14 DAY TRIAL // As far as Microsoft is concerned, the Xbox 360 has left both PlayStation 3 and Wii in the dust. The Redmond company popped the champagne and started applauding Xbox 360 victory in the race against rival products from Sony and Nintendo, arguing that its console was the first of this generation to reach the 10 million sold units on the U.S. market. "History has shown us that the first company to reach 10 million in console sales wins the generation battle. We are uniquely positioned to set a new benchmark for the industry", explained Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft.
Microsoft's gaming system sold in excess of 19 million items worldwide, the company revealed, but the strongest emphasis is placed on the U.S. market, which accounts for well over half of Xbox 360's install base worldwide. "This year will be the largest in the history of the video game industry, with Xbox 360 leading the charge in the U.S. and abroad", Mattrick added.
A total of 19 million Xbox 360 consoles worldwide translates in a very strong gaming community for Microsoft. In fact, Xbox LIVE, the network built around the Xbox 360 increased in size to over 12 million members across the world, with Microsoft giving credit where credit is due for the explosion of added audience, namely the launch of "Grand Theft Auto IV", on April 29, 2008.
But the success of the Xbox 360 could be felt even earlier this year, as Microsoft posted the financial results for the third quarter of the 2008 financial year. In this regard, console sales contributed to boosting the revenue of the Entertainment and Devices division by no less than 68% as compared to Q3 2007.
"Reaching an installed base of 10 million consoles in the U.S. is a significant achievement and an essential milestone on the road to market leadership", added Billy Pidgeon, research manager at IDC. "Perhaps more important is the Xbox 360 worldwide online base - 12 million Xbox LIVE gamers is the largest community in the connected console games sector, which represents the greatest growth opportunity in the console market and where Microsoft has been the leader for two generations."