Summary: The familiar pattern of FUD which Microsoft has been using against Google and against GNU/Linux is once again being used, this time against Sony and Nintendo

NPD and those who are using NPD numbers (Microsoft and its boosters for the large part [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]) capitalise on many loopholes and the localisation of samples (biased populations) in order to make utterly false statements and by sheer repetition make them be perceived as true.

We have given several examples before, so we won't repeat these examples again. But watch what lip service Xbox 360 is once again receiving from NPD (which spreads the illusion that the United States is a surrogate for the international market, to which it cannot be extrapolated):

Microsoft clarifies NPD claims

10m sales figure referred to global numbers, not the US, platform holder explains

Platform holder Microsoft has clarified a statement that it released earlier today that appeared to claim that Xbox 360 sold 10m units in the US in 2009 – a number that didn’t correspond with official NPD figures.

This clarification came after complaints. They try to get away with a whole load of lies. A notable example where GNU/Linux suffers from these lies is sub-notebooks [1, 2, 3], where GNU/Linux is already killing Microsoft, at least financially. Search is another example because Microsoft and its boosters only ever speak about the US market, where Microsoft's share is estimated to be about triple of what it is has in the world at large.

Going back to Xbox, what is the reality of it all? Well, Microsoft is just copying Nintendo several years late and Microsoft itself is rather hopeless based on this new report:

Spencer: Project Natal launch 'fraught with risk' for Microsoft

Speaking to Eurogamer, Microsoft Game Studios head Phil Spencer responded to criticism that Microsoft takes fewer risks than Sony in first-party development by referencing Project Natal -- "if there isn't risk in Natal then I don't know what's keeping me up at night."

Sony isn't lagging, either. "Wireless controller for the PlayStation coming in fall," says this report. That's even sooner than Microsoft's, which it says will be ready only around Christmas.

Japan’s Sony has announced it will postpone for the fall 2010 launch of its wireless controller with motion sensor for PlayStation 3, which is the second delay of a major product launch in a short time after ‘Gran Turismo’. In any case, reach before ‘Project Natal’ for Xbox 360.

The winner is still Nintendo, which actually makes a profit, leads this race, and has a big gap behind it.

Sony says PS3 sold 3 million units in UK

[...]

The Wii is leading the market easily worldwide with 56 million units sold globally.

The Independent (UK) has gone as far as putting together silly headlines like this one. Nintendo is untouchable and Sony -- unlike Microsoft -- does not need to lie about it. Microsoft has always been a factory of lies and it was even sued for it. ⬆