Exclusive: Pachter gives global 2008 hardware sales forecast

Speaking exclusively to videogaming247, Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter has released his global hardware sales forecast for 2008.

"I expect US and European Wii sales of 15 million units this year, expect sales of 360 to be 6.8 million, and expect sales of PS3 to be 10.3 million," he said. "I expect Japanese sales of 3.5 million Wiis, 2.8 million PS3 and 300,000 Xbox 360s."

Pachter earlier gave total estimates for the two machines in the US and Europe when speaking about projected GTA IV sales, saying that by year-end he expected 16.3 million PS3s and 21.3 million Xbox 360s to be installed in the two main gaming territories outside Japan.

Which is all a tad academic if you're Nintendo, obviously: another 18.5 million Wii sales this year is hardly going to harm its cause.