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The Xbox 360 has sold 8 million units more than the PlayStation 3

Microsoft announced that 28 million Xbox 360s were sold worldwide by the end of 2008. Xbox 360 Product Management Director Aaron Greenberg proudly declared 2008 "was our biggest year ever in Xbox history".

Greenberg mentioned console price was an important component of their positive sales numbers stating, "The $199 price point (of the Xbox 360) was really critical to our success this holiday." This statement contrasts strongly with Sony which declared in late October there was no possibility of a PlayStation 3 price cut for the 2008 holiday season.

By cutting the price of the entry-level Xbox 360 in September to $199, Microsoft provided consumers an option that was less expensive than competing products from both Sony and Nintendo. Competing on price appears to have been a wise decision as Xbox 360 sales doubled the PlayStation 3 in November. 

Microsoft also announced that the Xbox Live community rose to over 17 million and online spending using Xbox Live increased 84 percent year-over-year. Although the Xbox 360 was released roughly a year before the PlayStation 3, Microsoft did not fail to mention the Xbox 360 has sold 8 million more units than the PlayStation 3 according to a Reuters article.

The positive sales numbers come despite the global recession reducing income that can be spent on luxuries for consumers throughout the world. Despite the recession, the video game industry appeared to be doing well at the start of the holiday season in 2008 as market researcher NPD has found video game sales rose 10 percent and reached $2.91 billion in November.

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Number means nothing but a marketing game.
By Nakecat on 1/6/2009 8:01:12 AM , Rating: 5
I'm wondering how many of out 28M were RRoD.

Personally, the numbers of unit sold doesn't matter to me but the quality does.




RE: Number means nothing but a marketing game.
By pjpizza on 1/6/09, Rating: 0
RE: Number means nothing but a marketing game.
By zerocool84 on 1/6/2009 10:35:26 AM , Rating: 5
I like to vote with my wallet and choose not to buy a product that was knowingly put to market with a high failure rate. Everybody should have done this. I don't own a PS3 or 360 and am selling my Wii cus I don't even touch it any more.


RE: Number means nothing but a marketing game.
By i3arracuda on 1/6/2009 4:07:07 PM , Rating: 5
quote:
selling my Wii cus I don't even touch it any more.


Woah, don't they make a pill for that?


RE: Number means nothing but a marketing game.
By Staples on 1/6/2009 10:08:21 AM , Rating: 3
5m is a conservative guess. I do not know a single person who has a launch unit that still works and that is out of 10 people. The numbers may be somewhat inflated because of terrible quality.


By Steve Guilliot on 1/6/2009 6:14:58 PM , Rating: 4
I have a launch unit that has been trouble-free and well-used. Admittedly, I did remount the heatsink with AS.


By duzytata on 1/7/2009 2:31:38 AM , Rating: 2
Both a friend and I have launch consoles and they're been perfect from day one. My gamer card has 14k points and his has over 16k so we've put a lot of time into our gaming. I even ran my 360 for three days straight running driver races on Forza 2 to make money. However, another one of my friends has a launch console and it red ringed. The 9 other people on my friends list though bought consoles later and have newer revisions. No problems so far with them.


By bob4432 on 1/6/2009 3:48:34 PM , Rating: 2
i would estimate 30% failure rate. i have yet to meet somebody that hasn't had at least 1 360 that hasn't rrod that really uses it. i know more than a few that have bought 2-3 because the gaming is very good, at least for a console ;)

that being said, w/ the 65nm ones finally out wonder how that will effect the rrod, won't know for another year or so.

ms should realistically wipe off the first 8M they sold the first year since i believe their failure rate was very high w/ the way the responded w/ their warranty extensions and offering a warranty extension for a particular problem...


By golfjam on 1/7/2009 10:43:09 AM , Rating: 2
I've own 2 Xbox360. Sold my 1st one to get a HDMI version and never got a RROD. Maybe it's luck but I have a lot of friends w/ no problems at all.


If you running Vista Premium or Ultimate
By PAPutzback on 1/6/2009 8:21:01 AM , Rating: 5
Then those 360 Arcades are a steal for use as an extender. You get a DVD player, Netflix access and the ability to access almost everything media wise on your Host PC. Very cool stuff.




By mikecel79 on 1/6/2009 8:29:37 AM , Rating: 5
The exact reason I decided to buy one. Purchasing an extender was almost as much as a 360 and I got a pretty good game console out of it too.


RE: If you running Vista Premium or Ultimate
By Staples on 1/6/09, Rating: 0
RE: If you running Vista Premium or Ultimate
By FITCamaro on 1/6/2009 10:27:41 AM , Rating: 2
I'd love to know how you record video with your 360.

And the interface with my TVersity server is flawless. It works brilliantly.


By Tacoloft on 1/6/2009 5:13:48 PM , Rating: 2
The 360 is a media center extender- so in effect you are recording with your pc albeit using the 360 extender interface as the medium to do it.


By 16nm on 1/7/2009 10:15:38 AM , Rating: 2
I use WMC a lot and while it is not perfect, it is very good especially for the price considering the free tv guide, recording, etc.


RE: If you running Vista Premium or Ultimate
By Homerboy on 1/6/2009 10:09:54 AM , Rating: 2
Honestly, I'd rather drop maybe $100 more and set up a PC running XBMC that GREATLY outperforms and outplays anything a 360 an do. XMBC can't "access almost everything media wise" it CAN access EVERYTHING media wise. I refuse to use disks anymore in my house. DVD images (and/or compressed to XVID) via a commonly shared source (server) are the only way to do things, and for that matter the only way I have done things for 6+ years.


RE: If you running Vista Premium or Ultimate
By Natfly on 1/6/09, Rating: 0
RE: If you running Vista Premium or Ultimate
By kelmerp on 1/6/2009 1:54:53 PM , Rating: 2
Xbox 360 plays divx/xvid ever since '07....


By Staples on 1/6/2009 3:24:23 PM , Rating: 1
As I said earlier and was modded down by a Microsoft appologist I am sure, an extender for Media Center, it supports MPEG1 and SOME WMV. It does not save the position where you stop and when it chokes over video, it freezes for a minute or two. It is a terrible video player.

However, there is a dashboard player that works pretty well for playback and supports many more formats including xvid and divx. If they could combine the best of both players, then they might actually have something that I would recommend.


By Jovec on 1/6/2009 3:41:07 PM , Rating: 3
I'm guessing there are restrictions to what an extender can play, since the 360 can play Xvid from the dashboard but not as an extender.

*This* is a reason to hate MS and other similar companies. There is no good reason for this arbitrary BS.


By xNIBx on 1/6/2009 4:38:41 PM , Rating: 2
Why get an extender and use transcoding and shit when you can buy a standalone media player(that plays even 1080p x264 encoded movies) for 120$?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...


Consumers are idiots
By BansheeX on 1/6/2009 3:31:26 PM , Rating: 3
Shelf price is everything, to analysts and consumers. It's so lame. Lower the shelf price to $200, and no one will notice the overpriced upgrades and netplay fees until they've already paid them. The nickle dime strategy is taking over everything, printers do the same thing. Here buy our cheap printer, what a great value... then you go home and realize that ink is $30 a pop. Same thing with the 360, look at how much MS charges for a 120gb hard drive: $100. A 320gb WD off newegg is $75 for the PS3. Netplay fees? $200 for four years of ownership. $0 on the PS3. $200 for an external BD player. $0 on the PS3. $100 for the wireless adapter. $0 on the PS3. Don't tell me everyone who buys an Arcade model intends to buy none of these. They're fooled, plain and simple.




RE: Consumers are idiots
By itzmec on 1/6/2009 4:19:15 PM , Rating: 2
dude, all those prices are options. dont need one of those metioned to game on the 360.


RE: Consumers are idiots
By StevoLincolnite on 1/6/2009 10:39:57 PM , Rating: 2
Well for $199 (or $298 Australian) You get a console which can run all games, and can game on Xbox Live! Pick up the 120gb HDD for $199 and it works to $497 which is $27 cheaper than the Elite. (Money is better in our pockets than theirs).

However! Got an Arcade or a Core console? Grab a 20gb HDD from xbox.com for 20 bucks, shipped and ready to go.

As for a Wireless adapter, just buy a Wireless Point and connect it to the Xbox, Or do as I do, which is I have my Notebook and Xbox 360 in the spare room, I run an Ethernet Cable from my Notebook to my Xbox, and the Notebook picks up the Wireless transmission from my Wireless router, which is in-turn connected to my ADSL 2+ gateway router, works like a charm.

Plus if your an Aussie, if you sign up for iiNet Broadband access, Xbox Live! is free downloads, plus you get a years worth of Xbox Live! Gold membership.

Blueray? I rather online media over blue-ray, I don't have to go out and buy discs that eventually get borrowed by friends and relatives, scratched and lost or forgotten about, plus being on demand I only have to wait for a buffer, or the download to finish. (15 minuets as apposed to an hour to travels around town to find a place that sells Blueray?)

So I did buy an Arcade, but I was smart about it, intelligence is usually required in order to save money, however I would have saved MORE money by not buying the console, but I wouldn't be as entertained. :)


RE: Consumers are idiots
By duzytata on 1/7/2009 2:43:49 AM , Rating: 2
I have a Pro system and 20GB is just fine for me, all I store is arcade games and save files. I run an Ethernet cord for live access, and I never pay more than $30 for 13 months of live when I shop around. External BD player? I just stream HD content from PC with 800GB of hard drive space directly to my 360.

The 360 was a great deal for me. I didn't want to spend the extra money on PS3 with features I'm not going to use.


How do you Mod?
By kart17wins on 1/6/2009 9:24:44 AM , Rating: 2
This may seem like a dumb question but how do you mod (which I assume is rate) comments?




RE: How do you Mod?
By austinag on 1/6/2009 10:12:26 AM , Rating: 3
Once you have posted enough comments, the option will appear at the bottom of each comment for an article, and at the top of each comment section will be the number of ratings you have earned in that topic area.

So start spouting off about everything and earn some "not worth reading" vengance!


RE: How do you Mod?
By Smilin on 1/6/2009 2:40:08 PM , Rating: 2
There is a faq on it.

Couple things to keep in mind:
Number of votes available grows along with the number of posts.
Posting yourself stops your ability to vote and also erases any votes you may have already cast. (by posting a comment today you won't be allowed to vote)


Sony funding the Xbox ?
By crystal clear on 1/6/2009 8:46:09 AM , Rating: 2
Should be interesting to read-

Race for a New Game Machine, by David Shippy and Mickie Phipps,

New book from IBMers: Sony suckered into funding Xbox chip

Portions of an article-

The second party of the story is framed by the WSJ writer as the "inside scoop," and it reportedly details how IBM repurposed part of the Cell design (the general-purpose processor core, or "PPE" unit) for Microsoft's Xbox 360. IBM engineers in the company's Austin facility were apparently working on chips for the rival consoles in cubicles next to each other, chips that shared key technology (again, the PPE).

in the end, what happened is pretty straightforward and turns more on software and media format issues than anything else (at least in my telling of the story). Microsoft beat Sony to market because it didn't have to wait on Blu-ray drives to be ready for prime time in terms of cost and blue laser diode availability; then, Microsoft's development tools were easier to use. So the Xbox 360 was earlier to market and easier for developers to work with, and that was the one-two punch that put the PS3 on the ropes

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20090104-new-...




By DontUhatePants on 1/7/2009 1:49:36 AM , Rating: 2
Will be picking up when i see it in a store (im old fashioned.. no online purchase for me).

I just hope its a nuetral book.. no hinting to one side or the other, just facts and comments based on the facts..

wishful thinking?


What??
By bandstand124 on 1/6/09, Rating: -1
RE: What??
By Rockjock51 on 1/6/2009 9:54:57 AM , Rating: 5
The one with the longest, most pointless post.


RE: What??
By austinag on 1/6/2009 10:01:35 AM , Rating: 3
Seriously.
When I read that post all I see is:

I like to watch myself type. Type,type,type,type,type,weeeeeeee.


RE: What??
By FITCamaro on 1/6/2009 10:30:41 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
The one that doubles as a heater?


Both the 360 and the PS3 heat up a room pretty nicely. The fact that the PS3 has had few cooling issues doesn't take away from the fact that it outputs a good amount of heat.

And good lord man.


RE: What??
By Gzus666 on 1/6/2009 10:38:16 AM , Rating: 2
What cooling issues did the PS3 have? I haven't heard anything beyond the thing being hot to the touch in places. Never heard of overheating issues with the unit itself.


RE: What??
By DASQ on 1/6/2009 11:42:31 AM , Rating: 2
The only 'heat' related issue I have is when the fan spins up a lot while I play PS2 games on it. That big fan is pretty loud at full bore.


RE: What??
By Tacoloft on 1/6/2009 5:20:33 PM , Rating: 2
The same thing was happening to me but I found a sweet spot in my cabinent and now my PS3 is fairly quiet. I simply moved it away from the right side of the shelf to about 8" more in the center and this fixed it. It's all about airflow.


RE: What??
By Hiawa23 on 1/6/2009 1:41:45 PM , Rating: 2
I own both the PS3 & 360, infact 2 360's & love it. 50 games on the 360, 6 for the PS3, & my newer 360 actually puts out less heat than the PS3, much less, & with the game installs is as quiet as the PS3, so many can continue to hate on MS, yes, they ought to be hung for the RROD issue, I had my launch console repaired too, so I understand the hateraid, but the $199 360 is a genius move by MS. The console is cheaper than a Wii, ur enhanced Gamecube.

Sony is going to have to lower the price of the PS3 & take an even larger loss. It seems clear that many bought the PS3 initally cause it was the cheapest Blu ray player, but now prices have fallen on standalones, PS3s aren't flyin off the shelves anymore, & Sony is going to have to do something. I own all three consoles, pull for no one, good to see the 360 doing better than the Xbox1 did. Good for MS.


RE: What??
By bandstand124 on 1/7/2009 3:59:28 PM , Rating: 2
Friend, you should read my big, long, boring post above, it lampoons you perfectly!


RE: What??
By Whaaambulance on 1/6/2009 12:02:13 PM , Rating: 1
Copy Pasta. Yummy.


RE: What??
By DontUhatePants on 1/7/2009 1:51:10 AM , Rating: 1
Was this one of the moments where it was amusing in your head...


"If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on shelves for more than five minutes, I'll give you 1,200 bucks for it." -- SCEA President Jack Tretton











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