A new report from The simExchange expects the PlayStation 3 to outsell the Xbox 360 in March, the first time Sony’s next-gen console has outsold Microsoft’s since late 2007.
The neck-and-neck battle for second place will continue into April, says The SimExchange analysis, as the Xbox 360 is predicted to outsell the PS3 by 15,000 units. Nintendo, however, will still hold the top spot, with the Wii and DS outselling everything else.
The simExchange also noted in its monthly report that “as the PS3 continues to gain momentum in 2008, we are beginning to see the Xbox 360 to PS3 sales ratio gap shrink, but ultimately, there still exists a larger … gap for the PS3 for games that contain a stronger multiplayer component” (e.g. Rainbow Six Vegas 2, COD4, Army of Two, etc.).
In terms of software, Devil May Cry has a stranglehold on the top sales spot both for PS3 and Xbox 360, although the game does appear to be inspiring more PS3 purchases, said The simExchange report. This is intriguing because the first three Devil May Cry games appeared exclusively on the PlayStation 2, which would indicate that the PS3 install base includes a number of current and/or former PS2 owners.
The simExchange is an online virtual stock market in which gamers, developers, and investors trade stock to predict how games will sell.