Enough stats to choke a hippo

Business Week covers recent data coming out of NPD Group, a market research firm. If you follow game industry stats like batting averages, you'll want to hit the link. Otherwise, let me summarize: June was a good month for games. Hurray!

Actually wait, there's one thing I'd like to point out. Hardware sales in June:

• DS - 593,400 units
  
• PS2 - 311,900 units
• Xbox360 - 277,000 units.

Love the DS, good for it. But the PS2 beating the 360? Wow, that's surprising given that the PS2 is so freak'n old compared to the 360. Even with the price differences giving the PS2 an advantage, you'd like think the 360 would get a little more love. The article, anticipating my surprise (clever writer!), says,

"That Sony's current-generation console is still outperforming Microsoft's next-generation Xbox 360 might be a surprise for some. But with two more next-gen consoles coming out before long, it's not likely the PS2 will be able to keep its strong sales."

So reading between the lines, he's saying that the PS2 won't be ahead of 360 for long but not because the 360 is going to get more traction in the market but because the Wii or PS3 will probably come out on top. Wow, absolutely no love for the 360.

This is going to be a fun race to watch. Last month, I would have put the Wii on top, 360 second and PS3 third in sales coming out of the Xmas season. I'm starting to think it's a good idea to swap the 360 and PS3 positions.

Going to go out on a limb here and making a prediction of share of holiday hardware sales.

Wii: 45%
PS3: 30%
360: 25%

Anyone else care to make a prediction? Place your bets and we'll revisit in January!