Xbox 360 sells 630,000 units in Australia

The last time Microsoft detailed how the Xbox 360 was going in Australia, it confirmed the console was sitting pretty at 537,000 units sold. In an interview with GameSpot AU at E3 2009, Xbox regional director for Australia and New Zealand, David McLean, has updated that figure, saying that more than 630,000 units have now been sold in Australia, an increase of 93,000 since January this year. As for New Zealand, more than 80,000 consoles have been sold since launch.

Despite the increase in sales, Xbox Live sign-up rates in Australia remain the same, with 50 percent of Xbox 360 owners using the Xbox Live service.

When it came to talking about Video Marketplace, which has finally been confirmed for a late 2009 launch down under, McLean offered a few more details than the initial press release put out by Microsoft last week. Like Rock Band last year, McLean confirmed that "licensing and copyright issues" have been the cause behind the delay of the Australian rollout. Unfortunately, McLean says he isn't confident Australians will get a mirror service of that enjoyed by US users, saying: "I can't say that it will be the full set of content that the US has, partially because of those licensing issues."

When pressed for a release date for Video Marketplace, McLean simply said: "My expectation is that it will be here well before the end of the year". Stay tuned to GameSpot AU for more details as they're announced.