Xbox 360 outscores Wii in September

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 outsold Nintendo’s Wii for the first time in months this September, as surging demand for its highly regarded “Halo 3” title fueled sales of the company’s game console. According to researcher NPD Group, Microsoft sold a total of 528,000 Xbox 360s in the U.S. for the month, compared with the Nintendo Wii’s 501,000. Sony's PlayStation 3 rounded out the list of next-generation consoles, with 119,400 units.

Moreover, Xbox 360 games generated eight times the revenue of PlayStation 3 games at retail, while also out-doing Wii software sales by a 4-to-1 ratio. The Xbox 360-exclusive title Halo 3 was the top-selling video game for the month with 3.3 million copies sold, making more than $225 million in its first two weeks.

The report comes as the console makers prepare to battle it out during the upcoming holiday shopping season, which should be an interesting one, with both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 continuing to compete on price, exclusive titles, and bundle packages.