As per the latest reports from VGChartz, the Wii has pulled within about half a million total hardware units sold of the 360 in America. At the current rates, the Wii is outselling the 360 by an average of 100K total units a week, from both NPD and VGChartz averages. If these averages hold, then the Wii will outsell the 360 by mid June. However, chances are, the swap will occur even before that.
The Wii has been gaining ground rapidly on the 360 for months now, so the lead change has been not only obvious, but inevitable. The nail in the coffin for the 360’s lead will be Miyamoto’s latest creation, the Wii Fit. With the launch of what could be the most revolutionary use of the Wii’s technology that the industry has seen so far only a few mere weeks away, expect the Wii to take pole position even quicker. When the Wii Fit launched in Europe and Japan(3 and 23 weeks ago, respectively), it spurred an average 33% increase of hardware sold, and it sold through its initial shipments in both regions.
Miyamoto showing off the Wii Fit
Even with arguably the biggest 360 game of 2008, Grand Theft Auto IV, launching at the end of April, Microsoft has been hard pressed trying to move hardware. Despite selling in excess of 3 million copies of the game, Microsoft only moved around 250K hardware units, in comparison to the PS3 version, which sold 2.5 million copies but moved 350K units. Though Microsoft also has Team Ninja’s highly anticipated Ninja Gaiden II due out in June, its questionable what kind of impact it can make.
This imminent fall from the top could not come at a worse time, either. Just last week, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe announced at Playstation Day that the PS3 had sold more then 5 million consoles in Europe and that they finally succeeded at outselling the 360 in total hardware units in Europe.
Nonetheless, this does not signal the end of the 360. The 360 still has quite a bit of untapped potential, and the console has not reached market saturation yet. The 2008 line up of the 360 still has a lot of spunk left as well, with titles like Banjo 3, Fable 2, and Gears of War 2. Rather, its just time for Microsoft to become a bit more proactive with what it wants to do with the system.
