The Shifting Tides of the Console Wars

Sony PlayStation Console Gaming Lines

Inventory constraints at retail during the first half of August 2011 was cited by Sony with respect to the declining numbers for its PlayStation 3 (PS3) hardware sales early in the month, though the numbers improved and were markedly stronger for the last half of August, following a $50 price cut as well as new "bundle" offers that included the inFAMOUS 2 bundle, several PS3 + Move Retail Bundles, and a 320GB + Move PS3 Bundle from nationwide retailer Best Buy.

The new PS3 price point, combined with PlayStation Move and a very strong lineup of console-exclusive titles (Uncharted 3, Everybody Dance ) contributed towards solidifying the numbers for the second half of the month.

Price point adjustments are traditionally part of the annual pre-holiday positioning strategies and do not take into account special retailer-specific bundles, sales, and other promotions.

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The Limited Edition PS3 console (pictured above) called 'Cloud Black' was released individually numbered and packaged with the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children on BluRay, and sells for 49,980 Yen ($550 USD) in Japan.

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PlayStation August 2011 Hardware Numbers

(1) -- PlayStation 3: 218,000 units sold in August.

(2) -- PlayStation Portable (PSP): 51,000 units sold in August. (Estimated)

(3) -- PlayStation 2: 9,950 units sold in August (Estimated)

Microsoft Xbox Console Gamine Lines

The Xbox 360 maintained its lead over present-generation console sales in August, selling more units in the U.S. than any other console for 14 of the past 15 months. Sustained consumer demand for Xbox 360 and Kinect have helped the console maintain its position 2011. Tow games released in August helped to drive the numbers up, with Deus Ex: Human Revolution and NCAA Football 12 being singled out by both Microsoft and impartial sales tracking services as contributing factors in the stronger sales numbers for the month.

Price Point adjustments at the retailer-level as well as special game-specific and custom-console bundles are expected to factor in the holiday sales season for Microsoft's Xbox line, with a number of new Kinect titles, new game partnerships with Disney and UFC, and the following console-exclusive titles factoring into sustaining interest:

-- Dance Central 2 (10/25)

-- Forza Motorsport 4 (10/11)

-- Gears of War 3 (9/20)

-- Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (11/15)

-- Kinectimals Now with Bears! (10/11)

-- Kinect: Disneyland Adventures (11/15)

-- Kinect Sports: Season Two (10/25)

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The Gears of War 3 Limited Edition Xbox 360 slim 320GB system gets decked out with the Gears of War Crimson Omen design, special sound effects for the buttons, and a specially themed graphic for the controllers, and comes with a copy of Gears of War 3. The Limited Edition Console Bundle sells for $399.99 (USD) and is available on September 20th, the official release date for Gears of War 3.

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Xbox August 2011 Hardware Numbers

(1) -- Xbox 360: 308,000 units sold in August.