14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has managed to dominate the NPD Group monthly sales data for the entire 2011 but at least one analyst believes that the situation could be reversed during the Christmas shopping season if the prices of the two devices remain as they are at the moment.
Speaking to IndustryGamers Michael Pachter, who watches the video game industry for Wedbush Morgan, has said, “If Microsoft does nothing, I think PS3 will outsell Xbox 360.”
He added, “My friends at Microsoft are extremely proud, and they absolutely refuse to tolerate the possibility that the PS3 will outsell the Xbox 360. I think they have the ads printed for the Xbox 360 price cut, and will drop them on us the instant they see PS3 sales greater than 360 sales.”
During the Gamescom 2011 event Sony has announced that the price of the PlayStation 3 is now set at 249 dollars, a 50 dollar drop.
The company is also launching a number of exclusives this fall, headed by Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, to attract customers to its home platform.
Since then various rumors have suggested that Microsoft was preparing to match the move and cut the price of a bundle of the Xbox 360 and Kinect.
Microsoft has not made any official announcement about a price drop but there's still time before the launch of big franchises like Gears of War 3, from Epic Games and Microsoft, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, from Infinity Ward and Activision Blizzard.
Both Sony and Microsoft are expecting to do better than Nintendo, who's Wii home console has seen quite a precipitous drop from its 2010 top spot.
It's fortunes might be revived somewhat by the launched of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which arrived on November 20.
The company is preparing to launch the new Wii U during 2012.