Will the Xbox 360 beat PS3 unit sales in Europe by the end of 2008?

In may various news articles had Sony toasting the success of the PS3 during the first quarter of 2008. All-time sales of the PS3 in Europe had finally overtaken those of the rather-cheaper Xbox 360. This success (which is contrary to the sales figures for the UK in particular) was in spite of the PS3 costing considerably more. It was put down to the success of Sony's 'hardcore gamer' strategy as compared to the broader Xbox 360 'social gamer' strategy.

The Xbox has had sales since the PS3 launch affected by a number of issues. The Wii has stolen much of the lower-cost family market which Microsoft may have been hoping to capture, whilst the continuing availability of PS2 consoles (with new titles only just beginning to dry up) has stolen the budget market. Quality control has been seen as an ongoing problem as well, with lingering problems such as the Red Ring of Death which plagued the first generation of Xbox consoles being seen as a problem.

Since May however, quality control issues have seen a clear improvement, the PS2 has begun a serious decline in availability, and a massive price drop for the 360 has brought it below the price of Nintendo's increasingly-tedious Wii. In the meantime Sony have strongly resisted reducing prices for the PS3, which is now twice as expensive at the entry level. So, will this clear appeal to the mass market of casual gamers finally start to bear fruit and drag all-time European sales for 360s back above those of the PS3 by the end of 2008?