Binge Gamer

UPDATO MAGNIFICO!
Microsoft Australia stands by the Gfk figures.

ORIGINAL STORY:
If you hadn’t heard, last week Microsoft’s Australia branch issued a press release in which Microsoft, more or less, claimed victory over Sony. The press release made the claim that the “Xbox 360 is the lead platform of choice for Grand Theft Auto IV after GfK statistics show copies of the game on the 360 outsold those of its rival platform.” Pretty big words that, according to Sony’s Australian Managing Director Michael Ephraim, is dead wrong.

Speaking with IGN UK (if BG ever had a UK branch, I would want it run by Jim Sterling. We would pay him in cheese), Ephraim explained to IGN exactly how Microsoft was wrong in claiming victory:

You might have seen the local Microsoft press release that came out last week. Well, I want to tell you that that is completely wrong, because what they failed to communicate or add was the 5000 GTA PS3 bundles that were sold in that week. When you add that in, the PS3 SKU outsold the 360 SKU definitely. We can’t comment on GTA numbers – just that one bundle and that PS3 outsold 360 at EB – and their figures aren’t factored into GfK statistics.

If this winds up being true (once the sales data from all sources is finally compiled), this could make Microsoft look very bad. But, until the figures are compared we should all just sit back, play some GTA IV, and take enjoyment from the catfight that is taking place in the land down under.