Microsoft Admits Defeat in September Sales
Ever since Sony announced the PS3 slim back in August at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, the console manufacturer and consumer electronics giant has been on quite a roll. Following the release of the announced slimmer, lighter version of the PS3, came the PSPgo launch, and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves releasing to much acclaim. It seems as though nothing can slow Sony down.
From the moment the PS3 slim was released on September 1, 2009 at a lower price point of $299, sales immediately skyrocketed. So much so, Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg is even expecting for the PlayStation 3 to top the Xbox 360 when September’s NPD results come in.
While speaking with Game Informer, Aaron Greenberg, Director of Product Management for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live talked candidly about the sudden surge of PS3 sales. He even went as far as to admit Sony would come out on top on September console sales.
“It is not a real concern to us – in fact, I can tell you to that when NPD releases September sales… we fully expect PlayStation 3 will come in as the console with the most units sold for the month,”
Sony sold over one million of its new PS3 in just 3 weeks after its release. Even with sales that massive, Greenberg remains confident that the Xbox 360 will outsell the PS3 for not only the calender year, but for this generation of consoles.
“What I can tell you is we remain confident that Xbox 360 will not only outsell PS3 for the full calendar year, but for this entire generation.”
Confident words, when Sony is right on their tails in worldwide console sales, thanks to strong sales in both Europe and Japan. Here in North America, the PlayStation 3 still trails the Xbox 360, but if the PS3 can maintain its momentum it’s quite possible the PS3 could overtake the Xbox 360 in 2010 in worldwide sales.
Stay tuned to PlayStation LifeStyle as we’ll have the official NPD data shortly.
17 Responses to “Microsoft Admits Defeat in September Sales”
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October 19th, 2009 at 10:50 AM
So they say sony beat them but that they are still winning… ok well bring on the heat sony and release that firmware update soon and then release Ratchet and clank acit, and then 2010’s monsters list of hits and see where that gets us!!! GOW3 GOW3 GOW3 GOTY 2010!!!
October 19th, 2009 at 11:16 AM
See Microsoft have to stay confident in their console I suppose, since the Wii was once on top and now the Playstation is working its way back into the number 1 spot thanks to its constant delivery of new features, firmware and great AAA titles. Problem is, Microsoft want to take their console in a new direction and I don’t see NATAL hitting off all that well, I am skeptical about motion controls as it is. I don’t really want to come home after college or work and exerpt myself more by dancing around like a madman or talking to some A.I. kid on my games console, I wanna sit back and relax with my controller, why they want to take it away I have no idea but Sony are being clever by experimenting with motion controls with the Playstation Sphere and at the same time they are keeping the hardcore crowd pleased too. A lot is going to change between now and the end of this generation but come 2012 I think Sony will be on top, if not close to taking the lead.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:28 AM
of course they have to say they’re confident otherwise consumers would lose faith and quit buying their console….besides with a 2 year head start and people constantly having to buy replacement 360’s because of the RROD of course their sales are going to be much higher. I think Microsoft is already falling behind in quality of games being released though and anyone who actually pays attention to gaming wouldn’t buy a 360 anymore. Unfortunately, there are billions of kids and parents who don’t pay any attention so they’ll just buy whatever their friends have or whichever is cheaper. I bet the 360 gets a lot of their sales for their Arcade SKU that doesn’t have a hard drive just because so many parents see the cheaper price and don’t realize that a HDD is almost essential for gaming now.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Didn’t Sony said the sold over 1 million PS3 in the first three weeks of September? They sold a total of 309,939 units in September in Japan alone.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Most of Xbox’s fanbase are kids anyway. Anyone who had bought a PS3 back when it was expensive was mainly those who afforded it with their own money. My point with this statement is Xbox has no real system sellers. They already exhausted that. Anyone who already bought an Xbox for Halo did so already. Halo Reach won’t push consoles unless they bundle it. Any multiplatform game will sell more on the PS3 because their fanbase consist of people who have been playing games for at least the past 2 generations. Tekken 6 won’t sell better on the Xbox and neither will FFXIII. Microsoft’s only hope to stay above Sony is Natal. The race here is who can take costumers away from Nintendo. Once the other 2 companies have MC it will only boil down to the games. And again anyone wanting Fable3, Halo Reach, Mass Effect 2. Already own an Xbox because of Fable2, Halo 3, and Mass Effect. So those games won’t push their consoles. Sony on the other hand have games that will be first to PS3 generation, GoW3, GT5, MAG. Enough said
October 19th, 2009 at 12:01 PM
hello ..
to all of you : AMEN !
cheers …
October 19th, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Microsoft had a year head start.. what will they say if Sony does catch up to them?
October 19th, 2009 at 1:40 PM
@shadowjin
That they, as in MS, won the this generation of console because the are releasing their Xbox 720 next week
October 19th, 2009 at 1:49 PM
I would have to agree that the only way MS will ‘win the generation’ is if they give up and flip up the game board releasing their next console early. They previously said the 360 would be around until at least 2015; I definitely see the PS3 overtaking them with the momentum they’ve built if they stick to that.
October 19th, 2009 at 3:02 PM
ATI’s already making the next chip.. im guessing its at the latest 2 years away for microsoft
October 19th, 2009 at 3:22 PM
If Sony gets within 6 million units of the 360, then the PS3 is outselling the system. Why is that? Because the 360 had roughly 6.5 million sales headstart before the PS3 came out and with all the problems Sony has had in PR, in Marketing, and in smears from the 360, it’d be a huge accomplishment for the PS3 to sell more on average than Microsoft who worked so hard to get that sales increase.
For quite a while Sony had more sales per month if you divided total consoles sold to date by total months since release. They were hundreds of thousands ahead of the 360 but over time that was deluded. Now is Sony’s chance to make up for lost time.
October 19th, 2009 at 3:24 PM
We know a lot of people are really wanting to jump into the PS3 and got their chance when the price was drop. With games looking better on the PS3 and so are the exclusives that MS cannot match up with, Sony would sell better for at least late next year (cause we have to wait and see on what would happen to the MCs and exclusives for 2011).
I think so too that MS would rush the next xbox when their lead become slim. Makes sense but it may also result to crappy hardware that would have a lot of failures. I am pretty sure though that Nintendo would release a new and improved Wii with HD graphics in a year or two.
Plus we can all agree that Sony’s MC would be better than the Wii’s. And we saw on what they really want to do with it like RTS, shooter, etc. Natal looks cool until I realized that it’s just an improved PSeye. Even the makers of the PSeye admitted that you need buttons for complete experience.
As of now, the PS3 is looking to wipe out the competition. I just hope the sony would keep on the pressure. I’m still sad to see GT5 not releasing this holiday as it may push the PS3, alot of sales. I guess march 2010 is really huge for Sony.
October 19th, 2009 at 4:09 PM
Good ol Aaron Greenburg he is always good for a laugh.
October 19th, 2009 at 7:10 PM
As much as I love my PS3, I don’t really see the PS3 taking the lead over the 360 in sales, at least not as soon as 2010. The 360 has a heck of a sales lead and once people invest in a console and spend hundreds of dollars on games, it’s very hard to get them to switch. It’s especially difficult now that the majority of games are released on multiple platforms.
Still, good luck, Sony! If anyone deserves to win the seventh generation console war, it’s Sony.
October 20th, 2009 at 4:27 AM
hello ..
to all of you, SONY deserve to catch up, time will tell though. i don’t see the release of newer console as a possibility in @ least 4 years for would certainly mean bad investment.
@ megs1120: the process has started. 2010 is only a couple of months away & no SONY do not wait for people to switch platform. the problem is that a lot of PS lovers do not have a console right now because they were waiting for the right moment. like Xael said, the new IPs & sequels would push the sale because of the fanbase. MCs will be like addon accessories not revolution on all platforms. I know so many person who didn’t buy any console because they wanted a PS3 & price was too high, now they are going for it. Others already bought an Xbox360, now they’ll have both.
So there is still room for SONY, while Xbox seems to have reach its limits. unless the percentage or re-purchase (37% out of 54% failure) increases from the 37% up to the 100% out of 54% failures …
well all the platforms have their PROS n CONs, it’s the fan that will make the difference now! & a lot hasn’t show up yet while some doesn’t even know they are for now. let’s wait for God of War Collection, God of War 3, Heavy Rain, inFamous 2, White Knight Chronicles ….etc .. etc…
cheers!
October 20th, 2009 at 9:26 PM
i want a new system already (PS4)
November 4th, 2009 at 4:06 AM
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