Analysts predict PS3 to emerge as victor of console wars

Even through Sony's most recent network debacle and its constant search for profitability, research firm Strategic Analytics believes that the company's Playstation 3 will rise up to dominate the ever-heated console wars in terms of lifetime units sold.

Strategy Analytics predicted that Sony will sell 127 million units over the course of the console's life, although the Wii will still lead the PS3 in terms of annual sales. PCMag also says that the recent report also predicts that Nintendo will sell 103 million Wiis over the course of its existence.  Strangely enough,  numbers referring to anticipated lifetime sales of Microsoft's Xbox360 platform were not released.  For 2010, SA predicted that sales of the Wii are expected to reach 17.5 million units; the PlayStation 3 will sell 14.0 million; the Xbox 360, 10.5 million; and the PS2, 5.5 million.

In the time being, both Sony and Microsoft appear to be steering their respective game console architectures toward new directions.  Sony is rumored to have a mobile gaming platform in the works, and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has publicly hinted at the possibility of new form factors for the Xbox platform.