Microsoft and Sony Respond to NPD Sales Charts

Right after the NPD Group released its monthly hardware and software sales charts, Microsoft and Sony have posted official statements about their performances, highlighting the areas where they managed to beat the competition.

The NPD Group posted the sales charts for the month of July earlier today, with Microsoft's Xbox 360 once again leading the console side, while NCAA Football 12 led the games charts.

As usual, the companies involved have released statements about their performances, with Microsoft and Sony stressing their impressive figures and sales momentum.

First up, Microsoft, via GamaSutra, pinned some actual numbers on the impressive performance of its Xbox 360, which managed to sell 277,000 units in the month of July, making it the fifth month this year in which the company held over 40 percent of the market share.

The company stressed that its console is on track to have its biggest year since its release back in 2005, and, with the launch of Gears of War 3 next month, Microsoft expects the "Xbox 360 to maintain its lead throughout the year, ending 2011 as the number one console worldwide."

The North American company also revealed that the special Kinect Fun Labs application from the Xbox Live Arcade service has seen over 1 million downloads since its release back in June, proving the major interest of Xbox 360 owners in Kinect experiences.

Sony, on the other hand, didn't have many bragging rights, as its senior director of corporate communications, Patrick Seybold, opted to highlight the performance of the PlayStation Move peripheral in the month of July.

"According to the July NPD, PlayStation peripheral sales increased by 18% year-over-year demonstrating a strong consumer interest in PlayStation Move and the Sharp Shooter," said Seybold, via Industry Gamers.

"PlayStation will continue this momentum in the fall with the release of Resistance 3, the groundbreaking shooter that combines 3D with Move and the Sharp Shooter. Our unmatched line-up of first-party software continues to deliver a gaming experience that can only be found on the PS3."

Nintendo, as of yet, hasn't commented on the NPD data.