Global HW up June 9th (updated with SW)

[Alby_da_Wolf]

DélioPT said:

[...]

PS1 is (USA, Europe, Japan, Rest of the World)

38.94

36.91

19.36

9.04

Xbox 360 is

37.60

21.04

1.59

6.80

PS3 is

23.32

25.17

8.24

8.12

You see, although Xbox 360 looks bound to outsell PS1 numbers' is the US, the gap is just too big for both consoles to reach PS1`s 104 million consoles. At the pace they are selling this year and how sales will decrease even more when Xbox 720 and PS4 arrive, i just don`t see them reaching those numbers.
Each would need something like another 40 million consoles to do it.
According to Vgchartz, Xbox 360 sold almost 14 million last year and PS3 sold past that, but those were their best years. It would take another 3 years like those for them to reach the 100 million and with how sales have been going, Wii U and PS4 and Xbox 720 around the corner...
Yes, it`s true that the market grew a lot this generation in terms of consoles sold but i don`t think it necessarily reflects an increase of that size on the number of gamers. I`ll explain: Wii does have a role on that, it`s obvious. But at the same time, it`s also true that a lot of Wii owners bought a Xbox 360 or PS3. I don`t know how many but i believe and from what people say, it seems the percentage is at least relevant.
PS2`s generation didn`t have that second (or third) console purchase, as sales of Xbox and GC seem to indicate.
To me, those are the two factors that made this generation bigger then the last one - and this one is far from over.
Will it happen again next gen? Honestly i don´t think so! :D

In the end, if somehow Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3 could still be market relevant with Wii U, PS4 and Xbox 720, it would be the first time where 6 consoles all sold in relevant and normal amounts in a generation. What we have seen so far is the new generation with a consoles from the last one.

I think there might be a factor in PS3 and Xbox 360`s favour to let them last longer: new software.
As of now i don`t have a clear idea how publishers will support 4/5 consoles in terms of ports and originals (Xbox360/PS3/PS4/Xbox 720 or those four plus Wii U). Xbox 360 and and PS3 have good attach ratios, but if the transition to the new consoles happens fast (same market as target) the software base for these consoles could take a serious hit.

Yes, right this. What can make the difference this time about support of more than one previous gen platform is that by the end of 2013 all of the three competitors will have a user base larger than 80M, far more appealing than any other 2nd and 3rd ranking console in the past.
Obviously BC will help a lot to get lower budget games on as many platforms as possible, but larger ones with potential multi-million sales even on the weakest platform shouldn't have any problems anyway.
We just must not forget we are talking about a support that will last less than the incredible PS2 one, 2-3 years after next gen launch, not more than 5 like PS2.