Existing owners of franchises on Xbox 360 are ‘defecting’ to PS3 for the sequels, according to data released by OTX’s GamePlan Insights – the videogame data and consumer opinion-grabbing service.

Gamasutra obtained the data, which shows the shift from one console to the other is quite pronounced on two upcoming big-name titles: Assassin’s Creed 2, which sees 15 per cent of those who own the original on 360 move machines, and Modern Warfare 2, which has swapped seven per cent of the original blast of Warfare’s owners from one camp to the other.

While obviously we’re happy about this, as it means the PS3 is still working up a head of steam, it’s hard to be excited about empty percentages being quoted – with no numbers attached they could mean anything. Plus the number of people who both own a PS3 and a 360, own the first in a series on one console and intend to pick up the sequel – well, it’s not uncommon, but it’s not going to be a huge number in the first place.

Negativity aside, why are we seeing this increase in the shift? A simple answer comes in the form of Xbox Live vs PSN – one costs money, one is free. Another easy reason comes in the form of the PS3’s recent price-drop, which saw many more people pick up a new console. And what do you want to do when you get a new console? Why, buy games for it, of course.

Maybe, though, it’s just the natural order restoring itself. Sony have dominated the last two generations of home consoles, and while they’ve seen a blip this time around, they’re merely making things right. It’s the circle of life.

[via Gamasutra]