Diomedes - PES sells 5m+ copies per game? I never knew. GTA sells that level.
Again, I think MS is going to do splended, provided a price drop. When I said "ownage on a global scale", I meant that MS has basically mastercrafted the largest lineup of major 1st and 3rd party exclusives and custom-tailored them for each market. I don't mean to insinuate that the 360 will trounce the Wii in global sales numbers for the holidays, but I think it takes MS from trying to tie the PS3 (as the PS3 has a huge 3 or 4:1 advantage against MS), to tying and most likely beating the Wii for a few critical weeks.
Look at this:
For the US and Europe, we have Halo 3 and GTA IV: 2 of the largest increasing franchises (whereas most franchised had decreased at the end of the generation), as well as a bevy of other 3rd party titles such as Mass Effect, et all. Plus a most probable pricedrop. Think about it, H3 and GTAIV will trend to be both 10m+ sellers with 55-65% of their sales being US, and 35-45% being European (GTA:SA and the others all sold 5m+ copies in Europe, Halo 2 sold 1.75+ in Europe). This bodes very strongly, as Microsoft has 1 10m+ exclusive, and 1 10m+ multi-plat definitive version.
For Japan, a much much weaker market for the 360, due to Sony's incopotence, might end up being sell vs. the PS3 at a 1:1 ratio. In all reality, what does Sony have to prevent major 360 sales due to Lost Odyssey? MGS4 and FFXIII are all 2008. Those are what will sell PS3s, but if neither come out, the PS3 only has 1st party titles to carry the PS3 - not that they'll do bad, but it should be interesting. Obviously, however, the Wii will probably trounce both systems 3:1 combined (3 wiis for each PS3 and 360 sold combined)
Again, on MS's end, the $50m worth of cash they're paying for GTAIV content, is probably just going to be cash returned for what MS makes on the licensing fees for GTAIV, and not MS actually reducing their bank book for the game (after all, if MS really pays $25m in March next year, GTAIV will of moved around 5m units on the 360, garnering profits of atleast $25m in just software revenue, and not hardware revenue).
This is all speculative. MS might not drop the price, allowing the PS3 to make the quicker, better move. Nintendo might have something up their sleeve that we don't know of.
Regardless though, it's going to take MS's incredible pocketbooks, and years of planning to just merely match the Wii - which is insane, because even if Nintendo does nothing, they're guarenteed to move 4m units in November and December alone.
Back from the dead, I'm afraid.
