Wii outsells PS3 in the USA

The American games market saw more than twice as many Wii consoles sold as PlayStation 3s during November, according to data from research group NPD.

But neither company was able to keep pace with Microsoft's Xbox 360, which sold 511,000 units during November - no doubt greatly helped by the launch of blockbuster title Gears of War.

Both Wii and PS3 launched in the US during November amid stock shortages, although Nintendo and Sony have since reiterated their 2006 shipment goals.

Nintendo has said it aims to sell more than four million Wii consoles worldwide this year, having since launched in both Japan and Europe.

Sony, meanwhile, is aiming for one million units sold in the USA, with Japan also struggling for stock and a European launch expected in March.

Microsoft says it is on track to hit an installed-base figure of 10 million units by the end of 2006.

Last generation, according to figures provided by each company, Sony sold more than 111 million PlayStation 2 consoles worldwide, while Microsoft sold more than 24 million Xbox consoles and Nintendo 21 million GameCubes.

In the same period I banged my head on the desk 408 million times, and am now dead.