Here is my take on the issue...
There is obvious growth from the original Xbox, but most of the growth is linear, so I don't know if it is as much as MS would like. They are finally diversifying the library, but they are not marketing the diversification enough so people still assume its an FPS console. I don't know anyone who knows about Lost Odyssey, Eternal Sonata, or Banjo. Everyone (without exception) that I know that got a 360 besides me bought the system for Halo 3. Over 50% of the owners have Halo 3. While its good to see that kind of attach rate, it shows that the 360 userbase is not diverse enough in their gaming tastes. With the PS2, even for big hitters, only about 10% or less of its install base bought the title whether its GTA, MGS, FF, or GT.
So MS really needs to go the extra mile in diversifying the taste. I can tell you as a 360 owner, because I don't own or prefer Halo 3 (Owned it for a week and sold it), I feel more like I'm "2nd Class" by the company and its fanbase. I'm buying all of these titles on the console that will probably bomb horribly in the market that no other 360 owners really care about.
As far as sales in "others" go, I think Sony really has the advantage whether people want to admit it or not. Weekly Software sales are already higher. PS3 actually just had one price cut in the "Others" region that was two months ago. It's still more expensive and does not have any games bundled with it.
Many people keep saying that "Sony is out of Ammo" or "Sony can't lower the price any further," but we'll see in 2008. I was one of the few people that expected a $400 PS3 by this time. Most people thought Sony was out of Ammo when it was at $600. Their other departments seeing tons of growth and is expected to continue and also there is still some room for cost reduction in some of the Blu-ray components.
So in summary, Sony and MS are both pretty unsuccessful in comparison to Nintendo so far this generation. Microsoft is not as successful as the American press would like us to believe and Sony is not as unsuccessful as they say either. Both are mediocre right now.
"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY COUNTRY." --Hermann Goering, leading Nazi party member, at the Nuremberg War Crime Trials
Conservatives: Pushing for a small enough government to be a guest in your living room, or even better - your uterus.
