It appears nothing can stop the PlayStation 4 from dominating the video game industry, as not even the launch of Titanfall could bring the Xbox One to outperform Sony's rising giant at the end of March.
We're certain Microsoft is not too happy about playing second fiddle to Sony once again. With the launch of Titanfall back in March, it is likely the company was hoping the Xbox One would gain a massive boost in sales, which it did, but it wasn't enough to topple the behemoth that is the PlayStation 4.
According to Microsoft in a press release, five million Xbox One consoles were sold to retailer, and 311,000 were sold to U.S. consumers in the month of March. In comparison, Sony sold over seven million PlayStation 4 consoles to consumers, though it is not certain how many units were sold in the U.S. in the month of March.
"We’re also happy to share today that more than 5 million Xbox One consoles have been sold-in to retailers since our launch," says Microsoft. "The new generation is off to a strong start, with global Xbox One sales outpacing Xbox 360 by more than 60 percent at the same point in time, a true testament to your love of console gaming."
These numbers are not reassuring for Microsoft, as the company bundled Titanfall with the Xbox One, selling at the same price of $499
Not all was lost for Microsoft though, as Titanfall managed to outperform every other video game title that came out in March to take the number one spot in software sales. This alone should warrant sequel, which we expect to make it to the Xbox One, along with the PlayStation 4 in 2015.
This is not the end for Titanfall, as the title recently launched on the Xbox 360. Since the old Microsoft console has a large install base, it is likely Titanfall could retain its position as the top selling video game of April, and by a wide margin.
As Microsoft licks its wounds, the company might slip further behind the PlayStation 4 before the end of the year.
Sony is gearing up to launch four big exclusives in the form of Drive Club, The Order 1886, Planetside 2, and a remake of The Last of Us. These games could be huge system sellers, something Microsoft should be wary of going further into the year.
As it stands, however, E3 2014 could be the saving grace for the Xbox One. It is where Microsoft is expected to reveal several exclusive games, and possibly a word wide price cut that could help the console move aggressively against the PlayStation 4. Only time will tell if anything Microsoft does is capable of saving this ailing console from certain death.
