PS3 Sales Closing in on Nintendo Wii

October's Japanese sales figures show the PS3 gaining headway, but game sales figures may be slipping to Nintendo if one company's estimates hold true.

It appears that Sony’s struggling PlayStation 3 console may finally be making some ground on its competitors. After a sluggish start and a summer that saw the system being outsold five-to-one by the Nintendo Wii in Japan, the latest figures show that the feeble console may finally be catching up.

According to Reuters, the Wii sold 110,415 units in Japan during October, while Sony managed to push 47,183 units out the door. Though those figures still indicate a lead of over two-to-one, the gap, compared to where it used to be, is closing.

Unfortunately for Sony, the company may be losing ground elswhere: in game sales. According to estimates from iSuppli, Nintendo snatched the lead away from Sony in total game sales during the third quarter. The company’s estimates show third-quarter results of $1.0 billion for Sony on all of its gaming platforms,  and $1.24 billion for Nintendo.

Recently, Sony announced a cheaper $399 version of the PS3 in North America in preparation for the holiday season, while Nintendo insisted that the Wii’s $249 price tag would remain untouched.