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Xbox Gains Ground, Outsells PS2 In U.S.?

Posted by simoniker on from the offer-good-one-month-only dept.

Thanks to Reuters for its story noting that Microsoft's Xbox is "expected to have outsold Sony's PlayStation 2 for the first time on a monthly basis in April" , apparently helped "by a price cut that made the Xbox cheaper than the PS2" - though a PlayStation 2 price cut to $149 is seemingly rumored for announcement at E3. The rise of the Xbox-exclusive title is also noted: "Titles like 'Ninja Gaiden' and 'Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow' rode rave reviews to big sales, both finishing among the top five titles in sales for March, according to the NPD Group." Elsewhere in the same article, Dan Hsu of EGM comments on Xbox 2's possible showing at E3, commenting: "I think it'd be very strange for them to announce anything like that, because it would only hurt this holiday season for them... Even if this thing is not coming out for a year or two years, that still gives the impression that [the Xbox] is outdated technology."

2 of 103 comments (clear)

  1. GameCube already outsold PS2.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    ....seven months ago, due to a price drop. PS2 quickly re-took second place (behind the GameBoy Advance) the following month.

    And before anyone opens their mouth about that being non-news....that's exactly what is being claimed here about the Xbox now.

  2. XBOX has all the momentum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    PS2's best days are behind it. Get used to it.
    This is not just a month affair. We are talking first quarter PS2 sales for Sony down 28% from last year, Sony's profits down massively in the first quarter due to a sharp drop in sales of both PS2 consoles and games.
    Meanwhile XBOX was the only console that actually had an increase on console sales in January and February, even before any price cuts were announced. Plus an increase of a whopping 80% in games sales.
    And now this.
    Sales figures for game consoles in April were XBOX 270,000 units to PS2 200,000 versus Gamecube 100,000 for Nintendo's GameCube . (http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7 BB2CCAA2F-12BF-4446-944B-7487D59FAF5E%7D&siteid=go ogle&dist=google)

    Even the anti-American British publication "The Economist" has come around to the view that Microsoft is about to eat Sony's lunch.(http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?g uid=%7BB2CCAA2F-12BF-4446-944B-7487D59FAF5E%7D&sit eid=google&dist=google)

    Extract : "Next week, the industry's biggest trade show, E3, which takes place in Los Angeles, will provide the first glimpses of the next round. It is expected to be a brutal two-way fight. For, after a difficult start, Microsoft has now established itself as Sony's main rival, and is gaining momentum. Most important, it has won the crucial support of games publishers, says Nick Gibson of Games Investor, a consultancy. That means Microsoft will "pretty much be neck and neck with Sony" in the next round"

    XBOX has been by far the best game console on the market, best processor, best graphics, more memory than any other console, hard drive included, network card as standard, its the easiest console to develop games for and has always been the best value for money by far, even before this recent price cuts.
    Now are having some of the best games on XBOX coming out now and later this year.
    Consumers have finally figured it all out and are feeling the PS2 to get themselves an XBOX as quickly as they can.
    Its time for you to wake up and smell the coffee.