PS4 Xbox One Differences Significant

This soon after the launch of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 it's still somewhat difficult to say whether Sony or Microsoft has definitively won the latest console war, at least in terms of sales. Where there is such uncertainty, quotes from Wedbush Securities games industry analyst Michael Pachter tend to follow, and Pachter has not been shy in giving his opinion about the current state of the gaming industry.

Last week, Pachter followed up on previous comments advising that Nintendo should exit the hardware business altogether, saying that Nintendo President Satoru Iwata should be out of a job, and described Wii U sales as "underwhelming." As we wait for the official sales numbers for the newest consoles to be released by the NPD Group later this week, Pachter has peered into the tea leaves once more to offer up some predictions - predictions which will please those at Sony.

According to Games Industry, Pachter sent a note to investors stating that software sales for November would be down by 13 per cent due to slow sales for Battlefield 4 and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, both of which have apparently had "far weaker-than-expected debuts" (even if Ubisoft had already lowered its expectations).

These underwhelming numbers, along with the somewhat sluggish sales of Call of Duty: Ghosts, have previously been attributed to gamers holding off from buying last-gen versions of the games in order to get the Xbox One and PS4 versions instead.

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Pachter suggests that many gamers may have dedicated their dollars to buying new hardware, rather than software to play on it. His note also says that sales figures for Call of Duty: Ghosts may have been damaged by the game's lukewarm critical reception, despite claims by other analysts that the franchise is "review-proof" and Activision's confidence in the series' unshakeable appeal.

As far as sales of the consoles go, Pachter estimates that the PlayStation 4 sold 1.25 million units in the US during November, compared to only 750,000 Xbox One units, though this discrepancy can partially be attributed to the Xbox One launching a week later than the PS4. He also predicts that sales of other consoles will have been strongly affected by the new console launches, with Wii U sales down 65 percent year-over-year, Xbox 360 sales down 44 percent and PS3 sales down 28 percent.

NPD is expected to announce the official November numbers on Tuesday, but for now, let us know your own predictions for which new console has fared best so far, and which new consoles (if any) you've bought this year.

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Source: Games Industry