VGChartz currently has the PS3 at 27.04 million units sold as of November 21st, 2009

Quarterly results were turned in by both Sony and Microsoft recently. It's my understanding that the numbers listed on Sony's site are for actual sell-through, and not consoles shipped to retail. Here are the numbers: http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataps3_sale_e.html

Sony sold 3.2 million PS3s in the months of July, August and September of 2009 - compared to 2.1 million Xbox 360s sold in the same time frame. This gives the PS3 lifetime sales of 27 million units as of the end of September 2009. I'm guessing that the PS3 sold more than 4,000 systems betweeen October 1st and November 21st. Since we have solid numbers for Japan and America (not just from VGChartz but from MediaCreate and NPD), it's my supposition that the undertracking is in "Others".

Am I missing anything?

Shipped numbers.

Hmm I thinking were going to need a new baby seal for this stuff...

^you really have an unhealthy fascination with clubbing baby Seals :/

My understanding was that these numbers, from the quarterly reports given to investors, are supposed to be actual retail sales. As a publicly traded company, they have to reveal what they've actually brought in, not what they've sent out.

I know I do that's why I recently joined CBSA, Clubbing Baby Seals Anonymous

They are sales to retail. Sales to consumers is another thing and that's why MC, NPD, Gfk and VGC are there for.

At what point do you think Sony gets paid?  when they sell  the systems to the retail companies or when the retail companies sell the merchandise.  I'll let you think about that...

This exact same topic came up last week and was similiarly shot down.

My question: What makes you think the numbers that Sony provides are sold-through to consumers?

Sony gets paid for selling to retailers, that's all investors care about and even if this wasn't the case if Sony PR had the choice of two numbers to brag about, one being sold to retailers (bigger number) and the other being sold to consumers (smaller number), which one do you think they would use?

Your point was already made.

I don't really frequent the sales forum that often, so I missed the earlier topic.