Andre Yoskowitz
22 Mar 2009 23:32
Following Friday's release of US February console sales numbers, Microsoft product management director Aaron Greenberg has slammed rival Sony over the PlayStation 3's sales numbers, and the company's refusal to drop the price of the console, even in hard economic times.
Greenberg noted that Microsoft had a 53 percent annual sales boost for the 360 gaming console, "exceeding" its expectations. Sony on the other hand, had a year-on-year decline in sales and the director blamed that mainly on the PS3's price point, which is more expensive then the 360 and the current market share leader, the Nintendo Wii.
For February in the US, almost 400,000 360s were sold, while the PS3, despite having a strong month, lagged at 275,000. Over 130,000 PS2s were sold for the month, and Greenberg says that PS2 owners are slowly converting to the 360.
"What we're finding in our research is that a large portion of the volume we're driving with Xbox 360 purchasers is actually PS2 owners choosing Xbox for the next generation," Greenberg adds. "Xbox continues to head north while the PS3 is heading south. We're gaining share."
Despite the jabs from Microsoft against Sony, Nintendo continues to destroy both systems in sales, selling over 700,000 units in February with no signs of slowing down.