I'm confused as to how you think a press release is an official tax document? If Sony releases to the press that they sold 110 million PS2's, in your book that is an official tax document? If MS says at CES that they sold 10.4 million Xbox 360's, that's something that constitutes tax fraud if they don't do have the exact same standard as Sony? Your logic makes absolutely no sense!

When was I proven wrong? Was it the time 20-30 people here actually believed that NPD data was for all of NA? Was it the time where I showed how NPD data and 10% of NA added up to nearly a half a million more than what vgcharts is showing? Was it the time where everybody said it was a half a million off in NA alone simply because the stats were out of date on vgcharts, and then you told me they are up to date.. meaning by NPD figures and the 10% figure alone, this site is THAT far off??? Was it the time where somebody actually believed that Japan was a Continent? Was it the time where they believed a press statement was a tax document and that all console makers have to have the same standard to release press statements? Was it the time where somebody believed that you could add US data, Japan data, and Europe and say that was WW data? Yes... clearly I have been proven wrong so many times.

One other thing Wii_gamer... you accuse me of using obscure sources, but you provide none. Would you care to show me where you come up with the 8.3 number you just cited? I'd specifically like to know where you get Canada, Mexico, European, and data for Asia (outside of Japan)? Please show me where you get the 10% number for the rest of NA. So, far you haven't even posted an obscure source for your data. The only thing you say is to "trust you". What would you say to me if that was MY argument?

Please, just point out where I said that press statement = tax document?

It has nothing to do with accountency, it's about giving numbers at different level of the production/storage/selling chain. It's purely about marketing, and indeed, you can either use figures of consoles sold just when they exit production chain (and still have to be delivered to sotck before being dispatched to retailers) or at the moment their are dispatched. Damn, you could even be including number of pre-paid but not yet made units, if the practive was usual in this market (which is not, unlike the exotic car market for instance). Don't know if MS is right about Sony, but indeed, it would be strange that Sony do not react if it was a lie, especially given the "marketing war" going on.

MSN stated differently than him. I would tend to believe him, but then again can you believe anyone from M$, Sony, or Nintendo? They lie just like anyone else. The article on MSN stated "shipped" when M$ predicted 10 million by end of 2006 indicated shipped from factory. Regardless, if you've been to a BB, CC, Ebgames, etc. This Christmas (or year for that matter) it's obvious that units "in stores" are not necessarily close to sold. Especially at my local BB where there are literally 2 slabs of more than 100 360 consoles, and more in the back. Now that is anecdotal, maybe not true everywhere. But if you do the math from NPD, Japan, and Europe it's obvious there is a desparity between what is being reported as "sold" and in end users hands. And despite what some people seem to think. Sold to a retailer is just a bragging number. (Shipped to the retailer means they already bought it, so it's the same difference with about 2 weeks lag time for numbers). Sold to retailer doesn't mean a thing when it comes to actual success. As I said, the hardware is not what generates profits, it's software, and now online services too (such as movies, or XBL cards you buy at the store). So whether or not it is in the end users hands matters a lot, if it's just sitting on a shelf then it's not making them money period. When the end of march rolls around, and Sony comes out and claims they have shipped 6 million consoles are you going to be holding this site to same account? Meaning, some people seem so adament about correcting the 360 sales figures, but I can gaurentee you by the end of march the number on this site won't read 6 million for PS3...even if Sony says they have shipped that many.

Even if the 10.4 million number was reached by consoles 'shipped' to retailers, by your accounting of sold, that leaves some 2 million consoles unsold in inventory somewhere. I don't doubt there's inventory in the world, but that much? Is there something wrong with everyone's just in time inventory? Would retailers carry that much stock? It's not like it's not moving. We know it is moving. The number of sold as of December, I bet is 9 million something. Otherwise, we're not going to see any shipments from Microsoft in January, if there's 2 million units unsold out there.

If they a) allowed MS to incorrectly diminish Sony's quoted "shipped" numbers or b) they really do have a ton of "shipped" products sitting in a warehouse then there isn't much doubt that Sony is indeed run by a "bunch of retarded monkeys".

Well I think scenes of a couple of hundred X360s in shops are not uncommon. How many shops in North America alone, 5000? There's a million alone. Same with UK, same with the rest of Europe, France, Australia. Plus units being shipped as we speak, plus units in warehouses, shop stores etc etc. 2 million unsold units is not that difficult to imagine, or indeed uncommon. There must be something like 6-7 million unsold PSPs if you look into it. Also, do shipped units include replacements / refurbishments? Display units, promotional units?

I'm not getting back into this conversation but I have to say that a retailer with a couple hundred x360's setting around is VERY uncommon. A couple HUNDRED?!? I went buy Gamestop last night. Yes they had some 360's in....3 of them. I called my local Best Buy and they had 20. I'm not saying that the retail stores in my area are a demonstration of the whole country but it doesn't make sense for you to say that all the retail stores in N.America have 200 sitting around.