The official NPD numbers are in for September, and the Xbox 360 swept, even beating out the Nintendo Wii for that month.

We think it has something to do with Halo 3.

Here are the hard Numbers, from industry analysts at the NPD Group:

Hardware

Xbox 360: 527,800
Wii: 501,000
Nintendo DS: 495,800
PlayStation Portable: 284,500
PlayStation 2: 215,000
Playstation 3: 119,400
Game Boy Advance: 75,000
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Australian GfK's weekly software sale charts for All Formats, Xbox 360, PC, PS2, PS3, DS, PSP, and Wii.
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Next week, Sony Computer Entertainment America will be bringing its new PS3 brand campaign to TV. Unlike the initial "White Room" ads, these will focus on key titles and PS3 features. GameDaily Biz chat with Kim Ngyuen, SCEA Marketing Manager, about the new focus.

Kim Ngyuen says:

"We briefed the [ad] agency in April that we wanted to emphasize the entertainment qualities and show off the primary titles [for the PS3] this Holiday season," described Ngyuen when asked about how the campaign was initially envisioned. "We wanted to show that, firstly, the games are here this holiday; come and get them! Secondly, we wanted to demonstrate that [the PS3] is an entertainment powerhouse.
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G1 Jockey 4 demo (469MB)

Heavenly Sword kai demo (1149MB)
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Sony Corp. will design chips with Infineon Technologies AG to reduce development costs at its consumer electronics division, the world's second largest.

Sony and Infineon's Qimonda AG will own equal stakes in a Tokyo-based venture that will design DRAM chips that speed up data processing in cameras and mobile phones, the companies said today in a statement. Elpida Memory Inc., a Sony supplier, fell on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on concern it will lose orders.

The agreement will help Tokyo-based Sony reduce costs as Chief Executive Officer Howard Stringer overhauls the chip operations to raise overall profitability to the highest this decade. The semiconductor unit, which makes processors for PlayStation 3 game consoles, posted a 10 billion yen ($86 million) loss last year.
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The PlayStation 3's new flagship title, Heavenly Sword, was top of the Spanish software charts for sales in the week ending September 23. Full top ten chart compiled by Media-Control GfK after the jump.
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Mygen.com were lucky enough to find Heavenly Sword on their doorstep this morning, but it isn't any standard type of the game. Sony seems to be going to great lengths to send their games to us in the most flashy way possible and boy are they impressed.
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"Heavenly Sword is a fantastic game on a number of fronts. An emotionally rendering storyline, a beautiful heroine, a wide range of villains, epic scale destruction, in a beautiful environment, with the realism of Hollywood visuals offers the player an incredible gaming experience, especially on PlayStation 3," said Havok CEO, David O'Meara.

"This game is a great example of how a talented development team can use cutting edge physics and animation technology to bring games to a whole new level and leverage the power of Havok's PlayStation 3 optimizations. We are very proud to be involved in the latest evolution of this next generation console game."
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The new pack includes the 60Gb PS3, two Sixaxis controllers, Resistance: Fall of Man, MotorStorm and new addition Heavenly Sword, which made its debut on the charts this week at number seven.
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Latest issue of P3Zine has a 6 page preview/interview with emphasis on how the user-built maps work on the PS3. Also has Stranglehold, Warhawk, Fracture and Fallout 3.
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Heavenly Sword enters the chart straight at number one, with Colin McRAE: DIRT in second...
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The October issue of the American gaming magazine Game Informer has just landed in stores and all the review scores are already found on the internet. In this months' issue titles like Guitar Hero III, Metroid Prime 3, Warhawk, Heavenly Sword, SKATE, Medal of Honor and tons of other games have all been reviewed.

Check out all this months' review scores below

Guitar Hero III (Wii/Xbox 360/PS3/PS2, RedOctane): 8.75 / 9
Stuntman Ignition (PS3/Xbox 360, THQ): 8.5 / 9
FIFA 08 (PS3/Xbox 360, EA): 7.75 / 7.75
Skate (PS3/Xbox 360, EA): 8.75 / 8.5
NHL 2K8 (PS3/Xbox 360, EA): 7.75 / 8.25
NHL 08 (PS3/Xbox 360, EA): 8.5 / 8.5
Medal of Honor Airborne (Xbox 360, EA): 7.25 / 7.25
Warriors Orochi (Xbox 360/PS2, Koei): 5.75
Dynasty Warriors Gundam (PS3/Xbox 360, Koei): 5
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core (PS2, Koei): 7.75
Heavenly Sword (PS3, Sony): 8.75 / 9
Warhawk (PS3, Sony): 8.25 / 8
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (PS3): 8.5 / 8.5
Fatal Inertia (Xbox 360, Koei): 7.5 / 7
Stranglehold (PS3/Xbox 360, Midway): 7.25 / 7.25
Wild Arms 5 (PS2, Xseed): 6.5 / 6.5
Soul Nomad (PS2, NIA America): 7.75 / 7.25
Metroid Prime 3 (Wii, Nintendo): 9.5 / 8.75 **Game of the month**
My Sims (Wii, EA): 8 / 8
Dewy's Adventure (Wii, Konami): 7 / 6.25
Tiger Woods 08 (Wii, EA): 7 / 8.25
Madden 08 (Wii, EA): 7.5 / 7.75
Boogie (Wii, EA): 7.75 / 6
Alien Syndrome (Wii, Sega): 6.25 / 5
Rune Factory: Fantasy Harvest Moon (NDS, Natsume): 5.75 / 6
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (NDS, Nintendo): 9.5 / 9.5 **Handheld game of the month**
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP, Konami): 7 / 7.25
Dragoneer's Aria (PSP, Koei): 5.75
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes (PSP, Namco Bandai): 6.75
Hot PXL (PSP, Atari): 6
Worms Open Warfare 2 (PSP/NDS, THQ): 7.5
Drawn to Life (NDS, THQ): 7
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During a presentation and Q&A at last night's Warhawk tournament at 3Rooms, Tameem Antoniades (co-founder of Ninja Theory) was asked what his response was to the criticism that Heavenly Sword was too short. He replied that Ninja Theory are definitely interested in extending the experience via downloadable content - but only if it sells well.
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Apparently, Sony is offering a pretty sweet deal overseas, in Sweden at the very least. Anyone who purchases a full-HD TV from Sony, will get either a free Playstation 3 unit or a 200EU rebate on the TV. On top of that, with every HD Ready TV purchased, buyers will receive a free Sony PSP.
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This week's edition of the regular Critical Reception column examines online reaction to Heavenly Sword, an anticipated PlayStation 3 release that critics say is "an impressive, epic hackandslash adventure" that "may not realize its full potential."

Billed as an action title that combines gameplay elements from the God of War and Dynasty Warriors series, PS3 owners and critics alike pinned high hopes on Heavenly Sword. Its success seems especially important for the PlayStation 3 at this point in time, given that the highly anticipated Lair recently debuted to a spate of below-average review scores. However, while Heavenly Sword's average rating of 80 out of 100 is described as "generally favorable" at Metacritic.com, many reviewers note dissatisfaction regarding its gameplay.
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This week marks the release of Heavenly Sword - and after months of anticipation, weeks of "making-of" videos and the annimated prequels, PS Blog is fired up to see the game make its way to store shelves.

Considered one of the most anticipated PS3 titles of the year, the buzz around Heavenly Sword continues to build as review scores begin to pour in from leading gaming sources. A sampling of the scores thus far include: Play Magazine ¿ 10/10, Game Pro Magazine ¿ 4.5/5, Game Informer Magazine ¿ 8.75/10, Electronic Gaming Monthly Magazine ¿ 8.33/10, GameZone.com ¿ 8.8/10, and 1Up.com - 8/10.

Here's what they're saying:
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Although the game was slated for release today, gamers and retailers are fighting past the frustration of yet another release date error. This time is a little different as the game is actually slated to be on sale today...
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Sept 6, 2007 Whatever complaints critics might have about Heavenly Sword's action, it's undeniable that its visuals - particularly its cutscenes - are some of the most striking to ever be put into a game. And it's the individual characters that really stand out, with hyper-expressive faces and broad, theatrical performances that are simultaneously riveting and ridiculous. At the center of it all is actor Andy Serkis, best known for his portrayals of King Kong and Lord of the Rings' Gollum. ... » Read More

The comparisons to God of War couldn't have been more accurate.

PlayStation 3 release Heavenly Sword boasts a blade-wielding protagonist, gripping action and spectacular cinematography.

Created by game studio Ninja Theory, Heavenly Sword tells the tale of Nariko, a passionate heroine who brandishes the Heavenly Sword to protect it from an invading king.

Heavenly Sword is a rare game where cut scenes are welcome. Andy Serkis -¿ best known to Lord of the Rings fans as Gollum ¿ lends his creative talents with impressive results. Facial animations are incredibly detailed and dripping with emotion, ranging from panic to elation to terror.
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This week's top rental charts from U.S. game rental company GameFly, representing the most requested games for the week ending September 7th, highlight both to-be-released and already released games in a unique demand-specific chart.

This week sees the overall charts dominated entirely by Xbox 360 titles, with Midway's Stranglehold, formerly in the second position for two straight weeks, rising to the top spot, displacing BioShock to the fourth position. EA's Medal of Honor: Airborne moves up one slot to second place, and Halo 3 slides from fifth to third, making room for Activision's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in spot five.
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