NPD Numbers: The Microsoft Take

You've seen the raw numbers, now read the Microsoft spin on them. There is no arguing that September was an amazing month for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft. The went from second to first place, pushed by the astounding sales of Halo 3. Here are some of their bullet points for the month:

[BLACKJACK VII]

Whoa. I'll say this, Sony fans you DO NOT want to read this article !!!

If nasim or lightning reads this, they will have a heart attack !!

Unbelieveable sales numbers.....

Looks like it's the CASH EFFECT for Microshizzle !!!

[S1D3 EFFEC7]

"Xbox 360 software revenue at retail outsold PS3's software portfolio 8:1 and Wii's 4:1, selling 3 times more than both platforms combined.
o For the month of September according to NPD, Xbox 360 software represented 74 percent of total software sales for the next generation market compared to 17 percent for Wii and 9 percent for PS3. Even without the sales of "Halo 3" the Xbox 360 portfolio outsold the PS3 portfolio 2:1.

Additionally, Xbox 360 is home to the best-selling games with the top-rated next-generation titles.
o According to the world-wide authority in entertainment reviews, Metacritic, Xbox 360 has 80 titles with a Metacritic review score of 80 or higher compared to just 31 for PS3 and 11 for Wii.

o Newly released title "The Orange Box" (Valve) and the highly anticipated title "Mass Effect" (Microsoft Game Studios) have both generated rankings of 97 and higher according to Metacritic. And not to forget "BioShock" (2KGames) which remains one of the year's highest rated games."

That amazes me.

[SoulBrotha3292]

i guarentee all th e ps3 guys gonna make up some big excuses and say suttin like oo this the wronc nalculatons

[razer]

Looks like this has silenced the doubters..

(doesn't hold his breath)

[BLACKJACK VII]

Damn razer, Mr. T is cool & all, but your last avatar was HOOOOOOOOOTTT !!!

Who was she anyway ???

[games4fun]

sony didn't do to well that month... what?

[Mallow]

More BS by BS sites that have MS c0ck shoved up their asses

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Yeah, I'm joking. Gee I wonder why ? Could it be that 360 has a ton more games out right now ? I mean that could be the key.
PS3 will get it's time in the sun when games release, uncharted, UT3, nov' area and in 2008 when the big PS3 titles hit but for now it's MS's ball, they have home court. Impressive numbers

[STICKzophrenic]

...but you also have to remember that in its first year, it had the highest game attach rate in history. From launch until now, there has been nothing but an abundance of quality titles for Xbox 360.

I'd be interested to find out what the attach rate is currently and how much (if) it's changed in the past six months to a year or so.

[WIIIS1]

There were those who said Halo 3 wouldn't move consoles. Which rock are they under now?

More great games to look forward to - VF5 with the all important online play and Mass Effect!

Also looking forward to that great blu-ray player price cut which might change my mind about Sony games.

[power of Green]

MSFT needs to spill "some" beans so the new owners have some idea of what they have to look forward to, to keep the hype up. Although I wouldn't wan't them to change their stradegy keeping their mouths shut about the future. I think it helps them sell software "NOW", no one's ignoring games that release now or soon for more advanced; more next-gen" games in the future.

[joydestroy]

i agree with that first guys comment on kotaku...rocked.

i will sh!t myself if Sony comes back and takes it all...
i will seriously sh!t myself.

i love 'em both though. i just want the competition to heat up more so better games come to us. i want the bar to keep raising.

[sanderFVCKINcohen]

Even though im only a 360 owner, but.....SONY SONY SONY, please be competitve and impress me, than ill buy the PS3. Beleive me I have the money, just do something amazing, thats what Ive been waiting for. Final Fantasy & MGS4 is not enough, give something refreshing and NEW.

[joydestroy]

i was skeptical when i got my PS3, especially when i went across the street to a blockbuster game rush and saw how many games it had compared to my 360...it was kinda scary to tell you the truth.

but after i got home, unboxed it, and sat it next to my 360, i thought to myself look at the difference in hardware quality. it puts my 360 to shame. &then i turned it on, and could barely hear it...i was amazed.

just seeing it in all it's sexyness put my worries to rest...the games will come, i know it. Sony knows what they're doing.

[Mr Marbles]

now stop, you were doing fine until you said Sony knows what they are doing, Sony can not stop proving that they have no clue what they are doing, lets keep it real here.

[sjappie]

one of the things holding me back is that it seems Sony still doesn't seem to know what they're doing. But, as soon as Bluray movies can be rented here in where I live, I think I'll get a ps3, mainly for watching movies.

[Chris_GTR1]

now THAT was amazing news. i didnt realize just how much pownage ms was actually doing till now. im shure this news is gonna get 360 owners alot more exclusives come 2008,09,10

[sanderFVCKINcohen]

If more & more Americans keep buying 360s; Developers in Japan are going to except the 360, just to get into the US market. Hell, we just might have a MGS4 & many other exclusive to PS3 for 360 if the 360 keeeps selling like this.

[andy001]

It seems Microsoft still need to bash the other side in order to promote their own console. I read Sony's response too which is all about Sony, as you would expect (add up all of Sony's console sales and it is about the same as Microsofts 'only' console). Microsoft's response is just a whole bunch of insults and for a consumer who has both consoles, that is not the way to make the 360 my preferred console when buying multi platform games.

I personally detest this type of marketing and when Microsoft was the underdog the Xbox was my favourite console. Now it seems that they are simply arrogant and 'snarky'. It almost seems desperate, and is very similar to their approach to Apple and Linux.

Well Microsoft, you have lost a sale of Call of Duty 4 and Assassins Creed to the PS3, simply because of your attitude. Hope you are happy with your one game console (until Halo 3 comes out on PC and then you are a zero game console)

[KingJames1906]

But while your being critical of a company of boasting, why don't you put your money where your mouth is. I suppose you forgot the Sony boasting like;

"We feel very confident that the PlayStation fan is going to wait until they can get a PlayStation 3. If they do pick up a Wii, it's as more of a novelty."

Dave Karraker, senior director of corporate communications at SCEA a in an interview with the Wall Street Journal

"PS2's Dual Shock controller is the de-facto industry standard for video games.” And “We define the standard for the man-machine interface for playing games.”

Phil Harrison, president of Sony Worldwide Studios, in an interview with GameSpot

“You can look at the software that they sell. All their licensed kid stuff. So, what we're doing with the PlayStation Portable is really establishing a new marketplace, and establishing, frankly, a new beachhead.” [comparing DS to PSP]

Sony US Senior Vice President of Marketing, Peter Dille in an interview with Engadget

"…for consumers to think to themselves ‘I will work more hours to buy one’. We want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else."

– Ken Kutaragi, explaining their marketing goals for the PS3

"We do not care."

– Ken Kutaragi, regarding competition from Microsoft and Nintendo

Or my personal favortie

"I wish that they would come up with some strategies of their own, but they seem to be going down the path of everything we do."

– Kaz Hirai, regarding Microsoft “copying” their strategies

So I hope you don't purchase ANY of the products or services offered by any these companies; Sony, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Dell, HP, Apple, Microsoft, Nissan, Honda, Ford, GM, Western Digital, Samsung, BMW, General Electric, Sharp, or any other public/ private company. They all bash each other. I'm sure you can google any of these companies annual or quarterly statements and you'll find some bashing of their competiors somewhere. Believe me, if Sony had a good NPD from 2006 - 2007 for PS3, you would see bashing going on there as well. Just look at the quotes above. So I guess you'll be buying nothing if that's what turns you off. That's your business and good luck with that.

[andy001]

Most of what you quote doesn't mention MS at all, and that is just the usual PR stuff. We could easily compare similar press 'quotes' all day, which are usually taken out of context by the media in order to create more pageviews.

This is an official press release, not a slip of the tongue, or a comment taken out of context. I am surprised you do not see the difference.

If the PS3 does eventually overtake Microsoft and then start issuing press release which are bashing the competition rather than focussing on improving their own products, then yes, the PS3 will lose my business, without a doubt.

[KingJames1906]

Your the one who was turned off by Microsoft by their spin. I quote

"I personally detest this type of marketing and when Microsoft was the underdog the Xbox was my favourite console. Now it seems that they are simply arrogant and 'snarky'. It almost seems desperate, and is very similar to their approach to Apple and Linux."

I assume you own a PC? So you think Microsoft has never bashed the competition (Linux or Apple) in the operating system business? You bet they did, that's how they got to number one. My issue with your post was ALL COMPANIES DO IT WHEN THEIR NUMBER ONE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE BUSINESS. I even say as much that you can google the annual or quarterly reports and believe me it's no slip of the tongue when they do it. So I guess you'll be loading Linux on your PC and removing Windows XP or Vista. And taking back that 360 or PS3 or Wii. Like I said, they all do it.

[JokesOnYou]

andy001 is just a wolf in sheeps clothing, sonykids always have double standards when it comes to micro, the only thing sony is leading this gen is in the amount of BS statements they've made, but do sonykids care, nah its sony they are God.

Truth is he's just butt hurt cause his favorite console is getting raped= in fact micro didn't say anything outrageous, they simply did what any company with advantages would do= they analyzed the sales data and pointed out their (huge) strengths, the ONLY way you could see the bullet points micro released as only "spin and insults" when in fact its almost purely FACTUAL STATEMENTS BASED ON NPD DATA is if you're a loyal sonykid and the #'s themselves bother you because of your loyalty,(just suck it up and give credit where credit is due),

the only comment that can even be considered not a statistical fact is "the helmet is mightier than the sword." -comment which was used perfectly to emphasize the point that even the most expensive Halo3 sku/version(comes with MC helmet) outsold the ps3's biggest seller(HeavenlySWORD) by twice as many units= again ANY *smart company SHOULD point out their strengths, @ andy=

JOY

[jessupj]

I can't disagree with this article. all i can say is, it was mighty depressing to read. I do think the 360 is in the prime of it's life atm though. I just pray to good we don't lose any more exclusives and developers actually start making proper upgrader ports to the PS3, instead of keeping it to the graphical standards of the the 360.

I still hate MS will all my worth, but nice job though.

[Gina-get-u]

Graphically speaking, I have not yet seen a PS3 game that made me say "wow, the 360 can't do that." I have seen LAIR (ugh), Heavenly Sword, and the latest Metal Gear demo at E4all. Up close and in HD. I've also seen the KZ2 vids. None of them look like something the 360 can't do. So tell me what's coming up on the PS3 that looks better than any of those games I just mentioned. And it has to be something waaaay better. Otherwise STFU already with this inferior 360 graphics crap because it doesn't add anything to the discussion.

[predator]

with all this money, i really think they can afford to go out and snap some development studios up after the 2nd party support lost from bioware and bizzare creations, i havent sed bungie cos ms are still publishing there games.

[JokesOnYou]

damm, this has got to be embarrassing for sony, check this out=

Xbox 360 Tops Console Sales in September and outsells PS3 5:1
(*a difference of 409,000 units sold for the month)

Xbox 360 software revenue at retail outsold PS3's software portfolio 8:1

For the month of September according to NPD, Xbox 360 software represented 74 percent of total software sales for the next generation market compared to 17 percent for Wii and 9 percent for PS3.

*Even without the sales of "Halo 3" the Xbox 360 portfolio outsold the PS3 portfolio 2:1

The $130 "Halo 3: Legendary Edition" ALONE sold twice as many units as the TOP TITLE FOR THE PS3 "Heavenly Sword" (SCE); *THE HELMET IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD.

Proving that Xbox 360 is the new home for sports gamers, "Madden NFL '08" (EA) on Xbox 360 was again the leading next gen platform with 173,000 units sold, compared to the PS3 at 62,000 and Wii at 58,000. To date, "Madden NFL '08" has sold 1.1 million units on Xbox 360, 87 percent more than other next-gen platforms combined. -Microsoft

WOW, its almost like micro is just b!tch slapping sony with these #'s, ha ha I can picture old Bill cursing 'n drinking while trying to dance and keep his nerdy fking glasses on, lmfao more salt in the wounds of sonykids=

JOY

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

This is going to piss off all 12 of the PS3 fans.

[S1D3 EFFEC7]

"Xbox 360 held six spots in the Top Ten Console Games, led by initial sales of "Halo 3" Xbox 360
o In its first two weeks, the three editions of "Halo 3" placed #1, 2 and 3 overall for console title sales - for a total of more than $225 million in sales in the U.S. with 3.3 million units. Average unit prices were $69 per game. The $130 "Halo 3: Legendary Edition" alone sold twice as many units as the top title for PS3 "Heavenly Sword" (SCE); the helmet is mightier than the sword."

Ouch. Hurts to be killed by a 640p title don't it? Looks like people still play games for FUN.

[ExLivingGhost]

now that Halo3 is out and fans who bought or already bought the Xbox 360 for Halo3 what exclusive games does the 360 has that doesnt sucks like Too Human for 2008? the only one i can think of is Fable 2. for me the 360 is completely screwed for 08.

[n4gno]

Forget september, and look at october, november : sony is already outselling ms in europe after 6 days with 399euro ps3., november,we'll see the same thing in japan and us.

gina, kz2 (or even ratchet and clank, hs, uncharted) can't be on other console.

[Lex Luthor]

Bloody hell, MS is kicking ass and taking names.