March NPD: Microsoft points to YoY 360 rise in response
Xbox 360's sales were up 25 percent in March compared to last year, Microsoft said in its NPD response last night, making it the only console that actually increased sales in what was otherwise a dismal show.
The machine moved 330,000 units, with four 360 games included in the top 10. The 360 version of Resident Evil was top, with almost 1 million copies sold.
Full thing after the break.
March NPD results are in and Xbox 360 highlights include:
* Xbox 360 system sales hit 330,000 units, up 25 percent from a year earlier, making it the only console experiencing growth in March
* Xbox 360 claimed four of the top 10 video game titles in March
* Purchasers of Game Add-ons on Xbox LIVE surged 128 percent in March over the same period last year
Xbox 360 was the only game console to show year-over-year growth in the U.S. as the $199 starting price continued to resonate with consumers looking to get more entertainment value for their money. Retail sales of Xbox 360 systems hit 330,000 units in March, climbing 25 percent from a year earlier, in contrast to double-digit declines posted by Wii and PlayStation 3. March was the sixth month in a row that Xbox 360 has seen year-over-year sales growth.
Games on Xbox 360
Xbox 360 claimed four of the top 10 console games in March, including "Resident Evil 5," "Halo Wars," "MLB 2K09," and "Guitar Hero: Metallica" (March NPD data). The titles covered action, strategy, sports and music genres, highlighting the breadth of gaming experiences available on Xbox 360. Sales of third-party games on Xbox 360, a key measure of platform health, hit $185 million in March, more than any other system (March NPD data). Xbox 360 is also home to the most top-rated games of any current-generation console, with 139 titles earning a score of 80 or above on Metacritic, while no other console has even 100 such titles (Metacritic data).
Number of users buying content on Xbox LIVE more than doubles
Xbox LIVE extends the range of home entertainment experiences with more than 30,000 pieces of entertainment content. This includes more than 18,000 movies, TV shows and music videos via the LIVE Video Marketplace and more than 12,000 videos streamed through an exclusive partnership with Netflix. The number of unique users buying content on Xbox LIVE more than doubled, soaring 128 percent in March over a year earlier, driven by Game Add-ons like "Fallout 3: The Pitt," and blockbuster movies like "The Dark Knight" (Microsoft internal data).
Consumers get more entertainment on Xbox LIVE
2009 marks the year that we've take online console gaming and entertainment to new heights through downloadable games and Game Add-ons. Game Add-ons give Xbox 360 owners the ability to extend the life of their favorite games, whether it's new song tracks for music games, "The Pitt" expansion for "Fallout 3" or the "Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack," which launched April 9.
* In the first three months of 2009, we've seen 220 percent growth in the number of users purchasing Game Add-ons over the same period last year (Microsoft internal data)
· 63 games released 516 Game Add-ons on Xbox LIVE Marketplace in the first three months of 2009 – a 62 percent increase over the same period last year (Microsoft internal data)
· Exclusive Game Add-ons to Xbox 360 include "Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost and Damned," "Fallout 3: Operation Anchorage," "Fallout 3: The Pitt," "Gears of War 2 Snowblind Map Pack," and "Scene It? Box Office Smash!."