As it turns out, Microsoft's lead in US next-generation console sales was short-lived. NPD has just released estimates which show that the PlayStation 4 outsold the Xbox One during January. Neither the NPD nor Sony is providing exact numbers, although Sony Senior VP Guy Longworth states that PS4 sales were almost twice as high as Microsoft's. The system was certainly alluring enough to drive game sales during the quarter -- the PS4 was the platform of choice for five of the top 10 games, while the Xbox One was never higher than second.

Microsoft also isn't divulging Xbox One figures, although NPD tells us that the system was the runner-up in hardware sales. The company can trumpet the strength of the overall Xbox brand, though. Together, the Xbox 360 and Xbox One represented 47 percent of game sales; the Xbox 360 was also the most popular system for five of the top 10 software releases. Nintendo has a silver lining on its dark cloud, too. Game sales for the 3DS and Wii U respectively increased by six and 26 percent year-over-year. That's no mean feat when overall spending was down by a quarter. Whichever platform you prefer, we wouldn't declare the console wars over -- not when expected system sellers like Titanfall could easily shift the balance of power.