Thursday 27 November 2008

Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii vie for Christmas sales

According to: Telegraph.co.uk

The Nintendo Wii looks set to be the biggest-selling games console this Christmas for the third year running, despite fears the Wii is in short supply in the run-up to the festive season.

Sales figures from industry-tracking website VGChartz shows that more around 336,517 Nintendo Wii consoles have been bought in the last month, compared to about 190,440 Xbox 360 consoles and 88,561 PlayStation 3s.

The release of games such as exercise title Wii Fit and child-friendly Wii Music are thought to have boosted sales of the Nintendo console, which has been credited with introducing a new generation to video gaming.

But both Microsoft and Sony have mounted their own aggressive advertising campaigns in the run-up to Christmas, and have released a number of family-friendly games in the hope of tempting some consumers away from Nintendo.

Microsoft has revamped its online portal, Xbox Live, introducing customisable avatars to the platform to allow players to create cartoon-like representations of themselves. It has also launched a "party zone" on the platform, where groups of friends can meet to chat online, play games over the internet, and even share photos.

The company has also released a slew of games that will appeal to a wide variety of age groups, including the movie quiz Buzz, and karaoke title Lips.

Sony, too, is hoping to win over cash-strapped shoppers with its free PS3 3 console, which combines high-definition gaming with a Blu-ray DVD player.

According to analysts at Screen Digest, high-definition Blu-ray DVD players are going to be among the best-selling gadgets this Christmas, but many of the cheaper players are in short supply. Shoppers are therefore expected to opt for devices such as the PlayStation 3 which have multiple uses and offer better value for money.

Sony, too, has released several family-friendly titles in the run-up to Christmas, including the innovative LittleBigPlanet, where players can build and share their own characters, platforms and environments with other LittleBigPlanet fans. The recent launch of rhythm-action party games, such as Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Band 2, where players connect plastic instruments to their console and play along with the music, will also be key for Sony, as it bids to attract a wider user base to its platform.

"Nintendo is currently riding high," said Steve Bailey, an analyst with Screen Digest. "We don't believe the Wii will be beaten by the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 consoles this generation."



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1 comments:

Anonymous said...

To be perfectly blunt, I think people buying the wii are wasting their money. It's fun for about 3 weeks, and then the only joy you'll get out of it is from playing a few party games with friends. If you're a softcore gamer, then by all means get an expensive ice breaker, otherwise, get a propper console.

I don't see the PS3 doing too well this christmas, they need to get the name out there, I havn't seen a single PS3 advert on TV, compared to the many I've seen for the 360, and TV advertising is a very powerful tool.