OTX: Xbox 360 Gamers Defecting To PS3 For Holiday Sequels?

It's coming time for the Holiday launches of anticipated multiplatform sequels -- and new data provided to Gamasutra by OTX's GamePlan Insights finds that many sequel-buyers might be switching platforms, defecting from Xbox 360 to PlayStation 3 for more than one major release. In addition to identifying the cash-strapped consumer's most-wanted games for the holiday season, GamePlan Insights previously examined "franchise lineage," or gamer intent to purchase sequels to favorite games. According to OTX analyst Nick Williams, data on franchise lineage highlights an interesting trend between the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 SKUs for Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin's Creed 2, the two top-ranking titles on the latest purchase intent charts -- and also two of the titles with the strongest franchise lineage. OTX data shows that 15 percent of those who plan to buy the PS3 version of Assassin's Creed 2 own the Xbox 360 version of the original, while only 7 percent of those who plan to buy the Xbox 360 version own the original game on PS3. The data highlights a shift, at least among fans of Assassin's Creed, in favor of the PS3 -- a "sizable portion," according to Williams, of players who plan a console defection for the second installment. Moreover, the trend for Modern Warfare 2 is the same, according to OTX. "The PS3 seems poised to shift the ratio of Xbox 360 to PS3 sales for most major multi-platform releases in its favor among dual owners," Williams tells us.