have had with Buzz, eyetoy etc in the social gaming genre and this will also become the post-pub / party console of choice.

Hats off to Nintendo, they've pulled one out of the bag.

Ed

spectrum48k

I *was* looking forward to a PS3 but the more I learn the more I'm swaying to an Xbox360.

PS3 appears a lot harder to develop for so developers are favouring the dev environment of the Xbox360 - John Carmack (Doom) for one prefers that to even the PC dev environment.

One reason I stuck to PS3 in the past was exclusivity of Pro Evo and Gran Turismo. Pro Evo is now available on Xbox360 and Gran Turismo will slip until early 2008 (so far). All that adds up to an Xbox360 for me I think.

I'd guess the Xbox360 will attract a lot of PC developers who think the PC games market is no longer worth it. Thats another big positive and the transition from PC devkit to Xbox360 won't be too disimilar hopefully.

Regarding the hardware issues with Xbox360 - definitely seems the case, but I imagine that'll all be sorted out in 2007 when the cpu and components are revised and shrunk down. Cooling fan is allegedly really loud on Xbox360 compared to say PS3. As ever the early adopters to the X360 were Microsoft's guinea pigs ( as Windows Vista this year). I'll stay away until they sort it out.

Hanslow

Wait until they bring a lightsabre game out

Anyway, I was wondering over xmas as you do, what's to stop other manufacturers bringing out a motion sensor kit with a new controller for other machines? I realise there could be patents and the like, but I'm sure there was a motion/tilt sensitive joystick for the spectrum.

I'm looking for a machine that will put the fun back into gaming and get away from the gazillion mega-texels, etc.

boxst

Nothing. But the problem is that companies will not make games for it as only a (usually small) percentage of the market will have the device. Whereas with the Wii everyone has one.

Having just got a 360 I have to say that I think it is fantastic, everything just integrates seamlessly (Apart from DivX ) and the games are good.

Steve

spectrum48k

"Hats off to Nintendo, they've pulled one out of the bag."



Agreed - I love Nintendo, have always bought their consoles as I love their philosophy.

I sincerely hope Wii broadens the appeal of videogames from kids to grandparents but its not for me.

Edcase

The cooling fan on 360 is ridiculous. As you say, PS3 is almost literally silent, amazingly.

360 is not without problems although many of them have already been corrected with online updates.

They have also recently updated it with a 1080p mode.

Ultimately the big selling point is xbox live. It really is a fantastic system and leagues ahead of PS3 online, as you would expect given the Headstart they have.

Many publishers complained about Microsoft's walled garden approach to Live, however you cannot deny it creates a seamless experience not to mention a completely level playing field. The PC platform was always the best obviously for FPS, however when it comes to more console-focused games like sports... boxing, soccer etc. nothing can beat being able to play other real players from around the world on Pro Evo or Fight Night etc. in 1080i on a 42inch screen with no lag, practically at the touch of a button.

It will be very interesting to see how Sony's approach pans out over the coming months, and years.

mart360

Interesting comment about developing for the PS3,

They said exactly the same for developing on the PS2, yet that trounced MS last year...

I think if it had been released when it did over here, it may well have given the

Wii a different set of figures....

The trouble with developing and producing games is the timespan involved. In 3 years time the developers will be pulling al the stops out, and getting some stunning results....

Its a shame one year on MS still believe eye candy over longevity is the way to go... If i recall only elder scrolls offers any serious hours worth of game play..

Online and coop don't count, as you need more than one player to play.

Granted the Wii is doing well, but look how long its taken Nintendo to even join the standard party..... Hardware wise its nothing new...


Mart

messiah

Crysis is PC IIRC - a shame.

Looking forward to Haze though - made by the Mentalists behind TimeSplitters...

oh and HL2 (plus Ep 1, Ep2, TF2 & Portal)

As for length of Gameplay - it's all agreed that GOW & TRL are too short (lunch hour anyone?) - the longest game I've played on the 360 is Quake 4 - and General difficulty took me yonks and more reloads than I care to remember...

Mogsi

Rumours have it that M$ are already developing a wii styled controller for the 360 !

Dream Weaver

I was waiting for the PS3 to arrive so I could compare all the systems, but I couldn't be arsed waiting any more and spotted a great 360 offer over Xmas so bought it (Gamestation - Console, 2 controllers, 4 games for £325).

Its excellent, though I haven't played on it much as yet, and haven't touched GOW or COD3 as yet due to time issues

I really rate it so far though, games are nice, controllers good, dashboard is good etc, it is a little noisy though

TopBanana

I'll be buying a Wii when the 2nd gen games come out. Looks like good fun for several generations at once

spectrum48k

I've got a feeling Sony are going to be run a LOT closer this time around. Games development costs are spiralling upwards and I'd guess a LOT of money can be saved choosing a platform with better dev tools and one which is comparitively less of a headache to write for.

As ever it'll come down to the games.

noobscoob

Well i think ..in my humble opinion..that the Wii is bloody terrible!!! the hamfisted wiimote is like something from a matsui tv circa 1992 and you need 45 feet of space to play a game without taking someones head clean off.

also the release games are dire. 4x4 monstertrucks..a port from a g/c with pish graphics and a nasty steering wheel add on for the wiimote..50 quid!! my ****.

add to that nintendos rehashes of old faves like..zzzzelda and mario and the abysmal metroid prime!!

the entire menu is awfull with little cartoon crapply animated charcters guiding you about and after 35 seconds of the cavity enducing sweetness of it all i wanted to turn it off but did so after playing the terrible sports package games.

i hope my 4 yr old son who i got it for enjoys it..if xmas day is anything to go by when it sat in a corner while his DS was getting a hammering then its not looking too promising.thankfully the g/c can go as its a backward compatible machine with c/g ports for the pad..so it may have a use(or become a doorstop).

and before you say 4 is too young..he has a ps2 xbox360 and gamecube and is proficient at playing games better than me( he can clear every level of mariokart double dash in first place lol) but first thing he asked..dad..wheres the joypad.

lets hope they bring out some damn good games for it ..or it may go the way of the atari jaguar and the fantastic but publicly executed dreamcast.

Scudy23

iTrader: (2)

I got TBH im well into my xbox 360 but i found this earlier Fight Night 3 for ps3,amazing

lupuss

...sorry but i could`nt disagree more with your comments about the wii.. i must be using a different console...

i've been a sony die-hard since ps1 days, yet the wii has seriously impressed me. the amount of fun that the WHOLE family have had with it over christmas has been suprising, even my dad [whose 75...] enjoyed playing wii sports!

i think that many gamers will have one in addition to a next-gen console, rather than instead of one... i'm planning to go the ps3 route...

noobscoob

Ok maybe a bit too harsh but i think the design of the wiimote must have taken 12 seconds..*** break included. its just so....hiddeous.

i can see the appeal of such a thing when in a party environment. hell we had guitar hero out over christmas and my aunty though she was Bryan sodding may!!(mullet thankfully..not included)

RB5-Black

have you played the 360 version ? as far as I can see the 360 looked like that a year ago .... what is it Microsoft say " The Next Generation is Now"

Swen6

I'm with RB5, it's the same as the 360 version.
I could be tempted with the Wii purely for Zelda, and as much as the other half says we don't need one she'll be on it with Mario, but i'll just wait till they become more readily available.

TimWRX01

iTrader: (1)

I've played a lot of 360 and it feels like a slightly better last gen machine. It's only incrementally better than the original Xbox to be fair.

The Wii is a lot of fun but in reality it is a GC that's been tarted up and a new control system added.

swiss scooby

The longer I play Zelda with the remote and nunchuck, the less appealing the 'old-styled' controllers become. The Wii controller is AWESOME and I wouldn't know how to further improve its design, everything is where it should be.
Nintendo has really pulled one out of the bag this time and was (with SEGA) and still is one of the most inventing console manufacturers of the lot. They teached us once more, what VIDEO-games are all about...plain simple FUN. Eventough I own a Xbox 360 aswell and am pretty happy with it, the Wii already got my highest sympathy. I had more laughs with the Wii in the last 20 days than the Xbox 360 gave me in 1 year.
BTW, I read somewhere that Microsoft has extended the Xbox 360 warranty by 1 year (now 2 years), which is very much appreciated by all owners (me inclueded) Here you go... IGN: Microsoft Extends Xbox 360 Warranty to One Year.

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

You've read it wrong. They've extended the warranty on US and Canadian consoles from 90 days to 1 year to be standard with the rest of the world.

Dream Weaver

I read a few comments like that when the 360 was first released but I couldn't agree with that at all.

I've only really played PGR3 as yet, which is a launch title but it had so much more graphically over the Xbox 1, even just down to the animated crowds - it makes the whole gaming experience move to the next level IMO.

Hanslow

DW, playing devils advocate, how much of the animated crowd do you see when hurtling down the road at 150mph?

I can understand the comments on it not being next gen. I don't think it is either .... yet. When developers start harnessing it's power rather than throwing eye candy images up, then (IMHO) it could start to be considered next gen.

Is the playability on the new games that much better than the previous gen consoles?

Dream Weaver

Playability will probably never change, there is only so much you can do with a driving game.

I do notice the crowd on PGR3, when you look to the side you get to see them, but its not just the crowd - I enjoy the glares going across the screen, I like the slightly shaky interior view, the graphics are soooo smooth and the whole thing has a general "next gen" air to it.

And that is just a launch title, I would imagine in 12 months time the games will be awesome.

Its next gen enough for me anyway, we can't expect miracles and the consoles hardly brake the bank at £300 either, i'm about to pay well over twice that amount for a poxy 12 months warranty for the Beemer that I will never use as we're selling it The 360 will give me at least 3 years of gaming pleasure.

Though it will be heart braking selling my £1500 worth of PS2 and games for a 10th of the initial price if i'm lucky Xbox 1 is going to my mum

noobscoob

the 360 and the xbox 360 are as wide apart as the ps1 and ps2.

if anything the wii hasnt moved on in the respect.

try a game of fight night 3 on the old xbox then try the 360 version. they are stunningly different.

Mogsi

I recently sold my PS2, 8 Sony memory cards, network adapter, eyetoy camera and 79 games for £310 on Ebay, dread to think how much it cost me over the years...