Xbox 360 today announced that it had achieved
console sales to 10 million consumers across Europe, the Middle East
and Africa in just four years. Reaching the landmark number has meant
that Xbox 360 is the only console to achieve year-on-year growth across
the region this year[1]. The launch next week of instant streaming HD
movies, Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm on Tuesday 17th November 2009
transforms Xbox LIVE into the largest social network connected to the
TV and strengthens Xbox 360’s already impressive line up of interactive
entertainment services.
“Xbox 360 continues to pull ahead of the competition when it
comes to delivering on a complete home entertainment experience and we
think that Xbox Live currently is about 12 to 18 months ahead of its
main rival PlayStation Network when it comes to offering service and
content beyond traditional games,” said Martin Olausson, Director of
Digital Media Research at Strategy Analytics. “By introducing
innovative new services and content such as Natal, instant streaming of
full 1080P HD video, and integrating social media features such as
Twitter and Facebook, Xbox will likely attract a wider audience than
its rivals and is in a great position to maximize sales in the next few
years”.
2009 has been a pivotal year in Xbox’s journey from its gaming
origins to now changing the way people consume and share entertainment
content, interact with each other online and continue to play great
games. It’s a change that people are embracing; there are more than 20
million Xbox LIVE active members worldwide and there have been over 1
billion downloads of gaming and entertainment content, with movie
downloads doubling in the last year alone.
“Reinventing entertainment through, play, watch, connect and
share. This is the vision that we have for Xbox 360 and today that
vision is the reality for 10 million Xbox owners. European consumers
are very discerning and demand a connected entertainment experience.
That’s why we focused on providing content that is right and relevant
for them and entertainment beyond just gaming to movies, music and
social networking. We have delivered on this promise and next week will
bring real innovation into the living room through instant streaming
high definition movies, connecting with friends on Facebook and Twitter
and a personalised music channel. Together, this represents a real
shift in the way people are entertained every day,” said Chris Lewis,
vice president Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Europe.
This reinvention of entertainment has already seen a shift in
where the Xbox lives in the home, with the majority (60%) of Xbox
consoles now becoming integrated into the family living room. It has
also caused a shift in the Xbox customer base as now 35% of Xbox
customers are women and 64% are over the age of 25[2]. The arrival of
the much anticipated ‘Project Natal’ will create a new category of
gaming and entertainment experiences through controller-free gaming
that makes Xbox 360 more inclusive and relevant to an even wider
audience.
