The whole who-has-sold/shipped-more debate had died down for a while as PlayStation 3 had been gaining substantial market share throughout late 2009 and all of 2010 on the Xbox 360. Originally down as much as 10 million units, the PlayStation 3, which launched a year later than the Microsoft console with a considerably higher price then and still higher price now, sits only 4 million units behind. But all that changed with the launch of the PlayStation motion controller called the Move and the new camera gaming device from Microsoft, the Kinect. This time, Sony was able to launch their device a month ahead of the folks at Redmond with controllers ranging from $50 for a single controller and $99 for those who required the controller, camera and a game. Microsoft’s Kinect, on the other hand, costs $150 and with holiday shopping in full swing, both companies are back at it again, touting sales numbers.

Though the PlayStation Move launched a full month a head of the Kinect with a lower price, Microsoft still has more users to sell their device to, (the 4 million we talked about above). Also, because of its higher price point and higher-end appeal, the PlayStation 3 is definitely owned by the more adult demograph who is potentially less likely to care about motion gaming. Add that to the fact that the PlayStation 3 is actually ahead in sales versus the 360 in Europe and Asia, but is really behind in the United States by 10 million units, where the Kinect has launched and is enjoyed by a younger demograph, who are more likely to want this device, and we get a clearer view of the battleground.

However, with those odds, Sony has effectively shipped 4.1 million Moves since its October launch while Microsoft has sold 2.5 million units since its November launch.  This is where the sold/shipped debate comes into play. With 2.5 million Kinects sold, we know that there are that many houses that have the device. On the other hand, Sony’s 4.1 million units shipped means that there has been that many units sent to retailers but we don’t know how many have then in return been sold to consumers. Although these two different accounting practices make it hard to determine if Sony is ahead of Microsoft or not, we need to take into consideration that the Move was sold out for a month at retailers like Amazon, Toys”R”Us and Gamestop and is still extremely hard to find in stores. One has to assume that if they are indeed hard to find and retailers are wanting more, then the PlayStation Move has sold a substantial amount and it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that a good 3 million plus units are enjoyed at home, aka “sold”, otherwise, they would be easy to find in any store. As Sony put it,

 “While we don’t disclose our exact sell-through number, the key is that our retailers continue to ask for more Move units and are taking every unit we can supply them with based on their sales.” 

Hit the jump as always for the official press release.

 PlayStation Move Motion Controller Sales Reach Over 4.1 Million Units Worldwide

Remarkable Milestone Achieved in Just 2 Months since Its Release in September

TOKYO, Nov. 30, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today announced that the sales of PlayStation®Move motion controller for the PlayStation®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system reached over 4.1 million units worldwide(*1). The milestone was reached in just two months since its release in September for North America, Europe/PAL territories and Asia, and one month since the release in October for Japan. The number not only shows clear success of the launch of the new motion sensing controller but also indicates positive momentum going in to the holiday season and to the year 2011.

PlayStation Move motion controller is used in combination with the PlayStation Eye camera(*2) to detect the precise movement, angle, and absolute position in 3D space of the user, thereby allowing users to intuitively play as if they are within the game. Delivering the most realistic and immersive experience, PlayStation Move not only captures the user’s motion but also the player’s image itself to offer new augmented reality experiences in select games.

PlayStation Move offers more than 30 supported/dedicated titles for the North American region up to date with a vast line-up of software titles from all genres and all types of audiences. Some of the successful titles include Sports Champions, Start the Party, EyePet Move Edition, MAG, SingStar Dance and more. Upcoming PlayStation Move titles include the platform-defining franchises like Killzone 3 and LittleBigPlanet 2 that will further establish PlayStation Move as the must have motion experience for casual and hard-core gamers alike.

More than 41.6 million PS3 systems have been sold globally(*3) and despite entering its 5th year since launch, the system is set to record another year of success. PS3, equipped with sophisticated processing units as well as future proof cutting-edge technologies, unfolded its potential this year with the introduction of PlayStation Move and stereoscopic 3D capabilities. SCEI will further continue to deliver strong value to the platform and will accelerate the growth of the platform by vigorously enhancing the entertainment experience only possible on the PlayStation platform.

(*1) Number as of November 2010. Cumulative number since its release date, September 15 for Europe/PAL territories and Asian countries/regions, September 19 for North America and October 21 for Japan. The number does not include sales of stand-alone PlayStation Eye camera or stand-alone PlayStation Move navigation controller.

(*2) Users will need to use the PlayStation Eye camera to enjoy PlayStation Move motion controller on PS3.(*3) Number as of September 2010.