Will the PS3 pass the 360 in worldwide sales for any week this year?

[Sullla]

Sqrl said:
It is conceivable that the 360 dips while the PS3 spikes and we could see it happening. I don't think it will be indicative of any long term trend however as I think the PS3 will only start to battle its way back into contention against the 360 from week to week in early '08. Thats when the battle between the two systems begins in earnest.

I hope most Sony fans know that 2008 is live or die time for the PS3. It needs to have a good year or it will be stuck in 3rd for the rest of the generation. It doesn't have to get out of 3rd in 2008, it just needs a good year. I will avoid the ever perilous comparisons with other consoles but I do think it has a very respectable lineup for the early part of the year and I suspect Sony is well aware of the situation and planning the rest of the year accordingly.

Sqrl, I usually find myself agreeing with your posts, but not this particular one. The whole notion that "the real battle" between 360 and PS3 starts in 2008 is complete and utter nonsense. It unfairly discounts the sales that have taken place so far for both systems. It's almost as if we're supposed to give the PS3 a mulligan because it didn't sell as well as expected in the first year - uhh, sorry, but things don't work that way! Furthermore, holiday sales are much more important than the slow periods. The 360 has a very good chance to outsell the PS3 in America by 1 million units between now and 2008. If the PS3 were to outsell the 360 by 20k units per week (say, 60k to 40k on average) during the first six months of 08, it would still not have made up those holiday sales! The holidays are enormous. I don't understand why so many people think that Q1 2008 will be more important, when it will move about 1/3 the hardware and software.

And I have to say, 2007 was a lot more important for the PS3 (and all systems) than 2008. The eventual outcome of the console wars is always decided in the first 12 months that all major competitors are on the market, and this generation has been no different. It's still fun to watch the market, but the overall shape of things for the next 3-4 years is pretty clear by now, and won't change significantly.