It seems to me that many people are talking as if the PS3 is somehow bombing in sales. Certainly it isn't selling as fast as Sony expected or would like, and obviously the Wii is mopping the floor with it, but really, isn't it unfair to compare ANYTHING to Nintendo's juggernauts?

The PS3 is selling faster WW than the 360, but I never hear people moaning that the 360 is selling poorly.

Here are worldwide weekly sales, working backwards (until an arbitrary stop-point) from the latest data on VGChartz, for all 3 home consoles of this gen:

Wii: 253132, 241512, 240747, 258440, 262994, 282355 (July 15), 235363, 253360, 226371, 230392, 223960, 218891

PS3: 097183, 099026, 099126, 106760, 086027, 090820 (July 15), 060437, 057916, 055018, 058240, 060454, 061139

360: 085533, 078441, 061899, 061762, 057775, 058261 (July 15), 060469, 068776, 067447, 076872, 077037, 062744

Ever since the week ending July 15 (since the price drop), the PS3 has outsold the 360 EVERY SINGLE WEEK, usually by 30 to 40 thousand units -- that is, until the 360's sales jumped 10-20K in the last 2 weeks while the PS3's remained steady. That would be the 360's own price cut, of course -- no big surprise that the PS3's old price was holding back more sales than the 360's was.

Now, I don't think anyone doubts that the 360 will beat PS3 sales in September, but my point is that the PS3 is not selling badly compared to the 360, only compared to the Wii. And I also think that the PS3 will probably beat 360 sales again as soon as the Halo 3 boost dies out.

Thoughts?

P.S. Just to make sure that the sales discrepancy wasn't due to the PS3 being a year younger, I grabbed VGChartz sales data from last year. Counting backwards from the week ending August 27, 2006:

360: 78306, 71379, 68904, 73309, 74194, 73716, 74017, 75562, 77596, 77071, 78565, 79690

So at that time it was selling at a steady 70-80K. I suspect that number was boosted by being the only game in town, but even so it was below current PS3 sales by 20-30K.

[edit: edited lists to save space -- not at the expense of readability, I hope!]

No one moans about 360 because it's pretty much doing as expected and because developers pretty much knew what they were getting on board for. In some cases it's even doing better than the original Xbox (Japan).

From the first screenshots and announced games, PS3 was expected to follow in the footsteps of the PS1 and PS2. With huge games backing it like FFXIII, MGS3, GTA4, and more, it was almost sacrelige to even SUGGEST that it wouldn't do what its predecessors did. And then it launched...and Sony fell. HARD.

Part of the attention comes from those who feel betrayed by PS3. That it cost too much or doesn't have the games that made its predecessors worth buying. Some of the attention comes from fanboys, kicking Sony while they're down, with Nintendo reigning as king again and Xbox actually ahead of it in total sales. The Sony fanboys aren't making things much better, constantly putting the weight of the PS3's success on every notable title announced, expecting these games and these games alone to begin "PS3 domination" with some magical turnabout of sales trends. And then they piss and moan at everyone but those responsible when the reviews are out and these aren't quite the "AAAA" games they were being worshipped as.

Basically the entire state of the PS3 is a fiasco and a mess. Exclusive franchises not exclusive anymore, Sony executives dropping moronic lines in every interview, and price drops that aren't really price drops. Basically the only thing abotu the PS3 that isn't flunctuating is the state of sales - they're frighteningly low for Sony and third parties promised install bases close to the PS2's by the time their big titles roll around. It's pretty much the only thing at the moment that's a constant for the PS3, and easy to focus on, for the neutral, the anti-Sony, and the Sony fanboys alike.

All i see is.

Its the most expesive,
Its in a software drought.

But its holding its own, world wide slightly out selling the 360.

Thoughts, PS3 destroys the 360 in 08 and goes after wii in 09

Even at its worst its weakest, $600 and no games it went even with the 360! Thats says plenty, PS brand is a wounded bear but he can still rip your head off with one swing.

Low, yes, but they did improve, and havn't sunk back to their previous depths. While I can't see any games coming out in the near future that will make people instantly buy the system, things are comming out to make owners happy at the very least, and that's a good start.

Though the executives saying stupid things, the horrible viral marketing and fanboys like sony defense force make things worse, ultimately, it's about the games. Once people find a game or 7 they want, they'll pay the money to play it.

PS3 is selling poorly by PS brand standards. However, if Sony plays their cards right they can turn lemons into lemonade.

MS will release their next console earlier than Sony, the need to keep pushing the PS3 or make PS4 on slightly better. Work it for profit. They are not going to be the market leader by 2010. They need to focus on making it profitable.

Now considering the price, it is doing better than I thought it would.

exactly, ps3 was expected to blow by xbox etc, now they are about even with them. While everyone expected this for xbox, they did not for ps3 and so it really does hurt.

@killzone.... have you not read how much of an increase it would take for the ps3 to overtake xbox in 08? let alone catch up to wii? your dreaming the impossible for the wii with whats currently going on, and the stakes are very high unless ps3 gets a huge boost in sales from games.

 09 will be very hard on the PS3, sadly I see the sales continuing on much like they have, no matter the price point of the PS3.  I wanted a PS3 pretty bad when it was first announced...  now I care less about the system.  I think the 360 and PS3 will end up very close to the 360 and Gamecube sales from last gen, possibly a bit higher with market expansion taken into consideration but very close none the less.  (This is not a bad thing for someone who plans on buying these systems, both the GC and Xbox had a lot of great games last gen).

Claude - the sales are NOT "frighteningly low", unless the 360 sales are "frighteningly low". It is the perception of them being low compared to the PS2 that has people upset/gloating/etc. The entire point I'm trying to make is that these reactions are in fact overreactions -- If the 360 isn't TEH DIEING then the PS3 isn't either, unless developers panic and jump ship without logical reason (and I'm not saying that can't happen).

Killzone3 - you are doing the exact kind of thing that Claude correctly points out perpetuates this idea that the PS3 is underperforming -- you always have this mythical PS3 domination that is TOTALLY COMING in four to six months, it never does, and then people say the PS3 is selling badly. The fact is that the PS3 sold LESS than the 360 until the price cut, on average about ten thousand less which is about 15% less -- not huge but not "even". But afterwards it did 40-50% better.

Brag about stuff that's true, not about stuff that's false. Predict stuff that's likely, not stuff that's unlikely. You will be happier, and we will be happier. [edit:  I liked that so much it's going in my sig!]

i think they might end up higher unless wii domination turns into what the ps2 did

And yes im sorry i dont see sales picking up unless they can really drop the price and get some solid games out, there supposed AAA games this season turned into alright games.....