July NPD numbers are here: Once again, PS3 outsells Xbox 360

julynpd

The July NPD numbers have come out, and the PS3 continued its fine June performance, once again topping the Xbox 360 in units sold. Sony sold 224,000 PS3s to Microsoft’s 204,000. Meanwhile, the Wii continues to be in a league of its own, with Nintendo selling 550,000 units.

The DS tops them all, of course with 608,000 units sold. The industry as a whole made $1.1 billion in July. What recession?

For comparison’s sake, Sony sold 405,000 PS3 in June, to Microsoft’s 219,000 Xbox 360s. Remember, Metal Gear Solid IV came out in June.

As far as games go, NCAA Football 09 leads the pack, with 397,000 units sold. That’s followed by Wii Fit (369,000) and Guitar Hero for the Nintendo DS (309,000). Soul Calibur IV, which was released at the end of the month, sold 218,000 copies on the Xbox 360, and 155,800 on the PS3.

I guess the biggest story here is that, once again, sales of the PS3 outpaced sales of the Xbox 360. Microsoft is rumored to have a price cut in the works, so this may end up being a price war sooner rather than later as publishers realize how silly (and financially unsound) exclusivity can be. Unless you’re a Metal Gear or something else as gigantic, it makes more sense to release your game on every platform available, under-the-table payments notwithstanding.