Sales analysts at simExchange said in an October report that their data indicates a 2:1 sales advantage for the Xbox 360 over the PlayStation 3 through the holiday season.
The firm predicts that for the sales period dating from now until year’s end, the 360 will sell just over 2 million units, and the PS3 will sell just over 1 million. The Wii, meanwhile, is expected to move 3.28 million and the DS hand-held 2.86 million.
The firm’s predictions are predicated on a “market” that accounts for the assessment of games, developers and industry figures, not hard financial transactions. But it does take into consideration Sony’s introduction of a 40 GB PS3.
Affecting sales predictions for both consoles indirectly were the somewhat mixed review scores meted out to the recently released Assassins Creed. While the game won high marks for atmosphere and graphical presentation, it was criticized in some quarters for repetitive gameplay and embarrassing AI.
Its average score in the 80-90 range as opposed to the predicted mid-90s caused simExchange to pare down sales estimates for the 360 version and the PS3 version.
Source: Gamesindustry.biz
