Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE are a hit with gamers. The Redmond company announced that it managed to break new milestones in 2009 in terms of the sheer volume of consoles sold, but also in the growth of the online community that has been building up around Xbox. The software giant has released the results of the year-over-year comparison of Xbox 360 sales, and has indicated that the number of consoles sold grew by 28% in 2009 compared to the previous year, according to data from the NPD Group. Microsoft sold no less than 30 million Xbox 360 consoles worldwide. And the boost in sales was also reflected in the expansion of the Xbox LIVE community, which now accounts for in excess of 20 million active members.

”We’ve always been confident that Xbox 360 offers more entertainment value than any other console on the market, and these latest numbers show that consumers agree,” revealed Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “We expect our growth to continue to accelerate. Our news at E3 next week will underscore our commitment to bringing blockbuster entertainment experiences to everyone and to growing the Xbox entertainment brand globally.”

The Redmond company claims that the 28% growth rate for Xbox 360 sales in 2009 has all competitors beat. The high number of Xbox console users has elevated the Xbox LIVE community to the position of the world's top entertainment network. Microsoft explains that the success is catalyzed by a number of factors, including access to a consistent catalog of movies and TV shows, the social networking capabilities, and the opportunity for gamers to play their favorite titles.

All Xbox 360 retail categories have generated over $14.5 billion in revenue over the Xbox 360 generation. Microsoft revealed that more than 1 billion items, both gaming titles and entertainment materials, had been accessed through the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. At the same time, the Xbox 360 helped gaming developers sell over $5.9 billion worth of content, with gamers acquiring on average 8.3 titles per person.