Xbox 360 leading in US, PS3 in Europe and 3DS in Japan for 2012

According to estimates released by Nintendo based on market research data, the PS3 is the highest selling console in Europe so far this year, while the Xbox 360 and 3DS lead in US and Japan respectively.

The PS3 sold nearly 50,000 units each week in Europe for the first 14 weeks of the month. And while the PS Vita had a good start, with 200,000 units sold in its opening week, its sales quickly dipped.

“The UK market is virtually the only market in Europe where the Xbox 360 has a strong presence,” said Nintendo’s president Satoru Iwata. “In fact, it dominates the PlayStation 3, and it is in stark contrast to the other European markets.”

Iwata says the Xbox 360 still has “the momentum it created at the end of last year” in the US, while the “3DS has the largest share in the US handheld game market.”

“In the previous year-end sales season, the Japanese game market witnessed explosive sales of the Nintendo 3DS, and this momentum has been maintained,” he continued. “On the other hand, since this year started, we have seen the Wii sales quickly losing momentum. In the home console market this year, Sony’s PlayStation 3 remains in good shape.”