Of course the sold to retail / shipment data we get from financial reports are the most trustworthy for comparison (as this data needs to be correct and isn't that much dependent on estimates / extrapolartion based on only a part of the market).

It would be nice to quick and easy comparison on when a platform overtook another platform in a more objective manner.

For example we lack data with regard to the original Playstation, one of the most successful game consoles of all time, but we do have this data:

For example it can be used to compare PS3 with PS1 sales taking equal timeframes.

The PS3 sold 27 million last September and the PS1 22.5 million taking equal timeframes.

The PS3 has to top 28.2 million in Sony's upcoming financial report for 2009 to stay ahead (which is easy, but it may be interesting to compare for future quarters as well).

Also the 360 can then be better compared to PS3 sales or for example Wii sales developments can be better compared to the PS2.

This is why i say PS3 is the 3rd fastest selling home console ever.

People say "No it isnt... PS1 is"

And i say "Go look at shipment figures "

They say "Yeah well just wait!"

I agree with this suggestion, we should have a shipment by date table thingy.

Didn't the ps1 release like 10 months earlier in JP? And the PS3 like 5 months later in Europe? Isn't this comparison a little skewed?

PS3 & xbox 360 are doing better than PS1 right now

YAY!

I wouldn't say its skewed.

PS1 at 3 years old had SHIPPED 28.2 Million consoles.

PS3 at 3 years old has SOLD 26.68 Million consoles.

When the next shipment data comes in its likely PS3 will be behind PS1, as PS1 managed to sell about 20 Million in its 4th year ¬_¬

Not much, there are advantages to this as well. Like a more mature game library at launch for other regions. From the grand perspective different launch dates are less of an issue moving into the years after launch (it's more an issue for comparison the first 2 years on the market). Similarly entry pricing plays a factor, but the more we are approaching 99 dollars/euros the less impact this will have (new games still cost the same).

From a life cycle / technical perspective such a comparison is far from skewed. If Sony would have waited until today to launch the PS3 with games like we have today, from a technical lifetime or install base perspective that wouldn't be a good idea at all.

I wouldn't mind the charts to highlight special event, like price drops and product launches. Actually that would make the charts even more interesting.

BTW, the PS2 has just been officially released this month in Brazil. LOL

IMO Microsoft is currently killing the PC gaming market by releasing games like Fable 2, Gears of War 2 and Halo 3 much too late for the PC games market.

The 360 also has an extra-ordinary failure rate, so many fans are buying new consoles in the hope they are less failure prone than earlier units. So, IMO it's not great of a situation.

@ ioi

What do you think?

I think it's quite a drag having to go through all those news reports regarding financial reports.

So IMO it would be nice to have a summary on here.