NPD: February sees 34 percent US sales spike

American game market bucks recession, beats analyst expectations with $1.33 billion haul; PS3 bests 360 for second month running; COD4, DMC4 top games.

With stocks falling, housing values plummeting, and the Federal Reserve dishing out emergency loans, most economists agree most parts of the US economy are on the verge of a recession. Conversely, the game industry is on the rebound, according to the latest report from the NPD group. After a mixed January, US retail sales of game software, hardware, and accessories shot up 34 percent in February, topping $1.33 billion and beating analyst expectations.

See that case? It's full of money.

"Even following a red-hot 2007, the video games industry shows no sign of letting up as year-to-date sales through February are up 12 percent over last year," said NPD analyst Anita Frazier. "Taking the extra week of sales included in the 2007 figures, on a comparable week's basis, 2008 is up approximately 26 percent over last year (through February)."

Of the various sectors, software generated the most revenue, rising 47 percent to nearly $669 million. The month's best-selling title was once again the Xbox 360 edition of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which moved 296,200 units during the month. Hot on its heels was the hellfire-kissed Devil May Cry 4, which sold 295,200 on the 360 (2nd) and 233,500 units on the PlayStation 3 (4th). DMC4's massive combined 528,7000-unit haul made it the best-selling domestic multiplatform game of the month, all but ensuring a Devil May Cry 5 somewhere down the line.

Coming in third was the ubiquitous Wii Play, which sold just shy of 290,000 units by virtue of being bundled with the Wii Remote. Another Wii game, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, came in fifth with 222,900 units sold. Rounding out the top 10 were Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS, 205,600 units), Lost Odyssey (360, 203,600 units), Turok (360, 197,700 units), the PS2 version of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (183,00 units), and Rock Band (360, 161,800 units).

On the hardware front, Nintendo was once again the undisputed victor, with the DS selling 587,600 units and the Wii 432,000. However, the Xbox 360, the third-place finisher for most of 2007, finished at the bottom of the pack once again, coming in fifth with 254,600 units. It was bested by both the PlayStation 2's 351,800 units and 280,000 units of the Blu-ray-disc-playing PlayStation 3, which was boosted by the lighting-quick implosion of the rival HD DVD format last month. Last and, numerically speaking, least was the PlayStation Portable with 243,100 units.

"While hardware inventory issues at retail may still be lingering post-holiday, the fact that all now-gen systems generated significant year-over-year hardware sales increases indicates the situation is coming into balance faster than it did last year," said Frazier. "I was most surprised by the PS2 hardware sales numbers this month. While it certainly has earned its spot among the now-gen slate of console systems because of it staying power in the marketplace, the fact that it realized such significant growth this month is really a testament to its broad adoption and the response of consumers to promotional activity at retail."

Even before NPD released its report to the press, the big three console makers were filling inboxes worldwide with their own spin on the matter. Saying it was "extending its lead" in overall sales, Microsoft claimed that "$332 million was spent on the Xbox 360 platform this month, capturing 39 percent of this generation's ecosystem." The software giant also claimed that the US installed base for the 360 is 9.6 million versus the Wii's 8.1 million and the PS3's 3.8 million.

Unsurprisingly, Sony made much of the PS3's trumping of the 360 for the second month in a row, and played up that sales of the console have increased 120 percent year over year. It also reminded the world of several exclusives for the platform, Gran Turismo 5 prologue (April 15) and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (June 12). Sony also announced there are 3.3 million registered PlayStation Network visitors in North America who have downloaded 56 million pieces of content.

Finally, Nintendo took the obvious approach, noting that 47.6 percent of all hardware sold in the US in February bore its logo. Software sales weren't too shabby, either. "Nintendo DS games topped all software sales, with more than 3.6 million units sold," the company crowed in a statement. "Consumers purchased nearly 2.9 million software units for Wii. Four of every 10 games sold were for Nintendo systems."

US VIDEO GAMES INDUSTRY - FEBRUARY 2008

Software: $668.7m (+47%)
Hardware: $480.0 million (+19%)
Accessories: $185.3m (+36%)
Total Games: $1.33 billion (+34%)

TOP-SELLING HARDWARE - FEBRUARY 2008

Nintendo DS 587,600
Wii 432,000
PlayStation 2 351,800
PlayStation 3 280,800
Xbox 360 254,600
PlayStation Portable 243,100

TOP-SELLING SOFTWARE - FEBRUARY 2008

Title / Publisher / Release Date / Units
1) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare* (360) / Activision / 7-Nov 296.2K
2) Devil May Cry 4* (360) / Capcom 8-Feb / 295.2k
3) Wii Play w/ Remote* (Wii) / Nintendo / 7-Feb / 289.7K
4) Devil May Cry 4* (PS3) / Capcom / 8-Feb / 233.5K
5) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock* (Wii) / Activision / 7-Oct / 222.9K
6) Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS) / Sega / 8-Jan / 205.6K
7) Lost Odyssey (360) / Microsoft / 8-Feb / 203.6K
8) Turok (360) / Touchstone / 8-Jan / 197.7K
9) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock* (PS2) / Activision / 7-Oct / 183.8K
10) Rock Band* (360) / MTV Games, Electronic Arts / 7-Nov / 161.8K

*Includes Collector's, Limited, Legendary, Bundles (Guitars) Editions

695 Comments

  • rodd76dog

    Posted Mar 15, 2008 8:13 am PT

    FPS= xbox360 , Say What? You didnt see that every game xbox has ps3 has in lower quality. PS3 and xbox are full of FPS thats the generation we are in. Look, if blue-ray sells the system have at it. It like a jack of all trades master at none. Xbox has down-loadable movies for $2. That is the future. GO buy your blue-ray players and watch movies dont forget to return them after you rent them cause you cant afford them. While I just keep clicking on movies I want to watch for half the price any time I want and no need to return. Think about it.

  • darkride66

    Posted Mar 15, 2008 7:58 am PT

    potatoesman "yeah to the sony fanboys. this 30k and last months does not touch the amount of xboxes bought over xmas period. 3:1"
    You know, that didn't sound right to me. 3:1? So I looked up Nov-Dec last year on vgchartz and guess what I found? Guess! The PS3 outsold the 360 worldwide during the holiday months last year. That's right! Sold better than, ie: more units than the 360. The PS3 first started selling more units worldwide in July until the Halo effect took hold for a couple of months. Since Nov it's been outselling consistently every week. Now if you're just focusing on the US market, effectively burying your head in the sand to the whole silly console war story, then yes. Yes, the 360 has been ahead. Coincidentally the lead that the 360 has total over the PS3, is almost exactly the amount they sold in their first year to market. If MS hadn't engineered their head start, the 360 would be struggling to keep up.

  • twistedhades posted Mar 15, 2008 6:53 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    twistedhades

    Posted Mar 15, 2008 6:53 am PT (hide)

    Developers take note: the PS3 can move third-party games, and this is proof; Devil May Cry 4,and Burnout Paradise.If Sony can ride this wave of momentum in larger sales, especially with games like Metal Gear Solid 4, Gran Turismo 5: Prologue,Resistance 2,Haze,and LitleBigPlanet;It will surge in great sales and the momentum of the PlayStaion 3 will increase if these titles are received in warm appreciation.Specially after Blue-Ray's victory against HD-DVD,Microsoft will have to throw tricks up its sleeves to go against the surging threat of the Sony.In the Japanese Market Xbox360 Dominance its dead.Starting to react to Sony's dominance in the European market with price cut,Microsoft has adopted to do the same thing,and maybe soon enough in NA if Sony's Console Keeps rolling higher;Microsoft needs to come up with a plan to fend off the growing threat.

  • twistedhades

    Posted Mar 15, 2008 6:40 am PT

    Metal Gear Solid 4 and Gran Turismo 5: Prologue on the horizon, they could see even better results next month. Microsoft may be short on ammunition to combat this new threat from Sony, and is starting to react to Sony's dominance in the European market with price cuts. Microsoft is far from being on the ropes, but Sony has every indication of being on a roll, and Microsoft needs to come up with a plan to fend off the growing threat.

  • gkclassof2005

    Posted Mar 15, 2008 5:53 am PT

    ps3 is a better system in my opinion. its built on longevity and it has better quality games than 360. 360 has bunch of generic first person shooters. if yo love first person shooters then 360 will appeal to your. theres life beyond fps. thats where ps3 comes in. patience is a virtue. if you cant wait then dont. but dont hate difference. cuz only person you hating is yourself. this comes form a previous owner of the 360. whole time i had it...generic fps back to back. gets old. i rather wait for quality variety titles.

    oh and for person that says gt5 is a demo. well correct me if im wrong but i believe that demo is backed by a multi-BILLION dollar franchise. some demo huh. no matter what anyone says.....for me...PS3 FOR THE WIN. 360 fans....enjoy your generic shooters over and over and over til microsoft suckers you into buying all those games to get points. more points you get more DOLLARS MS pockets. play the fool.

    yal may have achievements. might make the game last longer or w-e...but look at it like this...think about the hundreds and maybe thousands of dollars you've spent to get those points. and how much is it worth? 100pts=$0 200pts=$0 50,000pts=$0 100,000,000pts=$0 grand total=$0 how much microsoft made=$$$. again...play the fool that you want... that phenomenon of achievements only benefits people pocketing money.

  • potatoesman

    Posted Mar 15, 2008 4:24 am PT

    yeah to the sony fanboys. this 30k and last months does not touch the amount of xboxes bought over xmas period.
    3:1

  • IguanaBob

    Posted Mar 15, 2008 3:19 am PT

    Call of Duty 4 is on FIRE !! Number 1 spot for 2 months running.

    http://www.gamespot.com/news/6186077.html
    http://www.gamespot.com/news/6184847.html
    http://www.gamespot.com/news/6184008.html

    Top 3 spot in 4 months running too.

  • sykalob

    Posted Mar 15, 2008 12:10 am PT

    For someone said that DMC4 Playstation3 version sold more than the Xbox-360 version ....take a look :-

    TOP-SELLING SOFTWARE - FEBRUARY 2008 Title / Publisher / Release Date / Units 1) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare* (360) / Activision / 7-Nov 296.2K
    2) Devil May Cry 4* (360) / Capcom 8-Feb / 295.2k
    3) Wii Play w/ Remote* (Wii) / Nintendo / 7-Feb / 289.7K
    4) Devil May Cry 4* (PS3) / Capcom / 8-Feb / 233.5K

    Look at #2 and #4 to know you where sleeping while you was writing.

  • puppiemaster

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 10:24 pm PT

    I must say I have both and I play my 360 more, Xbox Live may not be free, but my god it kicks arse, just love COD4 online on the 360,

  • beatles5 posted Mar 14, 2008 9:46 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    beatles5

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 9:46 pm PT (hide)

    xbox is better than the PS3. It's as simple as that. The 360 has more to offer. Alot of the people who have a ps3 only use it for it's bluray crap. They hardly play games on it. and nevermind the wii. the ps3 and 360 are in a whole nother league than the wii. The short story is, the xbox 360 is better than the ps3.

  • twistedhades

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 9:39 pm PT

    to Sony about the sales figures for GT Prologue and whether they thought the online version would outsell the hard copy on Blu-Ray Disc. They expressed their surprise at the popularity of War Hawk as downloadable software and said that they anticipated GT to receive an even warmer welcome when it comes out later this month.

    Also mentioned in the conversation was that the pre-order figures for the SCEE regions show orders already at one million. Making the PS3’s first pre release Platinum title,The Same goes for the MGS4/PS3 Bundle hitting NA June 12.

  • camarozl1 posted Mar 14, 2008 8:34 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    camarozl1

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 8:34 pm PT (hide)

    to quanloco, let me see most of the games you name are multiplatform, and let see you name Fable will get stomp by final finatasy 13 ask any one, splinter cell will get stomp by the king of stealth MGS 4, and yes ninja gaiden 2 is going to be good and huxley i was going to get it but now im not interested as before because its been to long and there will be better games out when it comes out IF ever comes out, command and conquer if for 360 and PS3, besides another taunted game only on xbox 360 got cancel and then went over to the PS3 which is HAZE, plus PS3 has coming GT5, Little Big Planet ask any one if this is not a high anticipated game of 2008, Motorstorm 2, killzone 2, Tekken 6, and resistance 2, which if i recall better the first is been out in the market for more than a year and is still been played, halo is not the only game that last a long time, so yeah the 360 has games coming out but Big games , i dont think so except for ninja 2, and this numbers will increase and even if you dont like the idea of the 360 getting beat, you gotta think again even with the year headstart now the PS3 is in a catch up mood, and the Wii just past the 360 like nothing, oh well enjoy your 360 and keep getting points because thats the only thing i though it was good, i went into a point spree and then i got to 20k points and then i stop, it was a waste of time getting those points besides i was not paying attnetion to the story of the game itself since the only thing i was doing loooking at the list how to get the points, well yeah the 360 has an awsome list for 2008 to bad they will get stomp by the list PS3 has this year

  • khaos12a

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 8:16 pm PT

    Maybe the ps3's recent success is not because of a shortage of 360's some of my 360 fanboy friends said they'd be getting ps3s last month. i just might too.

  • goldeneye_basic

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 8:14 pm PT

    darkride66 "I know you are, but what am I?"
    Well I know I don't sit at work all day while I'm supposed to be working and post dozens of childish comments about my favorite console while acting like I am supposedly unbiased. Unlike you, I can admit that I have a bias. Unlike you, I also realize that a lot of misinformation comes from both sides, not just the side you are against. Why don't you at least broaden your horizons and go post comments to other news articles that don't involve console sales numbers? That was a rhetorical question, I know why.

  • kyriakos11

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 6:55 pm PT

    OK blackace if the wii is winning then get one!!!
    lol
    anyway we all know that deep inside u ,u are a ps3 fanboy,its ok to tell people that it was a mistake that u bought an xbox360....
    lol

  • blackace

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 6:43 pm PT

    koolman01 all u guys are saying is bs ps3 is winning and will stay winning because we have bluray. all 360 has is wack ass halo and thats it but if u look at sony's line up we have some much more.like... resistance2, motorstrom 2 uncharted 2, gt, MSG 4, home, and others to come. but 360 has nothing until GoW2 witch is in the fall *********************************************************
    I guess nothing includes GTA IV + 2 episodic DLC, Fable 2, Banjo 3, Infinite Undiscovery, GeoW2, Too Human, Halo Wars, Splinter Cell Conviction, Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2, Dead Rising 2, NG2, Left 4 Dead, 2 Days to Vegas, Huxley, Alan Wake, Shadowclan. There are enough exclusives for the 360. This is only some of the titles we are know exist.
    Other rumored titles Forza 3, KI3, DoA5, Crimson Skies 2, etc..
    The PS3 isn't winning. The Wii is winning. The PS3 have sold just 1/2 of what the Wii has sold, which is pretty sad since the PS3 launched before the Wii. The PS3 is currently LOSING!!

  • zombey1333

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 6:18 pm PT

    Now if they'd only start creating more original titles instead of banking on pre-established games :/

  • cbmurphy2489

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 6:05 pm PT

    I've said this before, and I'll say it AGAIN. The PS3 is better than the 360 in my view. And I do mean that.

    cbmurphy2489

  • gamefreakwill

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 6:00 pm PT

    koolman01: you must really be misinformed about the 360's line up. We have more than just GeOW2. We have Fable 2, Bajo Kazooie, Splinter Cell 5, Too Human, Alan Wake, and NInja Gaiden 2, just to name a few. Those most of those games are from @asskicking franchises (Too Human's new obviously). Resistence 2 looks good, but I doubt it'll be ground breaking, more of an upgrade from teh previous one, which I did not find good. Motorstorm 2, give me a break, the first one was nothing special at all. MGS4 looks to be really the best out of all the PS3 exclusives. I have a PS3 and that's one of the few games I'll actually have since so many others look uninteresting. Resistence is overrated anyway. If thers uncharted 2, its not coming later this year, or else it'd be rushed and crappy. Home is a Second Life rip off, and GT5's a demo. Even if PS3's outselling, its still dramatically behind in hardware sales at 10mil, and 360's now at probably 18-19 mil. The reason PS3's outselling is because it has bluray and the 360s in limited stock. Just wait till the stock is fixed, you'll all go fleeing the field again.

  • landau492

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 5:56 pm PT

    360 is obsolete, is dying a painfull death, it has a cancer is call the red ring of death. resistance 2, killzone 2,mgs 4 , god of war 3 , socom, little big planet , garn turismo 4 > gow 2 and ninja gaiden.

  • koolman01

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 5:43 pm PT

    all u guys are saying is bs ps3 is winning and will stay winning because we have bluray. all 360 has is wack ass halo and thats it but if u look at sony's line up we have some much more.like... resistance2, motorstrom 2 uncharted 2, gt, MSG 4, home, and others to come. but 360 has nothing until GoW2 witch is in the fall

  • scottyyd

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 4:57 pm PT

    blackace

    kyriakos11 PS3 officially won the war guys...(bluray)

    A new xbox 360 is coming out in 6 months, it will cost $600

    And in 1 year time almost all the games it will be on bluray

    So long story short,the people that already bought an xbox 360,they got ****
    ********************************************************
    Please put down the bong and fantasy land is about 200miles up. Your opinions are nothing more then biase fanboy dreams. Let me hit you with this XBox 360 and slap you back into reality. In one years time the XBox 360 will still be in 2nd place and the Wii with be another 5 million units further ahead of the PS3 and 360. The PS3 isn't going to sell 100 million consoles this gen. People who keep saying that everyone who wanted a XBox 360, already owns one, are dilusional. If that was the case the XBox 360 wouldn't be selling 250k -300K system each month (about the same amount as the PS3). A LOT more XBox 360's will be sold this year. *************************************************************************
    okay, yes his statements were totally pulled out of his fantasy land, but you diddnt have to further the flame war by making more fanboy statements of your own, you have no idea how the numbers will look next month, next year, or in three years...

  • brianpoetzel

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 4:52 pm PT

    Like I always say: It doesn't matter WHAT you play. Only THAT you play.

  • jooohnnny

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 4:50 pm PT

    Really this whole Flame war is getting really old don't yeah think? How many people really care out side of the few overly passionate that seem to me to be that way, just to be that way, how many care? Man I think we all should get a grip. WOW, but look at that article gaming is in full bloom, wouldn't you agree? Where looking at some serous flow here over 3 billion, now thats gotta have some stroke for the kind of things we can look to in the future one would think, or at least hope.

  • blackace

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 4:48 pm PT

    kyriakos11 PS3 officially won the war guys...(bluray)

    A new xbox 360 is coming out in 6 months, it will cost $600

    And in 1 year time almost all the games it will be on bluray

    So long story short,the people that already bought an xbox 360,they got ****
    ********************************************************
    Please put down the bong and fantasy land is about 200miles up. Your opinions are nothing more then biase fanboy dreams. Let me hit you with this XBox 360 and slap you back into reality. In one years time the XBox 360 will still be in 2nd place and the Wii with be another 5 million units further ahead of the PS3 and 360. The PS3 isn't going to sell 100 million consoles this gen. People who keep saying that everyone who wanted a XBox 360, already owns one, are dilusional. If that was the case the XBox 360 wouldn't be selling 250k -300K system each month (about the same amount as the PS3). A LOT more XBox 360's will be sold this year.

  • brianpoetzel

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 4:46 pm PT

    @ darkride: No prob. I read that and thought, "huh?"

  • darkride66

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 4:44 pm PT

    brianpoetzel replied "Darkride66 said "I can only see MS hiding those types of stats"Do you really think MS is the only company capable of fudging the numbers? Really?"
    That didn't come out quite right. I meant I think MS's only choice is to hide those figures until they have to reveal them, hopefully at a later date when they won't damage their fortunes as much (for example, now with the PS3 gaining and their sales growth slipping, it would really be a blow if they went public with this). It did come out like I was saying only MS is capable of that. That wasn't my intent.

  • rebelliousdude

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 4:43 pm PT

    how is msoft doing great? sony beat 360 sales with the ps2 and the ps3 and almost matched the 360 with their psp. Surely by selling almost 900,000 sony consoles/handlhelds surpases msofts 250,000 360s

  • gkclassof2005

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 4:34 pm PT

    im not flaming. im just trying to understand the logic behind what people post. they speak as if they are the console itself or manufacturer instead of the consumer they are. we all play want we want. bottom line.

  • scottyyd

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 4:32 pm PT

    we'll all be having this same exact flame war next month when the march NPD's come out
    except with SSBB being #1
    and DS>wii>ps3>ps2>psp>xbox360

  • gkclassof2005

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 4:09 pm PT

    "FreeRPGer

    Of course the PS2 will sell strong. That's because mine, among others' PS2s are croaking, and the same people are going out and buying replacements, as well as maybe backups for a console that is in it's final months.

    The 360 and Wii I think are doing great in comparison to PS3 .... and I used to be a Sony Loyalist. I'd have to say, as far as RPGs go, the 360 is in the lead with the best software.

    Sony needs something other than MGS and GT. They do."

    this is the second time someone has mentioned msg and gt. 1st people say ps3 has no games. now they say sony only has gt. do they not look at the shelves? do they no look at releases? c'mon people yall are living in denial. how could you possibly say that sony needs more than mgs and gt. theres been more. i could go down a very long list that sony has for ps3. also sony has WAY more than msg, gt, ps3, psp, ps2...they offer all kindas of entertainment devices and such. fanboys just make up excuses to say sony isnt going to be good. you can also make up the argument that most of its games hasnt came out yet. well damn its only in the 1st quarter of its second year in. 360s is passed half its 3rd year in. did you see halos and gear of war and mass effects and bioshocks when 360 launched? no. so the same argument could have been addressed there..AND their only competition was ps2. so when the games come what will your excuse be then? if your going to make statements...at least haev some reasonable foundation behind it. 360 has more games...big exclusives...etc etc. we all know that. we all know it didnt happen over night either. so if you dont have patience then give us some space. play your games and let us play ours? its that easy. this is no competiton between consumers but the devs and manufacturers themselves. we are just the consumer. you can brag about 360 exclusives all you want. i can also go out and purchase a 360 if i wanted....whats it to you? you gain nothing. you still will have the same games.

  • brianpoetzel

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 4:03 pm PT

    Darkride66 said "I can only see MS hiding those types of stats"

    Do you really think MS is the only company capable of fudging the numbers? Really?

  • FreeRPGer posted Mar 14, 2008 3:22 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    FreeRPGer

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 3:22 pm PT (hide)

    Of course the PS2 will sell strong. That's because mine, among others' PS2s are croaking, and the same people are going out and buying replacements, as well as maybe backups for a console that is in it's final months.

    The 360 and Wii I think are doing great in comparison to PS3 .... and I used to be a Sony Loyalist. I'd have to say, as far as RPGs go, the 360 is in the lead with the best software.

    Sony needs something other than MGS and GT. They do.

  • twistedhades posted Mar 14, 2008 3:16 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    twistedhades

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 3:16 pm PT (hide)

    Developers take note: the PS3 can move third-party games, and this is proof.If Sony can ride this wave of momentum in larger sales, especially with games like Metal Gear Solid 4 and Gran Turismo 5: Prologue on the horizon, they could see even better results next month. Microsoft may be short on ammunition to combat this new threat from Sony, and is starting to react to Sony's dominance in the European market with price cuts. Microsoft is far from being on the ropes, but Sony has every indication of being on a roll, and Microsoft needs to come up with a plan to fend off the growing threat.

  • twistedhades posted Mar 14, 2008 3:15 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    twistedhades

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 3:15 pm PT (hide)

    The PlayStation 3 came in at number four position with 280,800 units sold, beating sales of the Xbox 360 by a hefty margin. The PS3 version of Devil May Cry 4 was a strong seller at number four on the software charts with 233,500 units moved. Not as good as the 360 version, but with the system's smaller installed base, it's an impressive achievement. Capcom did a great job of making sure both versions of the title were strong, and it paid off. Developers take note: the PS3 can move third-party games, and this is proof.

    Other good news for Sony is the sales of the PlayStation 2. The system has historically done very well at retail, but in February Sony sold 351,800 units of the hardware; that puts the PlayStation 2 in third place for hardware sales, behind only the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS. The PlayStation 2 is also a strong system for the Guitar Hero series, as Guitar Hero 3 charted at number nine in the software charts with 183,800 units sold. Those are very impressive numbers for the nearly eight-year-old system.

    The PSP continues to do well with sales of 243,100 units in February. Sony's portable continues to be a destination for some great games, as proven by Patapon, Wipeout Pulse, and now God of War: Chains of Olympus. Expect as good, if not better, sales for next month
    If Sony can ride this wave of momentum in larger sales, especially with games like Metal Gear Solid 4 and Gran Turismo 5: Prologue on the horizon, they could see even better results next month. Microsoft may be short on ammunition to combat this new threat from Sony, and is starting to react to Sony's dominance in the European market with price cuts. Microsoft is far from being on the ropes, but Sony has every indication of being on a roll, and Microsoft needs to come up with a plan to fend off the growing threat.

  • supa_badman

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 3:13 pm PT

    i honestly dont see**
    my bad

  • Lauryn2000

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 3:09 pm PT

    It's all about the games baby!!!

  • supa_badman

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 3:08 pm PT

    i wonder whats going to happen to wii now tho. the wii has already most of its anticipated titles out. and God knows that most of the games are crap except for the very few that many gamers like. after mario kart i dont honestly dont see much happening for the wii

    just throwing it out there

  • gkclassof2005

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 3:03 pm PT

    "gellis1981

    Has anybody noticed the sad part in all of this!!! the PS3 has been out 15 months and it's only sold 3.8million in the U.S.?? The PS3 has turned into a cheap Blu-ray player. Eww GT5 and MGS coming...that's their ace in hole? The PS3 needs more exclusives period."

    you mean shooters? cause from what ive seen thats all 360 has basically. shooters shooters shooters. playstation is an open platform and as strengths in all genres. not just FPS. thats all the 360 is good for is FPS and well...thats just not all im interested in playing. sony targets all the markets. 360 is for the hardcore market. wii is for the casual. ps3 is for everyone (that can afford it that is). it does more than both consoles combined and me personally like to get more bang for my buck. YES 360 has more EXCLUSIVES or GAMES but whats more important...quality or quantity? 360 has buncha games but they are generic..mostly FPS. again thats why i chose the sony brand cause they have more to offer..IN VARIETY not just same old shootem-ups. if you enjoy playing FPS then 360 is for you. if you enjoy playing casual..wii is for you. if you enjoy playing quality games in all genres, grab a ps3. if your undecided...get all three and dont complain.

  • nate1222

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 3:00 pm PT

    @PreLuDe_DuDe

    You're right. Video games offer alot more entertainment value per dollar spent than other forms of entertainment. Even though I've grown weary of consoles' BS, I'd rather play Oblivion (on my PC) than go to a movie. Hell, if it weren't for the HISTORY CHANNEL, my TV would just be a monitor for my GameCube.

  • darkride66

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 2:54 pm PT

    white_light91 speculated "MS claims 9.6 million 360 owners, but have they realized that half of those are probably from people having to rebuy one because of their faulty hardware?"
    I've wondered the exact same thing. How do dead consoles reflect on those shipped numbers MS puts out? If they have 17 million units sold, how do the 5 million of those that are dead or will die factor in the MS's numbers. I can only see MS hiding those types of stats, but at some point they have to answer to their shareholders so that info will come out eventually.

  • the_real_VIP

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 2:51 pm PT

    "peacenutman: Woah, I'm pretty surprised that X360 version of DMC4 beats PS3 version, what a shame, PS."

    Capcom said they sold 2 million copies in 2 weeks. Guess where the remaining 1.5 million copies are (the land where 360 is practically dead).

  • white_light91

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 2:45 pm PT

    MS claims 9.6 million 360 owners, but have they realized that half of those are probably from people having to rebuy one because of their faulty hardware?

  • thebeast619

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 2:44 pm PT

    @gellis1981

    the ps3 isnt in a big need for exclusives if they outselling their opponet right now.

    and is it just me or xbox is having a bad 2008

  • nate1222

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 2:43 pm PT

    I just ditched my 360 yesterday. I MIGHT get a Wii, when I can just walk into a store and buy one. I'm not going to chase after the damn thing, though. But most people are only buying Wii Play, which underminds the better games on that system. Maybe it's because I'm 32. Maybe it's because consoles' prices are high as Hell, despite the fact that my investment won't carry over next-gen. I'm more of a PC gamer now. And since PC games CAN'T be traded in (trade-ins on console games are a rip-off, anyway), I ONLY buy PC games with muco REPLAY VALUE. Which is once in a blue moon. In another two years, I probably won't even be a gamer, any more.

  • gellis1981

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 2:31 pm PT

    Has anybody noticed the sad part in all of this!!! the PS3 has been out 15 months and it's only sold 3.8million in the U.S.?? The PS3 has turned into a cheap Blu-ray player. Eww GT5 and MGS coming...that's their ace in hole? The PS3 needs more exclusives period.

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