No, that's what you read into this. I am sure there will be fine new IPs on the 360 for the years ahead. If not Microsoft can opt to buy out some good software houses like they did with Mac developers Bungie or Nintendo developers Rare. However technically I believe the 360 is now at its peak. The real eye catching games from a technical perspective will be on the PS3, I believe this will dampen enthusiasm for the 360 during the course of 2009.

Rol.

the ps3 its 4 times the sales of the 360 in japan.

and it will likely increase.

no im sorry but its only 2:1 atm in japan and with great JRPGs for the xbox360 it will not reach 4:1

how did you pick that number ? out of your ass?

EDIT: @Rolstoppable

not according to famitsu

Yep, Mike.  That is what you believe.  But as such, I believe the opposite.  Since nothing the PS3 has done so far has been better in a technical standpoint than any 360 game, and with Gears of War 2 being universally accepted as the best console graphics to date (no point arguing as it is universal and I could care less about the few people who "believe" some other game looks better), I don't see it having any affect in 2009.

Again you say things like:

"The real eye catching games from a technical perspective will be on the PS3, I believe this will dampen enthusiasm for the 360 during the course of 2009."

Which of course is merely speculation.  I admit you are very intelligent and a much better debater than the common Sony fanboy, but you subtely refuse to acknowledge facts or possibilties just to believe your PS3 will be the leading HD console, thus making you just as much a fanboy.

@ nightsurge

There's a reason why no 360 game engine designer claims the 360 to be more powerful, yet there are many developers stating the PS3 is far more powerful or that they haven't adapted their game engines enough to tap into its potential.

The 360 is more like traditional PCs from various perspectives, especially the tools used to create software. This allowed devs to achieve relatively quick early results but the PS3 architecture is a lot more daring and innovative requiring more effort early on.

XBOX 360 is cheaper than the DS in europe
XBOX 360 is cheaper than the DS in JAPAN
XBOX 360 is as cheap as $199 in NORTH AMERICA

PS3 is much more expensive than the XBOX 360 in europe
PS3 is the most expensive console in basicly every region in the world.

Its selling 200k+ a week, despite being very expensive.

You know, forget any game, once its down by 100 dollars world wide, it will be a huge question, what will a $299 80gb ps3, and a $399 160GB with Uncharted and pain do to the sales in NA?

Honestly I dont know.

you should know better cherrypicker

MikeB said: @ nightsurge There's a reason why no 360 game engine designer claims the 360 to be more powerful, yet there are many developers stating the PS3 is more powerful or that they haven't adapted their game engines enough to tap into its potential. The 360 is more like traditional PCs from various perspectives, especially the tools used to create software. This allowed devs to achieve relatively quick early results but the PS3 architecture is a lot more daring and innovative requiring more effort early on. I admit you are very intelligent and a much better debater than the common Sony fanboy Thanks that's a nice thing for you to say. Although I like Sony I am no real Sony fanboy, mostly a Cell enthusiast.

Where did you hear PS3 is stronger than 360? Sony sure as hell didnt say that,they posted numbers ignore comparing them to the 360.

6 million gap (though will probably be nearer 7 million before end of the year)

Assuming Xbox 3 = November 2011

That gives us 3 years or 36 months for the PS3 to merely catch up.

For the PS3 to catch up in 12 months it needs to catch up 500,000 every single month, without fail.

For the PS3 to catch up in 24 months it needs to catch up 250,000 every single month, without fail.

For the PS3 to catch up in 24 months it needs to catch up 166,000 every single month, without fail.

500,000 starting in 6 weeks is entirely unfeasable and impossible.

250,000 means the PS3 needs to find a USA sized market to catch up by November 2010 and no such market exists.

166,000 is a touch more feasible figure, but still a very large (I don't think the PS3 managed that for a protracter period even when there was only a $50 difference) and definitely unsustainable for 36 months on the trot.

Therefore we can conclude, no matter what happens (bar Microsoft stopping production of the 360 for a protracted amount of time), PS3 is in 3rd place until the end of 2010.

It's chances are greater into 2011, but the longer into 2009 the PS3 is behind the less likely that will be.

Quite literally, PS3 needed to catch up a few months ago, but their fiscals have them bound.

It is important to note, however that the 360s recent price drop has caused surges in markets where it wasn't very strong (Japan, some parts of EU) and indeed the monthly gap has never been larger, its bigger then it was in 2007. So in fact the cheaper the 360 gets, (even if the PS3 drops also) the less Playstations branding will help them and so the gap will widen.

@ Garnett