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Xbox Live download sales jump 73 percent, Nintendo boasts DS success

17 July 2009 12:54 by James "Dela" Delahunty | 8 comments

Microsoft has responded to the sales figures published by the NPD Group by revealing that paid downloads have increased on the Xbox Live service by 73 per cent year-over-year for H1 2009. The Xbox 360 console is the only home console to see growth so far in 2009, with Nintendo's DS handheld portable also experiencing a sales increase over last year.

In June 2009, Microsoft managed to sell 241,000 units of the Xbox 360 console, roughly a 20 percent increase over June 2008. Additionally, Microsoft went on to point out that third-party software sales for its platform totaled $168 million in June, a higher figure than enjoyed by Sony or Nintendo.

The Redmond-based software giant is also boasting a 20 million-strong active user base for the Xbox Live service. Sony has recently announced good news for its own services however. Sony's Peter Edward revealed at a developer conference that seven million people have signed up for PlayStation Home, with three million of them coming from Europe.

Nintendo also boasted about the June 2009 success of its Nintendo DS platform, revealing that 424,000 units of the total 766,000 units sold were of the new DSi model. It went on to say that the DS hardware sales were higher than all other consoles combined. Additionally, the company said 374,000 units of its new MotionPlus accessory for the Wii were sold (205,000 with EA's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10).

Overall the June 2009 U.S. figures were disappointing for the industry, representing the worst results in 9 years, as reported.

Permalink to this article | Topics: Consoles Gadgets

August U.S. NPD console numbers released (11 September 2009)

U.S. gaming sales down 29 percent in July (13 August 2009)

Nintendo sells 600,000 copies of Wii Sports Resort in Europe (8 August 2009)

DSi sales pass 3 million in Japan (6 August 2009)

Nintendo DS pirate gets jail time (5 August 2009)

Facebook integrated into Nintendo DSi (3 August 2009)

UK ISP cuts off alleged unauthorized file sharers (24 July 2009)

U.S. June gaming sales drop sharply, shock analysts (16 July 2009)

US hardware sales collapse in May (12 June 2009)

DSi sales break April record (15 May 2009)

US video game sales down large in April (15 May 2009)

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DXR88 (Senior Member) 17 July 2009 13:26
Thats because all the good stuff costs might be just 20 points but it still costs [ + quote]
keith1993 (Member) 17 July 2009 13:40
*Quote:* The Redmond-based software giant is also boasting a 20 million-strong active user base for the Xbox Live service. Yeah but PC gamers have to sign up to Xbox live to play Games For Windows live games online so thats hardly a fair statistic. [ + quote]
lxhotboy (Member) 18 July 2009 0:35
*Quote:* *Quote:* The Redmond-based software giant is also boasting a 20 million-strong active user base for the Xbox Live service. Yeah but PC gamers have to sign up to Xbox live to play Games For Windows live games online so thats hardly a fair statistic. Is this 20 million Live users meaning xbox 360 live users or including those on PC? Just curious? *Quote:* Additionally, Microsoft went on to point out that third-party software sales for its platform totaled $168 million in June, a higher figure than enjoyed by Sony or Nintendo. Xbox360 still remains the most played console with the best attach rate, but is the attach rate higher than the PS3's b/c xbox360 has a bigger lineup of games or b/c when someone buys a PS3 they have less money left to spend on games? Attach rates really prove Wii is a gimmicky console. I hardly play mine but if they had the power of of other consoles, the right software the Wii could be cleaning even more house than just in the sales dept. Well Nintendo isnot complaining. Look at all the money they are making just off consoles b/c of their low production cost. [ + quote]
keith1993 (Member) 19 July 2009 7:42
Games For Windows Live games (GTA IV, FUEL, etc.) require an Xbox Live account that's made through your PC it won't include Windows Live but it will include the PC gamers who have been forced into making Xbox accounts even thought they don't have Xbox's. [ + quote]
DXR88 (Senior Member) 19 July 2009 11:56
*Originally posted by keith1993:* Games For Windows Live games (GTA IV, FUEL, etc.) require an Xbox Live account that's made through your PC it won't include Windows Live but it will include the PC gamers who have been forced into making Xbox accounts even thought they don't have Xbox's. Windows live and Xbox live are not the same despite the name [ + quote]
keith1993 (Member) 19 July 2009 12:07
Sorry if I wasn't clear I was pointing out that I know but you need an Xbox Live account (as in the sort you make on your 360) to play Games For Windows Live games on PC. You do not use your Windows Live account for reasons that are beyond me. And yes your Windows Live account. [ + quote]
DXR88 (Senior Member) 20 July 2009 2:28
*Originally posted by keith1993:* Sorry if I wasn't clear I was pointing out that I know but you need an Xbox Live account (as in the sort you make on your 360) to play Games For Windows Live games on PC. You do not use your Windows Live account for reasons that are beyond me. And yes your Windows Live account. Yes, so i'm quite sure this is For XBL And not WDL. the only content im aware of on WDL would be full expansion packs. Fallout3 would be an example of this. [ + quote]
ZippyDSM (AfterDawn Addict) 20 July 2009 21:26
*Quote:* *Quote:* *Quote:* The Redmond-based software giant is also boasting a 20 million-strong active user base for the Xbox Live service. Yeah but PC gamers have to sign up to Xbox live to play Games For Windows live games online so thats hardly a fair statistic. Is this 20 million Live users meaning xbox 360 live users or including those on PC? Just curious? *Quote:* Additionally, Microsoft went on to point out that third-party software sales for its platform totaled $168 million in June, a higher figure than enjoyed by Sony or Nintendo. Xbox360 still remains the most played console with the best attach rate, but is the attach rate higher than the PS3's b/c xbox360 has a bigger lineup of games or b/c when someone buys a PS3 they have less money left to spend on games? Attach rates really prove Wii is a gimmicky console. I hardly play mine but if they had the power of of other consoles, the right software the Wii could be cleaning even more house than just in the sales dept. Well Nintendo isnot complaining. Look at all the money they are making just off consoles b/c of their low production cost. You do realize at the WIIs current attach rate per unit its making more money for the industry, but more for nin itself right? Thats 50M X an attach rate of 5(rounded down) is roughly 250 000 000 games sold and the 360 is 7 rounded down to 30M units that's 210 000 000 games sold, meaning the WII is pushing approximately 40 million or so MORE titles, where as the 360 can push more genre specific titles per unit the WII just sales more games by being cheaper and more accessible. Attach rate's only helps publishers focus on what genre to what system by the end of the day its clear tho just release them on all systems it will turn a profit. ------------- Just because you can have live enabled PC games on your PC dose not mean you can have live on your PC, if MS was not so inept they would have put live on the 360 2 years ago, if you could have access to the games and stuff on it, it would be worth the 50$ a year for live. MS sucks for not putting the 360 on the PC already.... frankly I'd rather pay 25$ a month for it rather than be force to buy shotty hardware they put a one shot warrenrty on...... [ + quote]