Pete_LeGrant May 28, 2009 Industry, Tech, Xbox 360 1 views Comments Print This Post  Email This Post

Wow. It looks like somebody is going to have a swagger walking into E3. I imagine we’ll see more claims to fame from game developers just before E3.

Microsoft Corp. announced today that sales of Xbox 360 consoles have
passed the 30 million mark globally, with its Xbox LIVE community
swelling to more than 20 million active members. After the biggest year
in its history in 2008, Xbox 360 achieved the highest percentage growth
in hardware sales of any console so far in 2009, up 28 percent over the
previous year.1

The success of the platform can be measured
across the business, with Xbox LIVE now considered the world’s largest
global entertainment network. Increasing consumer desire to connect
with friends, download and enjoy blockbuster movies and TV shows, and
extend the life of their favorite games has been the primary driver
behind the growth of Xbox LIVE membership and the reason Xbox continues
to expand offerings on the platform.

“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,” said 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.”

Over the course
of this console generation, U.S. consumers alone have spent $14.5
billion across all categories on Xbox 360 at retail.1 This number
reflects strong interest in a comprehensive entertainment offering that
includes the ability to connect with others socially and to digitally
download entertainment, be it games, TV shows or movies. To date,
consumers have downloaded nearly 1 billion pieces of gaming and
entertainment content from Xbox LIVE Marketplace, including a broad
array of premium high- and standard-definition movies and TV shows from
top studios and networks around the world.2

In addition, Xbox
360 continues to be the platform of choice for the industry’s top
games, generating $5.9 billion in sales to date at U.S. retail for
third-party publishers, which is more than those of current-generation
consoles combined.1 Xbox 360 also leads current-generation consoles in
game purchases, with consumers owning an average of 8.3 titles each.1

Activity
on Xbox LIVE, the industry-leading online gaming and entertainment
service, surged following the launch of the New Xbox Experience in
November 2008. Since that time, the community has recorded a 136
percent increase in new members, TV and movie downloads have more than
doubled, and purchases of games, Game Add-ons and more on Xbox LIVE
Arcade have increased by 70 percent.2 Xbox LIVE reaches 26 countries
worldwide and is now in more homes than any satellite television
provider.2 Before the end of the year, the number of Xbox LIVE members
will surpass the number of subscribers to the largest cable provider.1
Consumers can expect more exciting announcements from Microsoft next
week as Xbox 360 kicks off the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the
world’s premier trade show for computer and video games and related
products, with its press briefing on Monday, June 1, in Los Angeles.