EL33TONLINE: News tag archive: nps

Microsoft must be pretty pleased to once again hit that coveted No. 3 spot in US hardware sales, as well as the fact that the Xbox 360 seems to be the preferred console for multiplatform releases, with Xbox 360 versions of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Madden 09 and Mercenaries 2 all outselling the versions on equivalent platforms.

Microsoft also touted their current install base of 11.3 million Xbox 360s in the US alone, while the console’s attractive price point for the Xbox 360 Arcade (half that of a PS3 and $50 less than a Wii) is also cause for flaunting. The Xbox 360 attach rate, currently at 8:1 they inform us, will stay strong with Microsoft’s upcoming release schedule including Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Lips, You’re in the Movies and Scene It? Box Offic Smash.

Microsoft are definitely in a strong position this holiday. Read the full release below and check out the NPD figures here.

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Microsoft believes a “record-breaking holiday” is on the cards thanks to the new $199 price tag for the Xbox 360 and the new Xbox Experience launching this fall.

The weekend retail results between the 5th and 7th of September show that console sales across all 360 models were up over 100% following the price drop and that the Xbox 360 Arcade sold six times more than the previous weekend.

NPD data shows that 195 000 Xbox 360’s were sold in the US in August, bringing lifetime sales of the 360 to 10.9 million in the US. Life-to-date spending on the 360 and games in the US now stands at $10.7 billion while the attach rate is 8.0 games per console.

According to Microsoft, the Xbox 360 “owns sports” because Madden NFL 09 for the 360 topped the software chart in August with over 1 million copies sold. It also touted sales figures for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09, the 360 version sold 56 000 copies in the first five days on sale, and NCAA Football 09, the 360 version sold 460 000 copies since launch, more than PS3 and Wii versions combined.

$94 million was spent on third-party games in August, with the 360 generating more money than other console: $4.1 billion or 58% of the market share. Microsoft believes that Gears of War 2, Fable II, Guitar Hero IV, Rock Band 2, Fallout 3 and Lips will all sell at least 1 million units each.

Check out the August NPD results here. You can also see how Nintendo and Sony responded.