14 DAY TRIAL // The Xbox 360 was the first next-generation console to appear and really introduce to people an HD gaming experience. Shortly after its release, Microsoft’s two main rivals, Nintendo and Sony, both released their current-generation platforms, in the form of the Wii and PlayStation 3.
According to the NPD sales data from the month of June, Microsoft is definitely quite happy to see that its console is the only one to record a 9 percent year-over-year increase, as opposed to its rivals, which have seen some pretty concerning drops in sales.
“Our console sales for the first half of the year actually grew 20 percent from January to June versus the same six months last year,” said Microsoft's Xbox 360/Xbox Live group product manager Aaron Greenberg. “We're the only console that grew in the first half of the year.”
This is essential in highlighting that even though it was the first console launched on the market, it is still recording some good pattern quite a while after its release. “I think what's interesting there is we were the first to market, so in many ways we're showing a lot of longevity,” he says. But one of the most important features that account for such a success is the online Live service, which attracts many people and generates big amounts of profit.
“Xbox Live data is kind of this untold phenomenon,” Greenberg says. “There are 20 million people there, but what are they doing? Are they buying more stuff?” He revealed that, in the first half of 2009, digital revenues increased by a whopping 73 percent. “That significantly outpaces what we saw in growth for console sales or software sales. It's continuing to become a bigger and bigger part of our business.”
Overall, Microsoft has all the right reasons to be smiling, especially since the winter holiday season is approaching, which means that sales are bound to increase and people are bound to play even more on Xbox Live.