Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
360 Dethrones The Wii In February
The Nintendo Wii has had a long run at the top of the console sales charts. Following strong sales in February, however, the 360’s sales surpassed the Wii to claim the number one console for the month. Did the PlayStation 3 shortages caused by the holiday rush ease Microsoft’s rise to the top?
According to the February NPD analysis, the Xbox 360 sold 422,000 units last month, up from 332,800 systems in January. This strong gain allowed Microsoft to narrowly pass the 397,900 Wiis sold in February, which is a slight decrease from Nintendo’s 465,800 consoles sold in January. PlayStation 3’s month-to-month sales rose from 276,900 units to 360,100, but it wasn’t enough to climb further up the charts. Sony’s confirmed post-holiday PS3 shortages may have held back the company from finally claiming the top spot. Between the exclusive God of War 3 and other major releases such as Final Fantasy XIII, PS3 sales may rise even more for March.
This is the first time the 360 has taken the number one spot since September 2007, when Halo 3 released. If you think Microsoft is already popping the corks from bottles of champagne while singing “ding dong the Wii is dead,” think again. A lot can change in a month (as has been proven before), but it’s nice to see other manufacturers taking the lead.
How do you feel about the shift in console dominance? Will it last?
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
