Do you think fans are stupid or something? You think they don't know the difference from cheap spinoff from expensive developed main game? Not everyone is quite that dumb just yet.

You cannot compare FFXIII to any other FF game in development, both with budget and development team. The name FF means something but the quality of the development team matters the most. Hence why the Wii Dragon Quest game was crap. If that game was DQ9 it would have sold over 4mil, hence different quality in titles, not comparable as majority of people know.

So while everyone is getting FF, the one that matters is on the PS3.

The Wii FF games will not break 1mil in Japan guaranteed.

Biggest problem I see for the 360? The system has not penetrated enough outside the US/UK regions despite having a better price and software lineup. For the 360 to not already have sealed Europe is a major downer for Microsoft and constantly struggles in France, Spain, Italy, Germany etc... and Japan are just not interested, nothing MS does will matter, Japan ain't buying no matter what.

That is the problem. 360 has played it's best cards and has put nothing away, the PS3/Wii have yet to release their best games.

Wishful thinking.

Both systems have seen surges in demand due to price cuts, and both may get surges due to system-selling titles (though nothing could beat the Halo bump which is still going). There isn't enough data to indicate that any of these surges will persist (surely this Halo thing will fade away eventually... surely).

If the PS3 is going to overcome the one-year lead of the 360, it needs a sea change, not just a few big titles and more new SKUs. Things change, but I don't see a change of that magnitude on the horizon. Even though the PS3 is stronger in EU and Japan than 360 is, 360 is dominant enough in the North American market to hold its own against the PS3 in global market share.

As someone finally noticed, the PS3 has only recently started selling more in Europe due to price cuts. It's not wise to shout that Sony took over Europe. Let's wait till after the holidays, hm?

@ Dabaus, please keep the fad lines to yourself. Wii sports is a fad, the Wii is a fad. be more original, say that home for ps3 is a fad.

@jhlennon

Sure that FF spinoffs aren't the major productions that FF13 is, but the point still stands, those spinoffs are usually good games and are not "cheap" as you so untruly put it. Not to mention that these FF(any number here) games are getting boring. I liked 12 for its combat system but the story was stupid as hell. 11 was the dumbest idea yet and ten was the first FF game that, while it did have it's moments, was nowhere near the level of the 7,8 and 9 games of the series. Only thing that the newer games have up their sleaves are better graphics.

Lately things have started to become like this, less good content, better graphics that don't help make the game be remembered.

As its been stated, its sort of a question of definition.

I think the 360 will come 3rd, purely because MS is likely to launch the successor to the 360 before Sony will launch the successor to the PS3.

The 360 may still be ahead in WW sales at that point - but sales will (may?) drop off quickly after that, where a PS3  sales will continue to build as the price continues to drop. 

If Sony surge ahead of the 360, MS is likely to introduce the next console sooner. But as long as the 360 is solidly winning in at least one market (US) MS won't be as stressed to do this.

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If the PS3 continues to underperform, Sony will have to do something drastic - I'm not sure what. The PS3 is more than powerful enough for a console, so apart from reducing costs (which they are doing now!) there isn't much else they can do.

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The other issue for the 360, is that the PS3 has already won Japan - and looks like winning Europe. I still believe MS did a great job of squandering their 1 year lead - and the RRoD issues haven't helped either.

MS are relying on the US market for the bulk of their sales at the moment. If this ever starts to change - the 360 will be in trouble, and its days numbered.

But for now - the challenge is in Sony's hands - not MS's. Even with the new models, drastic price cuts (slashed 1/3rd of the price, in less than 1 year on the market!) the 360 is maintaining a comfortable lead over the PS3 - and has a significant (and growing) software advantage as well. 

To say that the 360 is dead in europe despite it having a clear lead is slightly ridiculous to say the least. MS still has room for price drops & other strategies if needed. And dont forget at the current rate of sales it would take litterally untill 2009 for the PS3 to catch up the 360 in Europe.

Highlighted some interesting stuff:

1st: It is clear that the main series of FF have been in decline since 7 and 12 is not really good compared to the PS1 titles or compared to 10 (it's still a good game, but I expect more from FF).

2nd: FreeLiveTalks is right that the overload of FF might bother people (it bothers me) because I want to play a game and know the story, I don't want to be forced to buy a prequel/sequel on ANOTHER platform or see a movie. I think the interest and hype about FF in general and also the main series isn't that great anymore because they abuse the brand name for everything.

3rd: The Wii FF:CC:CB looks really promising and is the first FF console RPG that arrives since FF12. Since Wii is the most sold platform in Japan (well not only there) this will make it an important game. It's nothing like the GamCube FF, this one is a genuine RPG. Probably this will make people who doubt about buying a PS3 say: "hey, but I can play Final Fantasy on Wii as well".

4th: Do not forget that FF7 was and is still unprecedented in quality, story, evrything. It is viewed as the best RPG ever and it was the first game ever that really made use of movies on console games. FF13 will NOT have that impact on PS3. FF12 sold 5 million, which is good but the worst FF since it's on Playstation (11 not included). Now, this was on a console with 100 M userbase. I'm not saying 13 won't sell consoles, it will. But not millions of em.

5th 360 played its best cards and won. They now get almost every previously PS exclusive, including the big one GTA4. So now everyone who wants GTA4 will go to the store and see the can choose PS3 or 360. They see 360 has Halo, BioShock, Gears of War and they get more GTA4 content on that console. What do the see in April when it comes out for PS3???? Nothing. Lair, Heavenly Sword that's about it. MGS is delayed, Killzone 2 won't be there, no GT5 and definitely no FF13. GTA4 will probably be the most sold game in 2008 and 360 is the one who wins from that.

Basically, there are about 100 millions PS2 owners that are just waiting a lower price and better games to get their PS3. And those will come. So PS3 might really end up first.

Now, it will be between the Wii and the 360, and I do think that dispite a very strong start, the Wii has less legs than the Xbox 360 but, the Wii is present in the 3 big markets, while the Xbox 360 is only strong in the US, so it might be a close call in the end.

@Blackhawk: The sales trend doesn't say that X360 will come third. Check last year X360 results and compare them to PS3 this year.

About your question: people belive that PS3 is strong enough to beat X360, thats mostly becouse PlayStation brand is extremly succesful. And Wii is selling phenomenal, so no one are suspecting that X360 can compete with it.

Actually I think it'll end in second position but overall I see PS3 and 360 even off.

A lot of PS2 owners will have gone to Xbox because of the initial prices IMO, also becayse of exclusives possibly going multiplatform.  I seriously doubt PS2 owners waiting so long to get into the current gen of gaming, they'll be waiting into late next year for the PS3 big hitters.