14 DAY TRIAL // There's a pretty tough console war going on out there, with the top three producers, Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony, fighting for every customer. But it seems that, slowly but surely, the winners are starting to reveal themselves, according to the recent sales charts and studies made by industry analysts.
Microsoft has recently seen some very interesting results in markets where it was previously dominated by its Arch rivals, like Sony or Nintendo. This was largely due to the price cut the North American manufacturer employed on all of its Xbox 360 versions, making them the cheapest products on the market, and, for price-conscious customers, the best choice this holiday season.
Now it seems that, thanks to the price cut and the fact that it employed several bundles, Microsoft has recorded the biggest sales since it first launched its games and entertainment division in Europe. The sales recorded show that the company has experienced an almost 100 percent growth since December 2007, in terms of units moved and first-party games shipped.
Chris Lewis, the European regional vice president in charge of Interactive Entertainment Business, stated that: “Christmas 2008 was a resounding success for Xbox 360. 2008 saw us grow faster than any of our competitors and we over-achieved in sales during the crucial Christmas selling period. With eight million consoles sold since we launched, and consistently out-selling PlayStation 3 in EMEA, we’re poised to build on this success in 2009. As we move into 2009 and an uncertain economic climate, we continue to be committed to offering the right blend of gaming and entertainment experiences at the right price.”
It definitely seems that the North American company has found a recipe for the success of its Xbox 360 console. Although the recession made its presence felt this holiday season, sales were still up, but let's not forget that Microsoft stated some time ago that it would approach this new year in a “cautiously optimistic” way and it was prepared to employ other measures in order to maintain the Xbox 360 on top of its rivals.