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Business Classic Culture DS Feature GameCube Interview MMORPG PC PlayStation 2 PlayStation 3 Podcast Poll Portable Preview PSP Random Review Rumor Spore Stuff Wii Xbox June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 September 2007 March 2007 October 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005January 4, 2008
Xbox 360 Sales Surge Ahead (With A Little Help From Halo 3)
Today Microsoft announced the number of Xbox 360 consoles shipped to date and it's a pretty staggering amount. In total they've shipped 17.7 Million total consoles with over 4.4 Million consoles shipped during the holiday season. Keep in mind that by "shipped" they mean "sold to retail", so while Microsoft has its money, that doesn't necessarily mean that nearly 18 Million people currently own an Xbox 360.
Another impressive number touted by Microsoft was that nearly half of all Xbox 360 owners also own Halo 3, which shipped 8.1 Million copies since its release at the end of September. Mass Effect also showed impressive numbers with 1.6 Million shipped during the six weeks since it has been released.
In comparison, Sony has shipped 5.59 Million PS3s and Nintendo has shipped 13.7 Million Wiis (up until September 30th). Both Sony and Nintendo are expected to report their holiday sales in the coming weeks so we won't know who is leading the "console wars" just yet.
It's pretty amazing that two years since the release of the latest "next-gen" console we're still right in the middle of a dogfight between all three companies. This is fast becoming one of the most interesting console wars to date, with the previous underdog shooting to first place, the previous champion falling to the bottom, and the newest contender jumping up to a strong second place. With so many variables to account for it's hard to predict what will happen this year: without another Halo for Microsoft will they be able to keep up the sales? Will Sony's popular exclusives give it the boost it needs? Will the Nintendo Wii become a gimmick or continue to sellout in record time?
Which console do you think will "win" in 2008?
If they're saying "shipped", is that including all the warranty returns from the the Red Ring of Death and other defects? (Were the melting power cords from the 360 or the original?)
Posted by Miral at January 4, 2008 2:17 AMThat adoption rate for Halo 3 is staggering. That has to be the highest rate ever for a non packed in game.
Posted by doctor_kaz at January 9, 2008 11:19 AMPlease keep your comments relevant to this entry: inappropriate or purely promotional comments may be removed. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.