according to Syphon Filter the
PS2 sold 106 m while the PS1 did 72 m.
the billions of dollars generated by the older systems after the start of the new gen are irrelevant because Sony and its partners are filthy rich.
the great games that debuted on the older systems are irrelevant since only early adopters deserve satisfaction.
the fact that the PS3 is thriving at expense of the Wii and its successor is irrelevant because Nintendo's console sold extremely well five years ago.
2008 is relevant while 2013 is irrelevant.
Wii sales collapsed years before the Wii U launch. Nowadays, the Wii U is trailing behind the GameCube.
And the PS3 is partially responsible (360 is doing a good job in NA)
PS3 ~ 2 (Wii + Wii U) YTD 2013
Nintendo is losing the seventh, the eighth generation, and if they don't wake up, they will lose their home console business.