Xbox 360 dominates console sales for first time in July
updated 08:55 pm EDT, Thu August 12, 2010
NPD July shows X360 beating DS, Wii
Microsoft achieved a symbolic victory today as NPD revealed that it had led overall console sales for the first time in the Xbox 360's history. The first full month of slim Xbox 360 availability in July saw the company move 443,500 systems. While near-flat versus a year ago, Nintendo DS sales dropped steeply enough, by 112,000 units, to give Microsoft the lead with 398,400 DS handhelds shipped.
Nintendo's Wii sales also collapsed and fell 168,600 systems down to 253,900. Sony's sales continued their own slide, as PS3 sales dropped 90,300 consoles to 214,500. The PSP's new marketing blitz failed to stop its decline as it was down exactly 37,000 units to 84,000.
Results for Nintendo only magnified its turn to losses and pointed to the urgency many observers have seen for new consoles to revitalize the company's business. The 3DS will launch soon in at least Japan, but the Wii has no clear successor. Without a replacement, it faces stiff competition from cheaper Xbox 360 and PS3 systems that will also have motion controllers like Kinect and Move by the end of the year, albeit as optional extras.
