It’s been a great year for gaming. After sitting on the success of the Xbox 360 since 2005, Microsoft finally launched Xbox One back in November, selling more than 1 million consoles in its first 24 hours. The console, with a starting price of $499, hit shelves in 13 countries worldwide and sold 3.9 million copies.
Microsoft also revealed that the Xbox One was the best-selling gaming console in the US this past December, selling close to 1 million in the states alone. Combined with 640,000 Xbox 360 units, it was the highest grossing gaming system of the holiday season. (However, when comparing total worldwide sales for all of 2013, Microsoft’s competitor, Sony, just barely won out with its Playstation 4. The PS4 sold 4.2 million consoles worldwide, compared to Xbox One’s 3.9 million.) Regardless, these numbers are huge for Microsoft and a step in the right direction.
The Xbox One sales were a defining factor in Microsoft’s total quarter results, with Xbox sales overshadowing both the Windows phone and Surface tablet. According to PC World, Microsoft’s total yearly revenue was reported at $4.7 billion, a signifcant increase from the $2.8 billion the company reported in 2012.
“We’re grateful for the excitement and support of our fans – many purchasing their next Xbox console and many joining the Xbox family for the first time,” said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft VP for Xbox. “It’s been incredible to see Xbox One selling at a record-setting pace for Xbox, and we were honored to see Xbox One become the fastest-selling console in the US,” he said. “Since our launch, demand for Xbox One has been strong.”
Image via Wikmedia Commons
