The struggle with the PS3 is most interesting in Japan. There, where the Xbox 360 doesn't stand much of a chance, the real battle is between Nintendo and Sony. So, you'd think if you took one of the biggest contenders out of the picture you'd see whoever is left getting larger shares of the market. That wasn't true earlier in the year, however, as the Wii was managing to outpace the PS3 by 5 to 1. Many assumed that as time went by that gap would close very quickly as more titles trickled out for Sony's console.
In some ways, it has picked up. The gap between the two companies has definitely been closing. However, it's a very slow close, as the Wii is still outselling the PS3 at a ratio even greater than in the U.S. at four to one. Over a 26 week period, the Wii managed to find its way to 1.6 million homes in Japan, whereas the PS3 was only able to woo over about 385,000. Why the gap? I imagine the reasons are largely the same for the PS3 not selling well in other parts of the world, which we've covered. It is, however, an improvement for Sony.
Are the improvements coming too late? I don't think so - it is nearing a year after both consoles introduction to gamers around the world, but as we've seen with the PS2 and other consoles their shelf life is much longer than that. Still, Sony is still facing a tough fight around the world. We're all still waiting for the compelling reason that convinces us all we must own one.