"I guarantee that this generation will end with both companies claiming they won it."

At least everybody will end up being happy :)

Sony isn't doing too bad, considering the PS3 came out 15 months after the 360 was released. But Europe is filled with Sony fanboys anyway. :D

are they counting the broken ones sitting at local dumps all across the country?

@craigbezzel,

I think you have it backward. Microsoft is notorious for channel stuffing, not to mention the 360's far more widespread system failure has lead to more exchanges at retail, which inflates the 360's numbers as exchanges are counted by retailers (and thus NPD) as units sold.

FUD marketting FTW!

Return units do not count as sales, that makes no sense, it would mean with a 20% failure rate, that the numbers were inflated by 20%. However with them claiming 10 million each, you can just look around and see by your friends if the Xbox is really in that much less hands, obviously not.

You know, it wouldn't surprise me if all million of those consoles were bought by the same three people, all as replacements.

I like how if MS isn't in the lead with something they go to their mystical land of magical numbers that will automatically warp reality to force them into believing they are in first place. Nice try MS but sorry, you still lose this one.

Im honestly not trolling here, but does Microsoft count RROD xbox's and their replacements? Because that could really skew the numbers all over the world over the years.

@Genius - So you think shipping unsold consoles to stores is more an indication of install base then the number of consoles sold to consumers? The funny numbers here are the Sony numbers. MS easily count system in stores and probably come up with just as high of a number.

For once MS has it right, install base = number of systems in consumers hands.

"Well, you fight like a dairy farmer!"

I would LOVE to see insult swordfighting between P.R people.

Hmm...

So they're boasting a Console that is a year or so older than the PS3 (in Europe atleast) is 1 million ahead when in reality, it's one million behind?

I would consider that to be a decisive victory on Sony's part =/

I don't care about this anymore, it is just a flame bait. Just wait for next year and lets see the real competition.

Natal vs Pron Wand vs (insert here) Wii peripheral.

I wish Magic Logic was real and for sale...

It's hilarious watching you fan-boys laughing at PS3 thinking Sony's the one that reports shipped vs sold consoles. It is in fact Microsoft that's guilty of doing so. Hence the Xbox numbers are the ones that are inflated, not the PS3 numbers.

That's just sad but I love Mircosoft's crazy console war talk. They talk as though they've spent so long trying to play it up they've actually bought into it themselves.

Hey Guys! Why don't we make it seem like basic bussiness practises are a competition to sell more of our shit!

Yeah!

3 years later

WE MUST SLAY THE GREAT DRAGION OF SONYLAND, PlayStation the third, BEFORE HE TAKES OVER ALL OF MICROSOFT VILLAGE!

But Sir L33T! All of our armour seems to have been tailred incorrectly and 50% of our soldiers are alreadly down!

THEN WE MUST DIVERT OUR ATTENION TO NINTENDO TOWN AND KILL THE WII ORGE! QUICK SOMEONE FETCH THE SWORD OF NATAL!

...

Someone should be LARPing this shit.

That's what Microsoft believes is a "Metric Million"

Anyway, if you really want to start talking about units in the hands of customers, subtract the units in your repair facilities, in junkyards, and in people's closets for not sending their broken ones off.

Both PS3 and 360 are guilty of shamelessy inflating numbers beyond what they should be. Sony for counting shelved consoles and MS for RRoD consoles, tip of the freakin iceburg and it's all a big PR stunt. And Nintendo doesn't even bother since the numbers they throw out are pretty much no contest with the others. They're fooling everyone into buying their Wii's and DS's that all they do is sit back and laugh.

I don't know what to believe anymore.

Reported August 3: http://www.edge-online.com/news/ps3-installed-base-doubles - they're up to 22.7 million units worldwide.
Reported August 3: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/playstation-3-install-base-reaches-23-million-worldwide - they're up to 23.8 million units worldwide.
Reported June 3: http://www.edge-online.com/news/sony-posts-q1-loss-as-playstation-sales-decline - sales have declined.

So are they doing well or not?

Who knows? Who cares? If you enjoy the console you have it doesn't matter how well it's selling compared to another console (unless it's pulling a dreamcast - and it's obvious that none of the consoles this generation are doing that). The only thing I've seen affected by these numbers so far is whether or not a game is exclusive to a particular console. Exclusivity doesn't affect me at all unless I've only got the console that doesn't get the exclusive release.

**Hmmmm my rant makes more sense when I don't neglect to post the first portion of it**

Sorry for the re-post everyone, but I want my thoughts to be understood in their fullness...

Its amazing to me that a flaimbait article like this draws plenty of negative pro-Sony (and familiar faces to boot) comments with maybe one defensive pro-MS comment. ONE out 35 (at least when I started writing this) offered retaliation to troll like comments.

Heh….still not buying that the average Sony fan is 28 and educated with childlike antics such as these. I am not saying that every one of the 34 comments represents barbs launched at MS, but the majority of comments are guilty to some degree.

360 supporters seem to care less about these things, at least from what I have seen on Dtoid. The same temperament, even in the most un-scientific of studies, does not hold true when the flaimbait article is Sony themed. If someone so much as whispers negatively regarding Sony, many of the same pro-Sony voices found on this thread have a conniption fit.

If I do get a ps3 (still not sure the game library merits $300 – don’t twist your thongs – this represents MY opinion), I will not get a mic with the console as I’m interested in communicating/gaming with rational beings. Funny, many Sony fans make fun of the kids on Xbox-live for their adolescent behavior (a group of people that I also avoid), but in reality most of you would fit in perfectly with the worst “Live” has to offer.

PS: I’m not trying to curtail anyone’s free speech (feel free to make yourself seem petty and small), I am just pointing out something that has become obvious to me. I have been hearing from Sony fans since the birth of the Xbox about how they were going to be crushed (many of them predicting it would happen within 6 months of the Xbox launch)….give it up. The song has grown old…

Logic plus massive quantities of money equals zero.

@whormongr
No, I am not kidding you...yeah I see a few silly comments by Xbots (most of which are intentional in their attempt to purposely rile thin-skinned Sony fans), but more comments are levied by Sony fanatics. LoOk at ThIs thread...There are 2 maybe three defensive postures...how many comments do you see deriding MS in some shape or form? I would be interested in a double-blind study (LOL) of these threads as I doubt it would fall down the middle regarding inflammatory comments. But hey, until any sophisticated study is conducted, you are of course allowed your opinion. ;)

I think it's Microsoft who is doing it all wrong. Considering the simple fact that it HAS been out longer, but also I'm sure just to boost sales numbers they also count all the 360's that have been re-purchased thanks to the infamous RROD. Not a fair competition.

What the hell are his sources? Why must these two companies always fight like children?