Analysts predict Xbox 360 will top October NPD charts

Industry analysts Michael Pachter and Jesse Divnich have donned their prediction hats and are expecting a repeat performance from Xbox 360 on the October US sales chart.

Issuing sales estimates ahead of NPD's official figures next week, both expect 360 to remain tops due to the slimmer model, Halo: Reach, and Fable III. Each still expect Ps3 sales to be high due to the 160GB model, and the release of Move with Wii continuing "to struggle".

Here are the estimated sales figures from both Wedbush and EEDAR, respectively, courtesy of CVG:

• 360 - 395,000 (+58 percent yoy) / 360,000 (+44 percent yoy)
• DS - 350,000 (-24 percent yoy) / 340,000 (-26 percent yoy)
• PS3 - 265,000 (-17 percent yoy) / 280,000 (-13 percent yoy)
• Wii - 205,000 (-60 percent yoy) / 200,000 (-61 percent yoy)
• PSP - 80,000 (-54 percent yoy) / 70,000 (-60 percent yoy)
• PS2 - 40,000 (-66 percent yoy) / N/A
• Total: 1,335,000 (-27 percent yoy) / 1,250,000 (-32 percent yoy)

Pachter predicts software sales of $555 million for the month, down 3 percent to last year's $573 million.

High profiles games in stores for the period, and expected to do well, are FIFA 11, Fable III, Fallout: New Vegas, Halo: Reach, Just Dance 2, Medal of Honor, and NBA 2K11.