PS4 is just as likely to launch in 2013 as nextbox.  Also I've admited multiple times I'm playing what if but all these people saying MS "earned" those sales or bought xbox because they thought it was legitimately a better console are talking out of their ass.  Most of the 360 gamers I know own one exclusive (Halo or Gears), but usually they play COD and other multiplats.  Why are they playing those on 360?  Because it came out a year earlier and its main competition was %50 more expensive (not a small amount that could be overlooked for brand loyalty).  Of course if people would look at the free online thing and think into the future they would see that even that astronomical difference would be made up for, but people tend to look at the initial price on a shelf over thinking years down the road.  Let's also not forget the artificially inflated install base of 360 due to RROD.

You're saying everyone who bought a 360 did so only because they were ill informed, didn't care, or were otherwise mislead?

You - good sir - with all due respect - are talking out of your arse.

It's this kind of arrogance/reality disconnect - that is symbolic of where Sony find themselves at the moment. If only everyone was as educated, cultured and refined enough - they'd all buy Sony.

The possibility that anyone could find a competitors offering superior to what Sony offered, and willfully choose them over Sony because their product offered more of what they wanted/a better product in the areas they find important - be it Microsoft or Nintendo - just doesn't compute with some people does it?

Bullet point lists (usually starting with PSN +) will be brought out, maps of Europe will be imageshacked into posts, spreadsheets with "aligned launches"  and coloured lines will be attached - lectures will be delivered with all the subtlety, nuance and narrow world view of a student politician guest lecturing a civics class - and not one crap will be given by people who are happy with their choice of console this generation.

Sony clearly acknowledge where their competitors have strengths (and usually try to mimic it 12-18 months later) - I don't see why Sony diehards (a special breed apart from the regular Sony fans - who are generally open minded and level headed) have to wait for the Sony version of a competitors product to come out before they acknowledge "innovation".

The unwashed masses of low IQ, low income, poorly educated Nintendo/MS users all yearn to be free under Sony! If only they knew it.

Keep up the good work.

Again, in each console's top 10 you have only 2 games from MS and Sony. The rest are 3rd party and virtually the exact same breakdown of franchises/genre.

I am not sure what exclusives have to do with the sales of 3rd party games anyway. You said that gamers play such and such franchises on 360 only because it launched earlier and PS3 was too expensive, I am simply saying that in the case of a lot of franchises (especially the one you listed, CoD) people play it on 360 simply because it plays better there.

I didn't say every single one I said that's why they are LEADING.  Big difference.  There are plenty of people who like Xbox live arcade games, halo, gears, etc and would have picked 360 over ps3 on an even playing field, but 70 million? I think not

I'M ON