Activision Predicts PS3 Will Outsell 360 In Annual Sales

The launch of the PS3 Slim last year essentially ended the months where the Xbox 360 trounced Sony's machine in terms of worldwide sales.

Since that time, and since the stellar exclusives have started to shine, the PS3 has either outsold the 360 on a weekly or monthly basis, or it's a downright ongoing dogfight. And as the PS3 continues to close the gap, many are starting to wonder when - not if - it will draw even with the 360. Well, that may take a while as the two continue to battle but one publisher believes that for the first time, the PS3 will beat out the 360 in terms of annual sales this year. Activision released its financial results for the first quarter yesterday and they also provided internal estimates, as reported by Industry Gamers. Not surprisingly, the publisher believes the Wii will once again sell the most units in 2010 with 12 million but in a changing of the guard, they believe the PS3 will be second at 9 million and the 360 will trail in third with 8 million. The likes of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Heavy Rain and God of War III have generated sales surges in the past six months, and Gran Turismo 5 should do it again come fall. Furthermore, Blu-Ray and 3D should be pluses for the console.

That chart there seems about right although according to Sony's official numbers we've seen, the PS3 is actually at 34 million, not 32 million; the last estimate from Sony placed the PS3 at 33.5 million and that was over a month ago. So, what say you? Do you agree with Activision? And will the 360 ever sell more than the PS3 again in any given year...?

5/7/2010 10:34:15 AM Ben Dutka

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Comments (53 posts)

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crump602
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 10:51:18 AM
Reply

We all knew this was gonna happen sooner or later!!!

Last edited by crump602 on 5/7/2010 10:51:31 AM

9 up, 0 down

Dancemachine55
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 7:21:27 AM

Didn't Activision threaten to pull support from the PS3 cos of the price?

Well, now that sales are up, look who's come crawling back.

2 up, 0 down

MyWorstNightmar
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 12:01:35 PM

Dance, Activision crawling back because of surging sales?

Their point was the PS3's price is what was holding it back, and that Sony should lower the price. They were right. Activision probably wants a pat on the back from Sony for them publicly pushing them to do something that has been wildly successful for Sony.

You say that their sales are surging, so Activision is crawling back? If anything, Activision is probably pleased with themselves. Probably think their pressure pushed Sony along a bit.

With Activision's arrogance, they probably view it as Sony crawling back to them, not the other way around, since Sony did what Activision was calling for them to do.

Anyways, I'm intersted to see what M$ does. They have got to do something to try to stay in the race. If they think Natal is the trick...think again.

0 up, 1 down

Dancemachine55
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 8:46:01 PM

Yeah Nightmare, I see what you mean.

But Sony had the slim PS3 and the price drop in mind for quite some time before Activision threatened them.

I'm guessing Sony already knew about the console being too expensive from the moment it was released in 2006/2007. Activision has no right to make demands related to the sale price of another company's product, it is up to Sony, not Activision, to price the console accordingly.

Activision should worry about pricing their games, not the consoles. Remember when everyone on psxextreme argued that the reason Activision wanted the price drop was to sell their crappy plastic guitars and motion skateboards? And to push the MW2 Prestige edition?

If they want their games to sell, why don't Activision drop their own prices instead of threatening everyone else to drop theirs. Hence my statement "Activision have come crawling back now that PS3 sales are up".

1 up, 0 down

manofchao5
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 9:39:58 PM

we were already ahead, consider this:
1 year ahead release (which i believed shouldnt have happened because they ruined the reliability
all those failed consoles ended with people buying so were on par already

0 up, 0 down

Scarecrow
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 10:51:32 AM
Reply

It's outselling the 360 in Japan and most of Europe

UK and the US are the only two major countries still supporting that last generation oven

To be honest I don't care if it outsells it worldwide or not. As long as I get GT5, The Last Guardian, etc. I'm happy

15 up, 0 down

Cavan
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 11:08:45 AM

to be fair i think the ps3 out sells the xbox in the uk, its just home field for the xbox now which the US is still likely to remain, though it is quite obvious that a new xbox will come out much much sooner before a new ps does, so the ps3 will catch up soon to the 360

4 up, 1 down

oldmike
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 11:01:08 AM
Reply

one thing is who's buying a Wii
i just don't get it

11 up, 2 down

MyWorstNightmar
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 1:16:38 PM

Sorry OldMike. The Wii has some good games that are easily worth the price. What is not to get?

0 up, 0 down

Mr Bitey
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 11:01:10 AM
Reply

I feel dirty saying it, but I actually agree with Activision for once.

I still refuse to buy any of their games though.

12 up, 1 down

OtisFeelgood
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 11:02:56 AM

Ditto. haha

3 up, 0 down

ace_boon_coon
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 11:35:48 AM

that just means that they'll advertise cod more on the ps3

4 up, 0 down

BTNwarrior
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 11:01:16 AM
Reply

this is the smartest thing I have heard come out of activisions mouth in a long time

3 up, 0 down

daus26
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 11:27:44 AM
Reply

I don't like the term "fall" and "GT5" in one sentence. It's likely to be in the fall anyway, but I really would like it in the summer. Besides, what does Sony have to boost summer sales anyway?

Other than that, I don't think it'll make a difference if GT5 releases in the summer, fall, or holidays if they want sales boost. In the end, people will buy it, unless Sony really cares what time of the year they buy their stuff.

It's not like people who plan to get GT5 in the holidays would not buy it if it were to be released in the summer or something.

1 up, 1 down

maxpontiac
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 11:43:49 AM
Reply

Of course I do. Live is rip-off in my book. The 360 looks old next to what the PS3 can do. Am I missing anything?

4 up, 0 down

Highlander
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 11:55:22 AM
Reply

I believe that PS3 has already outsold the 360 on an annual basis (globally) once before. So this should be no surprise to anyone when it happens again. The turning point I am waiting for is when the serial 360 buyers in the UK and US get fed up and buy a game console instead of a space heater. Then the numbers will really do a flip flop.

8 up, 0 down

coverton341
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 12:28:17 PM

I don't think some of those serial buyers will ever come around honestly. Most of them are the vehement and unstable psychopaths that you see posting on forums spreading their misinformation, or the people behind registers that guarantee that God of War III will be coming to the 360.

They have been so indoctrinated that they truly believe some of the things they spew and will continue to buy 360 after 360 because it's "the best" and the PS3 is "about to go under because it has no games"

2 up, 0 down

shadowscorpio
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 6:55:04 PM

@ Coverton

They're so deep in denial is sad. Sad like a human turning into an android replacing their brains and biological parts with synthetic ones year after year until they actually become machines and the 'human' in them in fact died long ago...

1 up, 0 down

crump602
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 12:10:17 PM
Reply

LOL, when the PS Move comes out,.......there's no need for the Wii!!

4 up, 2 down

coverton341
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 12:24:13 PM

When Mario and Zelda come to the PS3 then there will be no need for a Wii.

Mind you I don't own a Wii but there are like three games I would like that are on there. Can't justify the purchase for three games though.

4 up, 0 down

Highlander
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 12:40:38 PM

@Coverton,

If Sony and Nintendo could somehow come together and share some game content, for example letting the Wii virtual console do PS1 games and letting the PS3 access the older Nintendo games available via their virtual console, it would be a stroke of genius, and be a major jab in the eye for Microsoft.

I'm certain that there would be a huge market for this, but I'm almost certain it'll never happen.

6 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 2:07:45 PM

Mario and Zelda will never come to any Sony platform. Just won't happen. Its Nintendo's bread and butter.

I do like your idea Highlander. Some of that stuff in the Shop Channel is great. Be good for those who don't want to buy a Wii or vice versa.

1 up, 0 down

Alienange
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 3:16:25 PM

Don't look for a new Zelda any time soon. Nintendo was one-upped in the graphics department by Capcom's Monster Hunter Tri so they've delayed their next Zelda in order to try and match or possibly surpass it.

1 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 4:48:27 PM

do you have a link? :)

0 up, 0 down

Kai200X
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 12:50:17 PM
Reply

Really? The same Activision who once threaten to stop supporting PS3 now believe PS3 will be number 1 in current gen? Who'd have thunk it?

8 up, 0 down

Hezzron
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 1:30:18 PM
Reply

If 360 sales start to wane, look for MS to put out another console soon. I don't see them resuscitating the 360, or being content with sluggish sales. MS will probably put out 2 consoles during the PS3's lifespan.

All the simultaneous launches of new consoles by these companies is probably a thing of the past. Each company will probably have it's own unique "generation".

....and not to be nitpicky, but I don't think that at a million sold, Heavy Rain was much of a system seller. Half of that mil was from pre-orders too I believe.

2 up, 0 down

Highlander
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 1:33:49 PM

If MS pushes another console out the door in response to poor sales of the 60, it will be another rush job.

4 up, 0 down

shadowscorpio
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 6:59:50 PM

@ Highlander

I agree. If MS were to do that again, I don't know that they would've felt they did anything wrong this gen.

0 up, 0 down

Dancemachine55
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 7:48:34 AM

360's are only worth $50 to trade at EB here is Australia, whereas PS3's trade for $200-$300 AU.

XB is no longer sold, even preowned. PS2 is still going strong, especially the cheap preowned department, and 360 is slowly making its way to the back of the wall with PC and the tiny new PS2 walls.

A lot are converting to Sony's console for 3 reasons.

1. Exclusives
2. Reliablity
3. Improved and free online.

Other than Halo and Gears, what more do you need from your 360? Everyone has a DVD player, your 360 isn't better, and Gears 2 is older and the best the 360 can do graphically.

Why bother?

0 up, 0 down

MyWorstNightmar
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 1:23:33 PM

Hezzron, I always laughed at those that said Heavy Rain was a system seller. I won't mention names, but it was goofy logic. Who bought Heavy Rain that didn't already have a PS3. Maybe 2 people? pffft. Can't wait to play it though. =)

1 up, 0 down

Dancemachine55
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 8:49:31 PM

Nightmare,

Many believed that Heavy Rain was a system seller because their was a sales spike of PS3 hardware at the time Heavy Rain was released. It wasn't a huge spike, but it was a spike nonetheless.

0 up, 0 down

MyWorstNightmar
Sunday, May 09, 2010 @ 5:42:50 PM

Dance, there was a sales spike of 250G machines. The purpose of that was due to there being no 120g machines out there. My logical deduction anyways.

0 up, 0 down

NoSmokingBandit
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 1:39:32 PM
Reply

Sales numbers are hard to consider this generation seeing as most people only buy one ps3 while a large chunk of 360 users have purchased several units already.

I'd be very interested to find out the actual install base of each console. I dont think there is any way to test this though, but im sure the user base of the ps3 and 360 are closer than anyone thinks due to the 360s artificially inflated sales from hardware defects.

5 up, 0 down

Highlander
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 1:47:23 PM

Indeed!

0 up, 0 down

Dancemachine55
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 7:49:14 AM

Would PSN subscriptions be a close indicator of sales?

0 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 2:03:59 PM
Reply

It's always been only a matter of time. Sony is a trusted brand, even with all the negative press, it wouldn't last forever. Sony should be on top before long.

1 up, 0 down

MyWorstNightmar
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 1:27:40 PM

Aren't they already on top? If you take 360 sales from their first 5 years of existence and compare them to the PS3's 5 years, I would think the PS3 has passed it by now.

0 up, 1 down

Cesar_ser_4
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 3:08:06 PM
Reply

Quick question: Why does a company that so far has been supporter of three fitty, and i mean that as in most if not all games they publish have better graphics on ms machine than ps3, has to say something about the ps3? dam crappyvision...

0 up, 0 down

Alienange
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 3:23:17 PM
Reply

Make that nine million and one. I think I'm gonna grab a second one towards the end of the year.

0 up, 0 down

BikerSaint
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 3:24:28 PM
Reply

Wow, anti-vision's not only great at re-hashing it's same ole, same ole, franchises & at tyrannically demoralizing it's developers...

.....that now, it's even become great at plagiarizing what's already known.

0 up, 0 down

bridgera
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 3:50:19 PM
Reply

I swear reading that the PS3 outsold the 360 in 2009. At the beginning of 2009, the 360 had a 7 million console lead, at the end of 2009 it was a 4.5 or 5 million console lead.

I think all that Activision did was state the obvious, you know, with the PS3 shortages that happened in 2010.

1 up, 0 down

kraygen
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 4:10:23 PM
Reply

Just like activision to make a claim that has already been made but take credit for it as if they were the first to think of it.

1 up, 0 down

Charger7302
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 8:44:06 PM
Reply

It's great to know that even Activision acknowledges that the ps3 WILL catch up to the xbox, even if its been said countless of times by others. Though before we all start partying, I hope no one has forgotten the very real threat that there may be an xbox 360 slim by the time E3 is over.

0 up, 0 down

Qubex
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 10:02:21 PM
Reply

Everyone has already mentioned it above - to some extent - we all new it would happen. The PS3 has great momentum and some fantastic titles coming out for it in the coming months.

E3 should be a great showcase for how quickly PS3 <> 360 parity will be reached, when all of Sony's goodies are on display for everyone to play, experience and enjoy.

Q!

"play.experience.enjoy"

0 up, 0 down

RebelJD
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 11:53:02 PM
Reply

35 million units for the PS3 right now and it's May. I predict that by the same time next year the PS3 will be at 50 million while the 360 will be pushing for 45 million. By the end of 2011 the PS3 will be pushing for 60 million while the 360 will be struggling for 50 million.

www.asaeledition.com

0 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 1:10:45 AM
Reply

It'd be interesting to see happen. I think it's also important to remember that MS has a $200 sku on the market, and despite that, they're struggling to keep pace with the PS3. I suspect MS will attempt to lower the price of the 360 to stay neck to neck. Maybe it'll drop as low as $150 this year.

0 up, 0 down

___________
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 3:20:20 AM
Reply

i doubt it.
ive got a funny feeling M$ are going to have a big price drop on the 360 announced at E3 this year, and thats going to stop that from happening.
so unless sony do the same (which i highly doubt) than i really cant see that happening anytime soon.

on another note activision are actually saying something positive about the ps3.
*faints*

0 up, 1 down

The Stig
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 6:53:46 AM

Sony could announce a price drop too, haven't they recentley got production costs down again.

1 up, 0 down

___________
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 9:47:36 AM

they have spent the last 3 years making a loss on every single console they have sold, they have just broke even on the slim now so no i really cant see them doing that.
there bleeding money as it is, they need to start making some cash back, dropping the ps3s price is only going to make that worse!
maybe 6 months after the new 32nm chips come in, than hopefully that will cut costs for them quite a bit and intern that will enable them to do a price cut.
but till then i cant see the price budging.

0 up, 2 down

gangan19
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 3:16:55 PM
Reply

I really hate activision. i really wish i didn't have to buy anything from them. but alas, when you don't have the choice. what can you do? :(

0 up, 0 down

THE NTMIDTR
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 3:54:31 PM
Reply

It looks like the PS2 all over again. Dev's say it's too hard to code for... while they make loot pumping out titles to other systems.

Then it suddenly gets easier and the PS2 started getting amazing looking and playing games.

Me thinks Dev's behind the situation often... just follow the money. LOL

Bottom line: There is NO DOUBT in my mind PS3 will inevitably overtake M$ within the next 3-5 years on total sales... EVEN with the multiple RRoD repeat purchases included.

0 up, 0 down

Dancemachine55
Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 8:55:32 PM

The minds of developers are changing.

People are adopting this new tech with a new frame of mind. Many were scared at first because it was different. Rather than relying on RAM speed like 360, the processing was covered over multiple cores, making it completely different to program a game to.

But as soon as developers wrap their heads around it, more and more people will go the PS3 thanks to its blu-ray and multiple core processor.

I see a bright future for the PS3. 360 and Wii have shone bright and burnt out faster than a 500 watt lightbulb.

0 up, 0 down

Fane1024
Sunday, May 09, 2010 @ 12:18:50 AM

@ Dance

The PS3 has faster RAM than the 360.

The 360 has multiple cores; the PS3 really only has one.

No offense, but I think you should leave the tech talk to The Highlander.

Nonetheless, your point is valid.

0 up, 0 down

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