Big three weigh in on February sales

Earlier today, GameSpot reported on the lessons that analysts gleaned from February's NPD sales figures. Now the big three console makers are contributing their own interpretations of the data. Nintendo and Sony in particular fell in lockstep with analysts, who noted the industry's ongoing sales strengths despite the economic downturn.

"During tough economic times, people tend to stay home, taking 'staycations,'" a Nintendo representative told GameSpot, suggesting how the economy is playing to the company's strengths. "They enjoy experiences that everyone in the family can do together. Wii and Nintendo DS continue to offer the best video game experiences at the most affordable prices. We are seeing significant consumer response to our value proposition."

A Sony representative echoed that sentiment, noting, "If you take a look at the video game category, it tends to be resilient to economic changes. I think we're seeing very similar resilience in our internal data as well."

Sony senior vice president of marketing Peter Dille also released a statement regarding the numbers, hailing PS3 exclusive Killzone 2 for its fifth-place sales finish for the month, despite being released just two days before the end of the reporting period.

"We have no doubt this game will deliver a next-gen experience and will be responsible for driving hardware sales throughout the year," Dille said.

As for nonexclusives, a Microsoft representative commented on sales of Capcom's Street Fighter IV, which sold only marginally better on the Xbox 360 than the PS3 (446,000 sold compared to 403,000 sold).

"We're happy with the performance of Street Fighter IV on Xbox 360," the representative said. "It follows in the steps of franchises like Grand Theft Auto and Madden NFL which have historically been associated with PlayStation, that are now selling better on our platform."

The representative added that Microsoft expects entries in other formerly Sony-exclusive series such as Resident Evil 5 and Final Fantasy XIII to also sell better on the Xbox 360 than the PS3.