Just so we are clear about the context of the discussion this is for JAPAN sales only.

Throughout its life in Japan PS3's LTD sales curve has been playing footsies with that of Nintendo's Game Cube. Of the consoles VGC tracks the Game Cube was the worst performing console out of all the consoles made by both Sony and Nintendo, worst performing by some margin; until, that is, the PS3 came along. Immediately prior to Slim launching PS3's LTD sales were below that of the Game Cube.

Immediately after slim launched PS3's LTD sales curve got a nitro boost and it left GC's sales curve behind, and in a mere 8 weeks it went from being behind GC's LTD sales curve to surpassing GC's total life time sales. Never again will Sony face the possibility of the stigma of PS3 being the lowest selling home-grown gaming console between these two giants of the modern gaming era. For another generation at least that dubious distinction belongs to Nintendo (no offence intended to the inherent quality of the GC or the games it produced).

But lets face it, achieving the status of not being the wooden spooner in the trans-generational console wars isn't much to celebrate. It is just an historical point to mark.

However what of the gaming consoles that enjoyed what one would consider moderately successful sales? PS3's next mark on the sales map in Japan is surely the N64. N64 was no PS/PS2/SNES or Wii that's for sure, by the standards of those 4 consoles N64 is still a relative failure. But it found it's place in the hearts of a pretty respectable number of Japanese gamers to the extent that no one can rightly call it a failed console. So to cement its place in the realms of respectability PS3 needs to cross the N64 barrier. And cross it it has.

PS3's end of 2009 nitro boost saw it's sales curve surge ahead of the GC and start rapidly closing in on the sales curve of N64. A mere 4 weeks ago PS3 was at the crossing point where LTD sales were fractionally behind N64's, but at T minus 3 weeks, for the first time ever, PS3 LTD sales surpassed that of the N64, and for the last few weeks PS3 sales in Japan have seen that sales curve continue to fractionally increase the distance between PS3 LTD and N64 LTD.

It's not possible to say yet that PS3 is going to leave N64 in its wake. But in terms of how history will judge PS3's generation, and where PS3 was sitting in the historical context a mere 4 months ago, being on N64's race track instead of GC's is a pretty big deal. Personally, I think PS3 has one more (albeit much smaller than the Slim) nitro boost left in the tank before its race is run. This should see PS3 pull well and truly clear of N64.

I don't know how (or whether it's possible) to embed the LTD sales graphs, but for a graphical representation:

 heres the link to the PS3/N64/GC since launch graph

http://vgchartz.com/hwlaunch.php?cons1=N64&reg1=Japan&cons2=PS3&reg2=Japan&cons3=GC&reg3=Japan&weeks=300

PS3 won't get to race with the big boys though. By comparison to them it looks like a midget trying to run against giants. PS3 vs SNES and PS1 http://vgchartz.com/hwlaunch.php?cons1=PS&reg1=Japan&cons2=PS3&reg2=Japan&cons3=SNES&reg3=Japan&weeks=300

PS, SNES and PS2 are only going to let Wii on their race track, though unless Wii has another nitro boost or 2 of it's own it looks like it might have had a few bad gear changes. It's still racing, but it's fallen behind a bit recently and needs to find the right gear. Wii vs PS and SNES.

http://vgchartz.com/hwlaunch.php?cons1=PS&reg1=Japan&cons2=Wii&reg2=Japan&cons3=SNES&reg3=Japan&weeks=300

When we're talking about sales, one can't ignore profitability. So I won't, but I'm not going to let it completely spoil the achievements PS3 has made in the last few months too much. When it comes to profitability a lot of the shine gets taken off the PS3, there's no denying it.  Let's acknowledge this fact, but on this occasion I prefer to accentuate the positive and sideline the negative (can't eliminate it unfortunately).

Applying sporting analogies as I like to do: for PS3 this generation is looking to be the very definition of a game of 2 halves.

curious to see how GC/N64 were dying and PS3 is rising at the same point in it's life

great analysis

GT5 & VErsus XIII should help things too

possible a MH game down the line!

Big difference, GCN and N64 were not black holes of money, PS3 is

Money falls into its swirling maw, but no chance of ever breaking even

I'd rather be broke than dead.

Sony is closer to death than Nintendo ever will be, even though Nintendo is always doomed in the eyes of the industry

Sony is nowhere near dead

I will move on if Sony died, it's just a company.

Maybe not, but Nintendo is in far better position

Uhhh... frankly anyone not in the red is in a far better position than Sony in regards to Playstation 3.