Did Malstrom write anything about current sales numbers, particularly the big XB360 surge?

No because there is no reason to. They released a new model and sales went up. In time, sales will fall and we're back to square one. Microsoft and Sony are very boring to keep an eye one because all they do is either release a new model or cut price and hope that sales stay up for a while. Nintendo is at least using disruption, making their strategy more interesting.

Didn't Nintendo use price cuts too?   

MTG thread? =P

I think it's the same of what he said of the PS3 Slim. Sales will go up thanks to the redesign and price cuts, but without hugs software, it can't last. Even the Wii price cut was just temporary.

His thing is that if Kinect and Move don't sell well, they will hurt these systems big time.

@bolded: This can happen only if they are an utter failure and if they work really badly, if they manage to sell just decently and they work decently too, they will benefit sales marginally, but they won't damage them.

About cuts and sales I agree that just a cut or a redesign isn't enough. But the cut in PS3 case and the redesign for XB360 both address previos weaknesses of these systems, excessive price for PS3  and low reliability for XB360, so just like for PS3 it worked greater and longer than many expected, also for XB360 it worked already greater and most probably will longer too. Malstrom likes to assume that previous big mistake necessarily imply that Sony and MS execs will behave forever like bumbling idiots, but this isn't true, it's just an exaggeration. Although I can agree with anybody, including Malstrom, that if MS releases mostly Wii games rip-offs, instead of exploiting Kinect's exclusive features, it will be the worst error it could do.

This said each system has more than just price cuts and redesigns in its arsenal, and each one will manage to extend its life more than just a spike.

He said on his site that he would not be writing for a bit because of StarCraft II

Fair enough, a good game should matter more than talking about games for a gamer! Yep, every now and then I happen to agree even with Malstrom.   

I think the point about cuts and redesigns is that once the boost fades, you need something else. Again, that's with any system, and you can only do so many. But you can always make a killer app game.

As for the motion controls, I forgot Malstrom mentioned the likely point of those was not just to try to get a slice of the supposed casual market (I agree thinking of them in those terms already loses you that market), but to try to stop Nintendo from moving up market, as they are with the 3DS. Failing with those controllers means they can't stop Nintendo.

About this Sony actually has a weapon (or maybe it should be defined a shield): it makes its home and portable consoles to appeal to people wanting lusher than average graphics and multifunction-multimedia devices, not just consoles. Doing this it makes going up market in Playstation (N plus 1) direction not appealing for Nintendo, that always wants to make almost pure gaming machines (possibly adding a few very mainstream not purely gaming features, but never at cost of venturing into profit eating territory).

Edit: damn plus character!