Register Hardware

Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/19/us_console_sales_october/

Wii regains US next-gen console arena leadership

By Tony Smith
Published Monday 19th November 2007 10:17 GMT

Microsoft's Xbox 360, having enjoyed enhanced demand on the back of Halo 3, last month fell back behind Nintendo's Wii in the US monthly sales charts.

So the latest figures from local market watcher NPD show. In September, Xbox 360 sales totalled 527,800 units, taking it ahead of the Wii (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/10/19/xbox_outsells_wii_in_us/), which racked up sales of 501,000 consoles. Last month, however, the two consoles' sales totalled, respectively, 366,00 and 519,000.

So the Wii's US sales continue on upward trajectory impeded only in August, when they dipped just below the anticipated figure as Xbox 360 sales leapt up.

US Next-gen Console Sales
Console sales in the US
Figures in thousands
Source: NPD

Interestingly, October's sudden decline in Xbox 360 sales doesn't appear to have benefitted either Nintendo or Sony. As the chart, based on NPD numbers relayed (http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/multimedia/display/20071118130706_Nintendo_Wii_Recaptures_Leadership_in_the_U_S_Sales_of_Xbox_360_Down_NPD.html) by Xbit Labs, Wii sales have been rising slowly month after month, and there's no sudden leap as Xbox 360 sales fall.

Likewise, October PS3 sales were up slightly on September's total, but it's clear the success of the Xbox 360 of late has not expanded the market as a whole, only Microsoft's numbers.

All eyes are now on November, with the impact of Wii shortages becoming more keenly felt and the arrival of Sony's 40GB PS3 and its cheaper 80GB model - both of which have helped it briefly outsell the Wii in Japan (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/16/japan_wii_ps3_sales/).

The November numbers will also confirm or expose Sony's claim to have seen explosive growth in US PS3 sales (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/15/sony_ps3_sales_rocket/) over the last week or so.