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Xbox 360 sells 700,000 units down under

  • By Laura Parker, GameSpot AU
  • Posted Aug 25, 2009 5:41 pm PT

Aussie Microsoft exec says 360 to reach 1 million units sold in Australia/New Zealand by Christmas 2009; says 360 still "more compelling offer" than PS3 Slim.

It’s been a big month for sales figures, new consoles, and price cuts, and the hardware race in Australia is showing no signs of slowing down. This week, Microsoft revealed how many Xbox 360s have been sold so far in Australia and made a bold prediction of reaching the 1 million units sold mark by the end of the year.

Speaking at an Xbox 360 showcase in Sydney yesterday, group category manager for the Xbox 360 in Australia, Jeremy Hinton, said Microsoft’s console was the fastest growing in Australia for 2009.

“We’ve just hit 700, 000 consoles sold in Australia, and we’re now finding that it’s the fastest growing console down under,” Hinton said. According to Hinton, the Xbox 360 Arcade and Pro are both selling equally well, with the Elite finding sales success in “select channels.”

“The Pro is attracting people who are looking for that additional hard drive space that the 60GB console offers; others who just want to jump in and play from $AU299. At this price, the Xbox 360 is the cheapest console on the market," he said.

Hinton responded strongly to Sony’s recent announcement detailing the new PS3 Slim and price cuts for the remaining PS3 consoles, saying the 360 would still be more appealing to Aussie consumers.

“It’s only going to help them [Sony], although I don’t know that anyone was surprised by the announcement given the months of rumours before it. But it’s a long way until Christmas, and I think the Australian consumer will still see the $AU299 price point of the Xbox 360 as the more compelling offer," he said.

“We [Microsoft] always have things planned. In the past, we might have been in third place and we might have been thinking about what Sony’s doing, but now, things are different. We’ve had our Christmas plans set for a long time, and they won’t change simply because Sony’s plans do.

“We [Microsoft] expect to hit a million Xbox 360 consoles sold across Australia and New Zealand by the end of this year. We’re confident we can reach this goal with the console’s current price point and the new experiences we’re bringing through Xbox Live, such as Movies on Demand, Facebook, and Twitter.”

47 Comments

  • chanmick11

    Posted Aug 27, 2009 5:31 am GMT

    700000 customers isnt enough to put movies and tv shows or netflix on market place- thanks MS - we feel very appreciated

  • bart723

    Posted Aug 27, 2009 2:50 am GMT

    wow... im sorry, but the microsoft guy sounds quite annoying above..

    dont get me wrong, i hav an xbox, i like my xbox, (and im getting the new ps3 slim in a few weeks). but he's just set on talking down the ps3, why does he turn negative wen they are already winning the sales war? there doesnt seem to be much of a point..

    it just reminds me of that episode of the simpsons where bill gates 'Buys Out' (AKA - ruins) homers business 'CompuGloboHyperMegaNet'..

  • wondernova

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 11:18 pm GMT

    @bennae66

    i need support from someone like you on the "PS3 Slim already on sale, disassembled" comments! LOL

  • bennae66

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 9:23 pm GMT

    oh and if anyone wants to know about reliability. its a shame that some people have problems with thier 360's. ive been fortunate enough to not have any issues with mine, however i do know 2 people who have had the red rings. they diddnt buy new ones, they were taken care of by microsoft. i know about 15 poeple with 360's and only 2 have had issues. my ps3 hasnt died yet but it has frozen a few times. as for usage; to give you an idea: over 6 months of launch i played over 300 hours on oblivion. my other half clocked up near 200 hours. i wouldnt call that 'only 1 hour of play per day' REMINDER NO 2: i own both consoles

  • bennae66

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 9:12 pm GMT

    i own both, so doesnt mean much to me. however the ps3 price cut isnt brilliant: it is EXPECTED, NEEDED and WELL OVERDUE (it would only the be the most one eyed fanboy who thinks otherwise) the 360 doesnt need a price cut, still has more of the market and has a bigger libary of games. the psn has a long way to go, and instead of investing in ps home, and vid zone sony need to bring a more streamlined online user experience to ps3 owners. im not talking about an online shop, and online play. theres so much more to it than that, its the constant connection, always on, always in touch. when i turn on my ps3 i dont think 'online' i think 'solo with online' when i turn on my 360, live is in my face, its unavoidable, my friends list yells at me, i know what they are all doing, everyone has a headset, etc. if sony get these things right like ms has, then they will be a true force to be reckoned with. FANBOY REMINDER: i own both consoles, not biassed. sony must do these things to succeed.

  • spacemariens22

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 5:37 pm GMT

    God i hate fan boys just shut up already we get it u love the xbox or u love the ps3 blah blah blah why dont u try playing both consoles u scared u just might like it?!

  • brod1337

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 4:27 pm GMT

    "We're confident we can reach this goal with the console's current price point"

    Good luck with that Microsoft. I for one won't be buying until the next price cut.

  • -Celeste-

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 11:37 am GMT

    @sbains

    Little help with math here buddy, but if the 700k includes orignal and replacements, then its not 350k that are replacements ... otherwise the fail rate would be 100%. You see, if 350k are replacements, that means there are only 350k orignals ... and since in my world 350k=350k, that would equal to 100%. You need to take 700 and divide by 100%+54% ... which amounts to just over 454k being original and the remainder being replacements.

    Its so easy to spot fanboys (you being a sony one) simply based on the fact that all of their posts are biased and full of imaginary information.

    Secondly, that survey is full of BS information as both the Wii and PS3 failure rates for a 2nd time were higher then original rates. So unless they're doing bad math, they screwed up in favor of Sony and Nintendo when they were stating numbers. (MS numbers are % of the install base for both, while Sony and Nintendo numbers are % of install and then % of failure rates). 5000 is also a really nice sample size when you stretch that to 30m. By that math, 50 people is enough to guage the opinions of 500k.

    I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of the X360 failure rates are from little kids that play XBL and FPS that just dont know how to treat their systems. Higher chance of them having a 200$ X360 rather then a 500$ PS3.

  • mertron1

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 11:31 am GMT

    good news...keep doing what your doing microsoft...sony aint got a hope in hell and i have both machines

  • Supreme4dmira1

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 10:25 am GMT

    so expect 350,000 RRoD's in AU next year XD. Nice to see the consoles are doing well, hopefully this will spur new games to be made

  • -Celeste-

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 9:24 am GMT

    I'm having a hard time believing that the 360 is passing or has passed the Wii as the fastest growing/selling console.

  • Cbok

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 9:13 am GMT

    lol@these kids

  • 1toolkleikthese

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 7:59 am GMT

    @ Plato77 calm down and take a chill pill, if you dont have a chill pill. Take a chill strip. Put it in your mouth and chill buddy. now quit being a fan boy..and i dont take sides. i love nintendo sony and MS all the same, all great diffrent experienses. Why dont you try em out you'll have fun, and you wont be all angry all the time

  • Plato77

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 7:41 am GMT

    @ 1toolkleikthese, now why don't get ya face outta Sony's butt?
    And stop pulling fake figures outta ya butt.
    BTW, my 360 is just fine, and I play it as often as anyone.
    Stop spewing out retarded, mindless nonsense will you?

  • 1toolkleikthese

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 6:57 am GMT

    @plato77 Get MS pee pee outta your mouth, and pulling numbers outta yer butt, it gross man. and yes its true and a fact, that a high percentage of 360s sold are replacements...like 1/3 not 54%. and quit being such poser, fanboy. have a nice day . oh and if your Xbox hasnt failed on you yet thats cause you dont play it enough....more than 1 hour a day dude.

  • Max1363

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 5:18 am GMT

    really like that

  • Plato77

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 5:15 am GMT

    @ mattro11 :"I find it astounding that people question the 54% failure rate"

    I find is amazing that you actually believe that garbage from an unscientific internet "survey".
    If 360 3rd party games regularly outsell the PS3 versions by a massive over 50% in NPD sales charts every month, it means the real 360 install base, at least here in the US, is around 2 times bigger than the PS3 install base.

    @ mattro11: "Mine has died twice (rrod), and now won't read disc's."

    Luanch 20GB XBOX 360 here, from launch day November 2005, and still going strong. Never had any trouble with it.

    @ mattro11: I'd say the failure rate over 12>24 months ownership is closer to 80>100%."

    I'd say get off the crack.

  • Plato77

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 5:08 am GMT

    @ sbains :"lets do the math... 700,000 units sold, with >54% failure rate with RROD (red ring of death) that will mean 350,000 replacements that Microsoft will count as sales... ding, ding, ding, ding, ding ... Microsoft magically hit 1 million units sold!

    Were you born brain dead, or you merely became stupid after you were born?

    # 1. Microsoft has a full 3 year warranty on any RROD failures

    # 2. Any RROD replacements are never counted as new sales.

    # 3. The Game Informer "survey" is unscientific and garbage. For any poll/survey to be valid, it has to have a representative sample. Game Informer's sample does not represent the typical 360 user. It's like doing a poll amongst black folks in New York, and getting 98% of them declare that they will vote for Obama, then assuming that 98% of the whole of America will vote for Obama. That's not how it works.

    # 4. The 360 sells vastly more 3rd party games than the PS3. CoD 4 sold at least 80% more on the 360 than on the PS3. Madden sells around 80% more on the 360 than on the PS3 every year etc. So clearly, the 360 install base is much bigger than that of the PS3. If half of 360 sales were replacements like you claim, then 3rd party game sales on the PS3 would be bigger than those on the 360. That has never been the case has it?

  • caudwell47

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 4:58 am GMT

    when i bought my 360 back in 2006 i had to go back to the shop to replace it twice. The third eventually worked and hasnt had many issues since. My mates Xbox died a few months ago though but he got it replaced within a week.

  • shani_boy101

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 4:56 am GMT

    @the_mitch28
    well many other people do and even with that cost removed its still much more than the price of the ps3 (which doesn't really need any accessories), and much, much, much more than the original $299 you paid for what is meant to be a cheap gaming console.

  • walkingdream

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 4:36 am GMT

    My 360 has never broken?

  • Max1363

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 3:05 am GMT

    really like that

  • eal-zubieri

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 1:57 am GMT

    Microsoft maybe win 2009 but the next year i don't think so.

  • mattro11

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 1:38 am GMT

    I find it astounding that people question the 54% failure rate.
    Mine has died twice (rrod), and now won't read disc's.
    Every single person on my friends list (42) has had their's rrod at least once, most have had more than once.
    I'd say the failure rate over 12>24 months ownership is closer to 80>100%.

  • the_mitch28

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 1:37 am GMT

    @shani_boy101

    actually my 360 came with a ethernet point on the back of it, dunno why all you sony morons are saying you need a wifi adapter? I would never use wireless for gaming. ever.

  • the_mitch28

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 1:33 am GMT

    @ zaprct
    It really is a sad day for Sony and PS3 gamers when you admit that a bulk of sales will come from people wanting to watch Bluray movies.

    If people buy PS3's just to watch Blurays, sure it's helping Sony but if these people don't buy games then developers like Activision and Valve are still going to question the viability of the PS3 and so will Sony who could technically just release a $300 or $200 Bluray player which by your logic would be better at competing with the 360.

  • benboz

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 12:08 am GMT

    Xbox 360 does have the best price and everything. Shani boy101, PS3 is nothing. Xbox 360 brings out the best packages and the best games.

  • shani_boy101

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 11:52 pm GMT

    Jeremy Hinton, i think the PS3 slim is a much more compelling offer for those who look deeper than just the price tag of the console. when adding up the total cost of the 360 (Live, wireless receiver, Hard Drive etc) it cost about $650 for the first year without games. now that the PS3 is $499 in Aus its much cheaper than a 360.

  • zaprct

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 11:47 pm GMT

    I agree with the spokesperson in that the 360 will be more popular than the PS3 again this Christmas. However I think once the demand for Bluray goes up people will start looking at buying a PS3 as a player and a game console in one, especially if they further reduce the costs say a year or two from now.

    I think the price-point of the 360 is misleading anyhow - many gamers do want to play their games online and they need to spend $120 on a Wifi adapter and $80 on a Live account which essentially means you're initially paying the same price for either console if you are an online gamer.

  • DarthSnipa

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 11:45 pm GMT

    "“We [Microsoft] always have things planned. In the past we might have been in third place and we might have been thinking about what Sony’s doing, but now things are different. We’ve had our Christmas plans set for a long time and they won’t change simply because Sony’s plans do. "

    Great, great statement.

  • AlphaCommando

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 11:43 pm GMT

    If it took them like 3 and a half years to sell 700,000, what makes them think they can sell another 300,000 in like 4 months?

  • gameking5000

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 11:22 pm GMT

    @wondernova

    I found that hard to believe also the man in charge of the article mentioned the same thing.

  • Wholesaler

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 11:11 pm GMT

    Re Chimp The 360 has the highest Software attach rate and I am sorry but if you actually believe the failure rate is 54% your either a complete moron or a Sony fanboy. Microsoft replies stating that initially the failure rate was 18% which is high but has decresed with ever new revision release.

  • wondernova

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 11:08 pm GMT

    @ chimpanchu

    read on wikipedia (search xbox 360, under games), that by march 2008 the 360 had reached software attach rate of 7.5 games per console, a record for any console in history. in EU the rate was 7.0, while competitors were 3.8 (ps3) and 3.5 (wii).

    for the wii, it may be 4.5 now cos of wii sports resort! LOL

  • chimpanchu

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 10:32 pm GMT

    The question is... how many games do they sell? Everybody buys Xbox and Wii because they can mod them and download their games from torrent.

    Xbox and Wii may sell more consoles, but ask them how many "original" games do they actually sold?

  • TicTac8745

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 10:18 pm GMT

    Well congrats to the Xbox360 reaching such sales here down under.

  • ColdfireTrilogy

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 10:13 pm GMT

    yey facebook and twitter on 360... oh wait PS3 has a browser -_-

  • wondernova posted Aug 25, 2009 10:09 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    wondernova

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 10:09 pm GMT (hide)

    what is wrong with ps3 owners? get over it, the xbox 360 is winning. software and hardware sales prove this. sure the ps3 is a superior piece of tech, but even with the price drop, its still 500 bucks for a nearly 3yr old piece of hardware. that aint cheap!

    oh the 360 seems to be dominating the online play also. so much for wireless networking or having it for free, hey ps3 owners?!

    im not a fanboy either. im just sick of ps3 owners dissing the 360.

  • the_mitch28

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 9:57 pm GMT

    @sbains

    when did a replacement console become a sale in your mind? Please never run a business. Ever.

    I'd think the new PS3's price point will only balance sales, $300 vs $500 is quite a big difference especially when the gaming on the PS3 is not even close to being better than the 360.

    I suppose one could argue that the PS3 Slim comes with 120GB hard drive and Bluray but the inclusion of bigger and bigger hard drives in the PS3 lineup is only a testament to how bad bluray is for gaming and the amount of Australians who actually want to make the jump from DVD to Bluray and own a 1080p TV is negligible especially when it comes to PS3 sales.

  • aaronobst

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 9:38 pm GMT

    You wanna reach the million mark M$ at that price and time frame it's not gonna happen... especially considering the Slim's price

  • Inconnux

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 9:32 pm GMT

    I have always been worried about buying an xbox360 because I don't want to bother with defective hardware (its a pain to constantly send it in for repairs). At 54% hardware failure rate(a number that even Microsoft has not bothered to deny) I can't see myself buying one at any price until they announce a major hardware improvement that lowers the defective rate drastically.

  • FluxZero

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 8:41 pm GMT

    I love listening to them trying to put their own spin on it. With the Pro at AUD 399 and the PS3 at AUD 499. There is going to be tougher competition than Microsoft expects. Yes people will see a $100 difference. But if they see the $100 extra vale in the PS3 (Blu-ray, wireless networking, rechargeable controller and larger hard drive). I think it many people will go for the PS3. I think it will come down to the sales people. What they are recommending to mums and dads buying a console for the kids and how well thre wexplain the differences between the two..

  • Darth_Slayer

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 8:01 pm GMT

    lets do the math... 700,000 units sold, with >54% failure rate with RROD (red ring of death) that will mean 350,000 replacements that Microsoft will count as sales... ding, ding, ding, ding, ding ... Microsoft magically hit 1 million units sold!

    1) Replacement consoles are never counted as sales, no matter which company
    2) The 54% claim only comes from one magazine's survey and has no factual basis

  • Ozzy_Jacob

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 7:44 pm GMT

    @ aozman im pretty certain that its coming out before christmas this year with last fm.

  • UFCBOSS

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 7:29 pm GMT

    Well, I have bought 2 360's!! And I know im not the only one so even though 700,000 is alot, Its more likey that is around 600,000!

    Sorry microsoft but I had to have a stab!

  • sbains posted Aug 25, 2009 7:27 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    sbains

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 7:27 pm GMT (hide)

    lets do the math... 700,000 units sold, with >54% failure rate with RROD (red ring of death) that will mean 350,000 replacements that Microsoft will count as sales... ding, ding, ding, ding, ding ... Microsoft magically hit 1 million units sold!

  • aozman

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 6:17 pm GMT

    Movies on demand when???? as far as i know its only for USA

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