Microsoft VP: Nintendo > Microsoft > Sony

[Phil the Nuka-Cola Dude]

OK, fanboys, before you hit that spittle-flecked "post comment" button after just reading that inflammatory headline question, hear us out. We're not just idly speculating here -- we're basing our query on an unusually frank quote from Microsoft Senior Vice President of Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick. In an interview with BusinessWeek, Mattrick said that he's "not at a point where I can say we're going to beat Nintendo." Coming from a guy whose job it is to promote Microsoft's position in the market, that's a pretty big admission of doubt. It's not just Mattrick that's doubtful-- analyst Billy Pidgeon told the magazine, "I expect the 360 to remain in second place this generation. But it's going to be close."

The question, then, becomes how much this sales position really matters. Microsoft's sales might fall just shy of Nintendo's, but that doesn't seem to be hurting the company's ability to attract big-name games or roll out new features for the system. In fact, with Nintendo's decidedly less powerful system catering to a decidedly different audience, Microsoft's position relative to Nintendo might not matter nearly as much as their position relative to Sony. And on that score Mattrick has no doubt: "We will sell more consoles this generation than Sony," he told BusinessWeek.

Good stuff, but I wonder what the standings are between ms and sony when you factor in the handhelds.[/quote]

 

[Texas Renegade]

Actually it looks like x-box may be sliding into 3rd:

surprisingly wii is killing both of them, but here is the comparison through august 08 for this year:

Sales in 2008 through August has Xbox 360 in last place (154,000), behind Wii (376,000) and PS3 (200,000).

Overall:

total sales of the Wii since its release stand at 1,060,000, leading Xbox 360 (870,000) and PS3 (520,000).

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=d7ab488c-b636-4749-8b18-9dd1597a17f0

Shockingly enough, EA predicted this back in February and was generally laughed at for it:

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/04/ea-bets-ps3-will-best-xbox-360-sales-in-2008/