It's worth noting the sample period is between Jan-Oct of this year. Wii's US install base only passed the 360 around the middle of this period, so its increasingly large userbase hasn't really begun to swing things in its favour yet.
Americas install base of selected consoles:
| Install base Jan 08 | Install base Oct 08 | % Install share, Jan-Oct 08 | % Play time share | |
| PS2 | 46.9 | 48.9 | 67.4% - 58.6% | 45.5% |
| X360 | 10.3 | 13.0 | 14.8% - 15.6% | 24.7% |
| Wii | 8.8 | 15.4 | 12.6% - 18.4% | 19.3% |
| PS3 | 3.6 | 6.2 | 5.2% - 7.4% | 10.5% |
Note: Nielsen's play time share has been changed to a share of selected consoles, rather than a share of all consoles, to better compare with install base share.
Both 360 and PS3 have a play time share for this period which is over 60% higher than their average install share. Wii has a play time share which is about 25% higher than its average install share. PS2's play time share is over 25% lower than its install share. This all reinforces the idea that gaming enthusiasts favour the PS360 over the Wii, and that the PS2 is being played less and less.
If these ratios remain constant, the Wii will be more played than the 360 when it has an install share which is 28% higher than the 360, which it already has. The Wii will be more played than the PS2 when it has an install share which is 60% as big as the PS2. That means at least 30 million units, which it should reach before the end of this year.
"The worst part about these reviews is they are [subjective]--and their scores often depend on how drunk you got the media at a Street Fighter event." — Mona Hamilton, Capcom Senior VP of Marketing
*Image indefinitely borrowed from BrainBoxLtd without his consent.
