Yep. The longer they stay in this state, the harder the realization will hit them when it finally does.

March aside, PS2 numbers in the US didn't look that great until the next holiday.

Plus the PS2 numbers you give run from march to july, usually a slower selling time period than the november to april timeframe for the PS3.

It's not a good comparison for what people are using it for.  PS3 has competition right away, it doesn't get the 1 year headstart (even more in Japan) that PS2 had the luxury of getting. 

PS2 sold 20 million units before gamecube and xbox even launched, all the developers naturally went to PS2.

The same situation with 360, it can afford to have a fairly slow launch because there was no competition!  PS3 cannot afford to sell at the rate that 360 did a year ago, it will be third place if that happens.

Also keep in mind that PS3 launched 6 million units behind the 360, and now it is more than 6 million units behind with Wii also widening the gap very fast.

NA sales, first 5 months for PS2, PS3, GC, and Wii (March '07 estimated):

 PS2 and Wii both severely supply constrained for the entire period.  PS3 in plentiful supply and is the worst of the 4.  The "slow starter" PS2 outsold the supposed "fast starter" GC in the first 5 months.  GC really died off after launch.

 Just to put this out, here are the NA numbers for PS2 and PS3.  Note that from 03/2001 forward, the PS2 was the number 1 console, something the PS3 won't be anything soon. 

 I just don't see a 604,500 unit march or april for the PS3

In Japan:  With the exception of a short period in Xmas of its first year when supply dried up while Sony tried to get units to NA and Europe, the lowest the PS2 ever sold in a week up until late last year was 19,960 in November '04, late into its life.  The PS3, on the other hand, appears to be taking up permanent residence below that level.  It's undertracking the GC there as well, with similar weekly numbers.

Just wondering where you got the March numbers from? It is my understanding they haven't even been leaked yet. there is a clear difference to the Wii  and PS2 launches compared to the GC and N64 though and htis makes it pretty clear.

Anyways I am expecting around 280K for the Wii this month but it is still supply constrained.

It is scarily similiar to the GC in Japan. It is outselling on a weekly basis but only by a few hundred for the same time period but it has a lower overall total.

I hadn't looked at these numbers so closely and it certainly changes my perception of a few things looking at the numbers this way... Slow starter sure, but I don't think the PS3 has any potential for massive sales for at least 1 year maybe even 2, it certainly wont dominate for 2007, 2008 it will pick up and I think it will at least over-take the 360 eventually.  It really all comes down to the price point, when they drop the price they will make more sales... but it really needs to be 1/2 it's current price for any larger market penetration... can Sony afford to drop the price?