Buried in November’s NPD video game sales data is an
interesting bit regarding the make-up of HD DVD hardware owners. According to
the tracking firm, the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on drive accessory has sold a collective 269,000
units in the U.S., making for a 3.4 percent attach rate with the console.
Microsoft does not openly share its sales figures on its
accessories, though a company representative did say in June that it had reached
155,000 units sold – showing a slow but steady adoption rate of the HD DVD
add-on.
The HD DVD Promotional Group announced in November that it
had sold more than 750,000 HD DVD players, including the Xbox 360 accessory, in
North America.
The updated numbers from NPD, if accurate, show that Xbox
360 owners with the HD DVD drive account for more than one-third of all
hardware owners of the high-definition format.
On the other hand, while standalone players are the majority
of HD DVD hardware, it is the gaming console that is leading the way for
Blu-ray Disc players. According to data released earlier this month, around
74 percent of all Blu-ray Disc players in North America are PlayStation 3
consoles.