Research firm NPD has released its game console sales figures for February 2008, and to no one’s surprise the Nintendo Wii continued to dominate traditional console sales, moving 432,000 units during the month. Sony’s PlayStation 3 managed a second-place finish along the so-called "next generation" consoles with 281,000 units sold, although Sony managed to beat out the PS3 with its aging PS2 platform, selling 352,000 units of its seven year-old gaming box. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 brought up the rear, selling 255,000 units during the month.
Microsoft has attempted to put its own spin on the last-place finish, saying its Xbox 360 console is still in a "supply constrained situation" (the same explanation it had last month) but that plenty of Xbox 360 consoles should be in channel for the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV at the end of April. Supply constraints have also put a damper on Wii sales throughout the products entire life cycle to date: many industry watchers have speculated the continued shortages may indicate a long-term issue with parts suppliers or manufacturing processes.
In a statement sent via email, Microsoft also noted it is "not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Disc Association regarding integrating Blu-ray in to the Xbox 360 experience".
"Hardware inventory issues at retail may still be lingering post-holiday,""said NPD analyst Anita Frazier in a statement, "but the fact that all now-gen systems generated significant year-over-year hardware sales increases indicates the situation is coming into balance faster than it did last year."
But if you’re curious what the top-selling gaming platform for February 2008 might have been, that was the Nintendo DS handheld system, selling another 588,000 units. Sony’s PSP sold 243,000 units during the month.
