The Xbox 360 has tipped the 10 million customer mark in the US, making it the first of the current crop of gaming consoles to do so.
The achievement has prompted Microsoft executives to declare victory in the console war.
“History has shown us that the first company to reach 10 million in console sales wins the generation battle. We are uniquely positioned to set a new benchmark for the industry,” stated Don Mattrick, senior vice-president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft.
“This year will be the largest in the history of the video game industry, with Xbox 360 leading the charge in the US and abroad,” he added.
“Reaching an installed base of 10 million consoles in the US is a significant achievement and an essential milestone on the road to market leadership,” said Billy Pidgeon, research manager at IDC.
The Xbox 360 has recorded global sales of over 19 million.
Microsoft announced that the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV online helped boost Xbox LIVE global membership to over 12 million this month. The Xbox LIVE service has doubled in membership over the past year.
“Perhaps more important is the Xbox 360 worldwide online base — 12 million Xbox LIVE gamers is the largest community in the connected console games sector, which represents the greatest growth opportunity in the console market and where Microsoft has been the leader for two generations,” said Pidgeon.
By Niall Byrne
