360 And Halo 3 Push Past the Wii's Sales

GameDaily has the NPD numbers for September, and they're impressive if only because for the first time in months Nintendo isn't dominating the top of every list. Total sales across the industry hit $1.36 billion (a 74% bump over last year), mostly fueled by Halo 3 sales. The game (across all skus) sold some 3.3 million units, while Xbox 360 platforms hit about 528,000 units sold last month. Ironically, the Wii had its second best month ever and the DS sold big numbers thanks to Phantom Hourglass. "Nintendo's Wii, despite not really having any significant new software releases, was close behind with 501K units sold. The DS handheld also did quite well, selling another 495.8K. Looking at Sony's platforms, the PS3 sold just 119.4K units, while the surging PSP sold 284.5K and the PS2 maintained healthy sales at 215K." The piece also offers up analysis from an NPD researcher, who feels Microsoft is likely to maintain some good momentum through the holidays.

Comments

Re:Microsoft will win next generation

[2nd Post!]

Sure, giving Microsoft a target gives them a goal, but it isn't like Microsoft has shown the ability to leap past a continually advancing target. There are plenty of examples where Microsoft is always behind the competition:
vs Google in search
vs Apple in MP3 players (now phones)
vs Nintendo in consoles...

If Xbox 420 is anything like the Zune 2 or the reboot of the Live services it will be:
A Wii, but black, slightly larger, and HD.

Meanwhile Nintendo will release, if the DS and Wii are any predictors of future design:
Download only games; add-on optical drive for backwards compatibility
HD (duh)
Lightweight wireless heads up see through monocles
Paired Wii-motes (one per hand) play, up to a total of 16 remotes (for 16 player games)
The ability to hook up 4 LCDs (1 per 4 people) or the ability to network 4 consoles together with a single game
Built in projector or projector add-on to reduce the necessity for 4 HD sets (perhaps limited to 720p)

Re:Great news for MS!

[Yahweh Doesn't Exist]

wtf are you playing on your PS3? honest question. AFAIK all the PS3 games suck or are on 360 (and so far the reviews indicate the 360 has slightly better graphics on multi-platform titles, plus achievements)

Re:Troll huh

[Anonymous Coward]

I almost cant believe it. I make a post with an opinion and make various points to back it up and people mod me as trolling? Because you made a number of points based on evidence that is rather doubtful, making you sound like a lost Xbox fanboy. Let's examine it.

Microsoft is in a great position to WIN the next generation of gaming consoles. Oh yeah? Being in second means you are going to win? Already a doubtful position, better come up with something GOOD to back it up.

This generation couldnt have played out better for them. Sony made all the proper mistakes to allow XBox to reign supreme, and the success of the Wii is a blessing in disguise, because it gives microsoft....ideas! That's the best you can do? Microsoft can't come up with anything without stealing it? What if Nintendo comes up with something even better next generation? What about brand loyalty from all the people who got the Wii this generation?

XBox has the best name recognition now for "modern gaming" amoung both techies, Woah woah, let's just stop right there. Most of the techies I know are more interested in the Wii, and most of the techies here on slashdot seem to be the same. The people who are geeky tinkerers that I know seem more interested in cracking the Wii controller protocol (which has been done) and using it for random fun projects.

The main demographic interested in the xbox seems to be bonehead athletes who recently found their gaming soul. They like Madden, and Halo only because they've never played an FPS with a mouse. Ask any true hardcore gamer, and they will say, "yeah, halo is fun, but the controller sucks compared to a mouse."
The other demographic that seems to like the 360 is the kids who while growing up, their parents got them an xbox instead of a playstation, and now they've gotten attached to it, and thus are 360 fanboys. I suspect you fall into this category. Nothing particularly wrong with it, happened to me too when I was growing up, but don't be surprised if people label you as a fanboy.

Microsoft sucks in the first generation. Then they do better and win in the third. OK, you didn't say that in this post, but I say you make that general point elsewhere. The problem is, it just isn't true. Lately they have shown themselves incompetent to come out with any quality product. Vista? After 5 years, that's what they come up with? Microsoft has traditionally won, not with quality products, not with superior advertising (monkeyboy), but by undercutting the competitors in price, and with sharp business practices; ie FUD, making deals at the right time, knowing when to stab your partners in the back, etc. Sometimes they've won in the third generation, sometimes in the first, and very often not at all. Right now the Wii is in the lead, and it really seems like a distorted twist of logic to claim that it is good for Microsoft. That is why you got modded troll (and subsequently funny).