14 DAY TRIAL // The NPD Group sales numbers for September will not be coming out until Monday but the various console manufacturers have already begun putting out statements related to the order in which the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii will arrive. Microsoft seems determined to preempt the expected dominance of the PS3 by pointing out the fact that its console will come out ahead for the full year.
Aaron Greenberg, director of product management for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, told Game Informer, "I can tell you to that when NPD releases September sales later today, we fully expect PlayStation 3 will come in as the console with the most units sold for the month," adding that “What I can tell you is we remain confident that Xbox 360 will not only outsell PS3 for the full calendar year, but for this entire generation.”
Sony cut the price of the PlayStation 3 by 100 dollars at the beginning of September and coupled the move with the release of the Slim hardware revision, which brings gamers a smaller, less power-hungry and more stylish console, featuring a new and extensive ad campaign for the product. The company is saying that sales in some markets have jumped by 300% and expects the NPD Group numbers to reflect the importance of the re-launch, putting the PS3 at the top of the hardware chart.
Microsoft quickly reacted to the cut by also taking down the price of the Xbox 360 Elite console variant to the level of the PS3 and announcing that the Pro version was set to be phased out. After a long period in which rumors came and went, Nintendo also slashed the price of the Wii to make it competitive in the Christmas shopping season. However, the impact of its move will likely only be seen when the October NPD figures come out next month.