July NPD: Wii Way Ahead, PS3 Closing Gap with 360

July sales figures released by industry analyst firm the NPD Group shows the Wii far ahead of competitors and the PS3 within striking distance of the 360.

The Nintendo console has netted 425,000 sales. The PlayStation 3 clocked in at 159,000 compared to the Xbox 360's 170,000.

While the PS3 did not quite surpass the 360, as was predicted by some Sony officials, it has certainly narrowed the gap.

NPD official Anita Frazier said July was typically a slow month, "falling between June and the [related] Father's Day and graduation gift occasions, and before Madden month."

Nonetheless, she noted, the year-to-date sales are up 43 percent from the same time frame in 2006 and nearly $1 billion sales total were seen this month.

Source: Neogaf