PS3 vs. Xbox 360: Who's Really Winning Europe?

[wraggster]

Earlier this month Sony Computer Entertainment Europe chief David Reeves happily announced that over five million units of PS3 hardware have been sold across Europe, allowing the console to surge past Microsoft's Xbox 360 despite the 360's 16-month head start in the region. In an interview with Wired, however, Microsoft Game Studios' Shane Kim seemed to dispute those numbers.

Moreover, when GameDaily BIZ contacted Microsoft, a spokesperson told us that Xbox 360, not PS3, is in the lead: "In Europe, our hardware sales have doubled in the wake of GTA IV, and we remain the number one next-generation console in Europe. We do not disclose our internal sales data, but our figures show we enjoy a comfortable lead against PlayStation 3 in the region. We lead not only in console sales but also in software sales: overall European performance is excellent with a 7.0 game attach rate that beats the competition (3.8 PS3, 3.5 Wii), and we enjoy 39% of the market in terms of life-to-date revenue. Gamers prefer games on Xbox 360 – just look at GTA IV, where the Xbox 360 version outsold the PS3 version by 20%."

So Microsoft continues to claim a "comfortable lead" and yet when we reached out to Sony, the company maintained that the PS3 was winning. Perhaps what it really comes down to is the definition of Europe?

Here's what a Sony rep told us, "The statement was based on the fact that $#@!ulative sales of PS3 in Europe since its launch now exceed the $#@!ulative sales of Xbox 360 in Europe since their launch, despite Xbox 360 having had a 16 month lead on PS3. Europe means the whole of Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Russia. SCEE sources its market data from official sources such as ChartTrack and Gfk, from their retailers and from a variety of additional sources. SCEE has been using the same methodology for the last 10 years or so."

We continue to press both companies and we'll let you know if we ever get a real answer that straightens this mess out.

http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/ne...-europe/?biz=1

[goity]

Rubbish. GTA4 on ps3 has far outsold the 360 version in Europe. Also, according the VG charts the ps3 has a way better attach rate, though this data is sketchy. The entirety of that press release is sketchy, though, and every single statistic is subjective (number one next gen console eh? It's one thing to say they aren't directly competing but the Wii certainly isn't competing against the original xbox or GC).

[Justise]

It is not the first time microsoft says they own Europe on console war... The told us the same thing a few days before the GTA4 release, and the same thing again a few days before that. I don't believe them any more.

On the other hand the Sony representative had a good point.

[ketchup]

Rubbish. GTA4 on ps3 has far outsold the 360 version in Europe.

Know that for a fact do you? What makes you privy to that information when everybody else, including experts are uncertain or divided?

Also, according the VG charts the ps3 has a way better attach rate, though this data is sketchy.

So pointless comment then!?

On the other hand the Sony representative had a good point.

What was that point?

Anyway, are both MS and Sony counting Africa and the Mid-East as in Europe or just Sony? Unless their regions are exactly the same they could in theory both be winning in "Europe". Regardless, Geography lessons needed for someone

IMO Sony's region selections are solely made so that they can sell cheap in the US and Japan while using the other regions to help reduce the losses per consol.

[Darksaviour69]

I agree with ketchup, since when is Africa and the Mid-East in Europe?

From the what I have read, the xbox is doing better in uk and ireland (gta 4 selling 2:1 on the xbox). While main land europe, the xbox is doing better in Netherlands, Swenden ( but the ps3 is close behind), while the ps3 is doing better in germany and italy, (while the xbox is close behind) while the ps3 is hammering the xbox in spain. I have heard also that the ps3 is doing better in eastern Europe generally.

Also you have to keep in mind the size of the martket in each country, the uk and Ireland market is the biggest market with-in Europe. Random fact, Ireland has the 2nd highest PS2 concentration (ps2 to population ratio) in the world. Japan has the highest.


So really its more complex than "whos winning europe" as, for example, the UK market clearly has no effect on spainish market and vice versa.