Xbox had best Christmas in history (CVG 5/1/09)

Despite the much-touted crunching of credits, Microsoft is patting itself on the back after having had the "biggest sales period ever" in the history of the Xbox this Christmas.

Fourth-quarter sales of the console almost double that of the same period in 2007, MS confirms, bringing the total number of consoles sold in Europe, the Middle East and Africa up to eight million.


"Christmas 2008 was a resounding success for Xbox 360," says Chris Lewis, Regional Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business EMEA. "2008 saw us grow faster than any of our competitors and we over-achieved in sales during the crucial Christmas selling period. We reduced the entry-level Xbox 360 ERP in September, understanding the need for great value, and European consumers have responded enthusiastically," he added.

"With eight million consoles sold since we launched, and consistently out-selling PlayStation 3 in EMEA," he goes on to boast.

SCEE boss David Reeves said in December that he's "confident" that in PAL territories the PS3 installed base is "300,000 units ahead of Xbox 360".

The next batch of official figures should be interesting, then.