Console sales did well this Christmas

It may be all financial doom and gloom at the moment, with murmurings of a recession supposedly putting a dampener on spending habits across the world, but console sales saw a massive boost this Christmas and we know three companies that are definitely happy with their sales.

Microsoft in fact might be a little bit too happy, claiming that the Xbox 360 managed to 'over-achieve in sales' this holiday season. According to Chart-Track sales for Microsoft's increasingly cheap console actually doubled compared to the same period last year, with Xbox 360 sales hitting 28 million worldwide.

"Christmas 2008 was a resounding success for Xbox 360. 2008 saw us grow faster than any of our competitors and we over-achieved in sales during the crucial Christmas selling period," said Microsoft's Chris Lewis.

Sony too saw a boost in sales, though the total consoles shipped is still a little behind. The PlayStation 3 managed to increase in sales by 130 percent in the last few months, which Sony reckons is due to them having "the best software line-up in the industry". Hyperbole is contagious, it seems.

"We remain confident this momentum will continue into the new year," said Sony's Ian Jackson to CNET.

Nintendo meanwhile is bound to be happy too, with analysts predicting that sales for the little white console managed to double in just the U.S alone, with more than three million Wii's sold just in December. Yowzers.

Which consoles do you own and why don't you game on your PC instead? Let us know in the forums!