Initial Announcement And Content Acquisitions
Gates first publicly mentioned the Xbox in an interview in late 1999, stating that he wanted the system “to be the platform of choice for the best and most creative game developers in the world”. It was later announced officially by Gates in a keynote presentation at the Game Developers Conference in San Jose on March 10, 2000, showing off an early prototype build of the system and a series of demos showcasing its hardware. The presentation and the new system were well-received, impressing developers with both the hard drive and the Ethernet port and appealing to them with the notion of easy-to-use development tools.
Microsoft began looking at a series of acquisitions and partnerships to secure content for the console at this time. In early 2000, Sega’s Dreamcast sales were diminishing, in part due to Electronic Arts‘ decision to bypass the console, and Sony’s PlayStation 2 was just going on sale in Japan. Gates was in talks with Sega’s late chairman Isao Okawa about the possibility of Xbox compatibility with Dreamcast games, but negotiations fell apart over whether the Dreamcast’s SegaNet online service should be implemented. Microsoft also looked to acquire Electronic Arts, Nintendo, Square Enix, and Midway without success. The company did achieve success in convincing developers at Bethesda Game Studios and Tecmo about the power of the Xbox over the PS2, lining up The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Dead or Alive 3 as Xbox console-exclusives.
How Well Is The Xbox Series X
In terms of dollar sales, the Xbox series consoles were the best-selling US console of March 2022, and theyre also the best-selling US console of 2022 so far according to NPD. Microsoft had its best-ever March performance in terms of console sales for both units and dollar sales, beating the previous records set by the Xbox 360 in 2011 and the Xbox One in 2014 . It was beaten by the Nintendo Switch in both categories in terms of units sold, though, although all consoles are currently hit by shortages. The Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller was also the best-selling accessory of March and continues to be the best-selling accessory of 2022 so far.
Despite shortages, the Xbox Series X|S has sold 13.87 million lifetime units worldwide according to VGChartz. At the equivalent 17-month point in its lifetime, the Xbox 360 had sold 9.38 million units. Figures werent given for the Xbox One. Xbox General Manager Aaron Greenberg thanked all the people who have helped support the growth and adoption of Xbox so far this generation but acknowledged there was lots of work ahead as console shortages continue to affect sales.
Thanks to all the people who have helped support the growth and adoption of Xbox so far this generation. Lots of work ahead and hopefully supply continues to improve globally as well.
Aaron Next 12 Months Greenberg U
Nintendo Wii 10164 Million
Nintendo was on the back foot when it unleashed the Wii, scrabbling as it was to design a console able to compete with the machines of Sony and Microsoft. Its prior two consoles, the N64 and GameCube had disappointed in terms of sales, with the consoles selling 32.93 and 21.74 million units respectively.
However, the Wii catapulted Nintendo back into the industry with its unique motion controls and Wii Sports appealing to gamers and non-gamers alike. It went on to sell 101.64 million units from its Japanese debut on 19 November 2006 through to its eventual discontinuation in 2017 .
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Horizon Forbidden West Review
Xbox Series X/S systems continue to sell faster than any previous generation of Microsoft consoles, according to the companys gaming boss Phil Spencer.
However, unlike its competitors, Microsoft doesnt publicly disclose Xbox hardware shipment figures with its quarterly financial results.
Previously, Niko Partners senior analyst Daniel Ahmad estimated that Xbox Series X/S shipments topped 12 million by the end of 2021, but Harding-Rolls believes the platforms actual sold-to-consumers installed base was significantly lower than that.
Microsoft ended 2021 with its Xbox Series family of devices reaching cumulative sell-through of 10.3 million units, he estimated. This is on a par with the previous generation Xbox One cycle.
Harding-Rolls said substantial Xbox Series X shortages last year were partially offset by greater availability of the Series S console.
The cheaper, less powerful Xbox Series S has experienced much better availability and alongside Xbox Game Pass, has driven unprecedented adoption of this digital-only device. Ampere estimates that cumulative sell-through for Series S was ahead of Series X at the end of 2021.
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Atari 2600 30 Million*
- Initial release date: September 11, 1977
- Production status: Ended
- Notable games : Pac-Man, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Missile Command
*The oldest console on this list, Atari 2600 sold an impressive 30 million units in its lifetime, according to an archived version of a press release from Atari partner AtGames. The 2600 is by far Ataris most successful console, with none of its successors 5200, 7800, and Jaguar selling enough units to qualify for this list.
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Now That Both Consoles Are In Customers Hands Can We Already See Which Console Sold More
This past week has already seen the launches of the next-gen, now current-gen consoles the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X in many territories across the world.
While the UK is awaiting the launch of the PS5 next week, some eyes are already turning to the sales that both consoles have made already.
Granted, its not all about sales, but its interesting to see how they stack up in a, unique year such as 2020.
With that, lets look into how many PS5 consoles have been sold so far, and what the projections are from Sony for its first year.
Nintendo Wii 10163 Million
- Initial release date: November 19, 2006
- Production status: Ended
- Highest-rated games: Super Mario Galaxy , Super Mario Galaxy 2 , The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
According to official sales figures from Nintendo, Wii ended its run as the sixth-best-selling console of all time. With over 100 million systems sold, Wii generated 920 million units of software sales the second most for any Nintendo console.
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Fourth Generation: Xbox Series X And Series S
The fourth generation of Xbox models, simply named Xbox, includes the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S that launched on November 10, 2020. Both are considered members of the ninth generation of video game consoles alongside the PlayStation 5, also released that month.
The Xbox Series X and Series S are high- and low-end versions comparable to the Xbox One X and Xbox One S models, respectively, with all games designed for this model family playable on both systems. The Xbox Series X is estimated to be four times as powerful as Xbox One X, with support for 8K resolution and up to 120 frames-per-second rendering, with a nominal target of 4K resolution at 60 frames per second. The Xbox Series S is a digital-only unit with less graphic processing power, but can still render at a nominal 1440p resolution at 60 frames per second with support for 4K upscaling. Both consoles features support for new graphics rendering systems including real-time ray-tracing, and the new Xbox Velocity Architecture that works with the internal SSD drive to maximize the rate of texture streaming to the graphics processor, among other features. Besides games for this new console family, both consoles are fully compatible with all Xbox One games and most hardware, as well as all backward compatible games that were playable on the Xbox One from the Xbox 360 and original Xbox console.
Sega Game Gear 139 Million*
- Initial release date: October 6, 1990
- Production status: Ended
- Notable games : Sonic Chaos, Gunstar Heroes, Streets of Rage 2
*There are several Game Gear sales totals floating around the web: 10.62 million , 12 million , and about 14 million . Considering those three sources, weve opted to go with the companys former president, assuming about means slightly less than 14 million.
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Microsoft Says Xbox Consoles Have Always Been Sold At A Loss
Over the last 20 years, Microsoft has never made a profit selling an Xbox console.
It’s a well-known fact that when a new game console launches, it’s typically sold at a loss. But as hardware revisions and mass production ramp up, costs fall and the console should eventually become profitable. However, that’s never happened for an Xbox console, according to Microsoft.
As Protocol reports, Xbox business development VP Lori Wright is a third-party witness in the Epic vs. Apple trial. Epic’s lawyer Wes Earnhardt asked Wright: “How much margin does Microsoft earn” when selling Xbox consoles, to which Wright responded, “We don’t. We sell the consoles at a loss.”
As VGC points out, Wright was also asked if there’s ever been a profit generated from an Xbox console sale, which she confirmed has never happened. To put that in context, Microsoft has been selling Xbox consoles for nearly 20 years now, including the original Xbox, the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and now the Xbox Series X and Series S. In all that time, every single console sale cost Microsoft money.
The reason game consoles end up being profitable is through a combination of software, service, and accessory sales, but it’s still surprising to find Microsoft has never achieved hardware profitability. Analyst Daniel Ahmad confirmed that the PS4 eventually became profitable for Sony and that Nintendo developed the Switch to be profitable quickly, so Microsoft is the odd one out.
What Number Crunching Can We Do In The Meantime
Although we dont have firm figures yet, there is some interesting info in the ether regarding PS5 and Xbox Series X sales stats.
In a recent Xbox Wire blog, Microsoft said the Xbox Series X/S launch has seen More new consoles sold than any prior generation, with Xbox Series S adding the highest percentage of new players for any Xbox console at launch.
But some independent studies have shown that the PS5 is more in-demand than the Xbox in a lot of territories. So does that mean the PS5 will eventually win out in terms of sales?
Only time will tell who the victor is this generation in terms of units sold, but judging by the info were seeing, both camps could end up being pretty chuffed with their results
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Third Generation: Xbox One
The Xbox One was released on November 22, 2013 in North America, as the successor of the Xbox 360. The Xbox One competes with Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Nintendo’s Wii U and Switch as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles.
Announced on May 21, 2013, the Xbox One has an emphasis on internet-based features, including the ability to record and stream gameplay, and the ability to integrate with a set-top box to watch cable or satellite TV through the console with an enhanced guide interface and Kinect-based voice control.
On June 13, 2016, Microsoft announced the Xbox One S at E3 2016, which featured a smaller form factor, as well as support for 4K video and HDR. At E3 2017, Microsoft unveiled Xbox One X, a high-end model with improved hardware designed to facilitate the playing of games at 4K resolution.
Since November 2014, Microsoft has stated it will not release sales numbers for the Xbox One line. Industry estimates project global sales of the Xbox One family to be about 51 million units. Xbox head Phil Spencer said that while they do internally track sales figures, they do not want their developers to be focused on these numbers as to affect their products, and thus have opted not to report further sales of Xbox hardware going forward.
Playstation Portable 8082 Million
Sonys PSP was the most powerful handheld console ever released when it went on sale in Japan on 12 December 2004. Its UMD discs were lauded by Sony as being the next big thing in mobile entertainment, though perhaps the company underestimated just how important a role phones and tablets would eventually play in our TV viewing habits.
Even so, with 80.82 million units sold, the PSP still became a force in the market, even if UMDs would go the way of the MiniDisc.
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Xbox Series X/s And Ps: The Battle Of Exclusives
Most fans would agree that the biggest point of consideration before springing up for a console are the exclusives that the platform offers. Its fair to say that theres no longer any drought of exclusives in the Xbox ecosystem, as was the case with the Xbox One generation. With over 30 internal studios in the Xbox Game Studios roster , Xbox has a much more diverse lineup of exclusives spanning across multiple genres such as racing, shooters, Western RPGs, tactics, and so much more.
Thats not to say that Sony is lacking in terms of compelling exclusives – far from it. Uncharted, God of War, The Last of Us, and Horizon are some of the most valuable and fan-beloved IPs in modern gaming – boasting massive critical and commercial acclaim with each entry released. However, Sony has been lacking in terms of variety when compared to Xbox, although it is certainly improving itself with games such as the likes of Returnal.
That said, sequels to the aforementioned IPs will only be available on PlayStation platforms, which will be more than enough reason for millions of fans to jump on board. Ultimately it depends on what one prefers, but the competition isnt as one-sided as it was before. As such, both parties will constantly have to innovate and outperform each other – which is ultimately best for end-consumers.
Xbox Series X And Series S Controller
The fourth generation Xbox Controller doesn’t change much from the Xbox One controller, but the new wireless Xbox Controller does add a capture and share button, a hybrid d-pad, and better gripping on the bumpers and triggers. The controller is also promised to be cross compatible with certain PC’s and mobile devices.
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How Many Xbox Series X/s Consoles Have Sold So Far October 2021
An industry insider has estimated how many Xbox Series X/S consoles have been sold so far and the number might surprise you.
It has been very difficult for customers all around the world to buy the Xbox Series X/S models. However, this hasnt stopped the consoles from flying off the shelves.
The Xbox Series X shortage is set to continue until next year, but the sales numbers will continue to tick up as the consoles sell out almost immediately with every restock.
But with the consoles being so hard to purchase, the sales figures for the Xbox Series X/S will come as a major surprise to many.
Xbox 360 8550 Million
Microsoft took all of the experience it had gained during the development of the original Xbox and used it to make the Xbox 360 a console that became the must-have machine of its generation.
Seamless online multiplayer , impressive exclusive games from Halo 3 to Gears of War and a reportedly easier development process ensured the console would go on to sell 85.80 million units. Only relative poor sales in Japan stopped it from ranking even higher on this list.
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Nintendo 64 3293 Million
- Initial release date: June 23, 1996
- Production status: Ended
- Highest-rated games: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time , Perfect Dark , GoldenEye 007
Nintendos third home console ended its run with just under 33 million units sold, according to official sales numbers from the company. N64 Software sales fell just shy of 225 million units, giving it the lowest number of games sold per system for a Nintendo home console.
Nintendo Ds 15490 Million
Nintendos first non-Game Boy branded handheld, had games journalists and Nintendo fans questioning why we needed two screens at all, when the DS was released on 21 November 2004. But its success shows that the gimmick proved its worth in the end.
The DS went on to sell 154.90 million units between 2004 and 2013 to become the best-selling handheld console ever. Its success was aided by the fact it was also backwards compatible with Game Boy Advance games, meaning gamers could choose from a huge number of titles instantly from the systems launch.
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Xbox Series X/s And Ps: A Tug Of War
Unlike the eighth generation of consoles, where Sony dominated the console market with the PS4 thanks to an excellent library of first-party titles, the competition seems to be much more neck to neck from the onset. Microsoft has learned a lot from its past missteps with the Xbox One and made a lot of right moves at the tail-end of the last generation, which have started paying off big time for the Redmond-based giant.
The biggest and most successful of these bets is Xbox Game Pass, which gives subscribers access to an extensive library of games at one monthly cost. In addition to a ton of high-profile third-party releases on the platforms, Xbox Game Pass also provides access to the entirety of Xboxs first-party games on day one of their release.
This combined with the slew of acquisitions that Microsoft has completed in the last couple of years has made the subscription service one of the more enchanting parts of being in an ecosystem. The sheer value proposition of Xbox Game Pass also makes the $300 entry point with Xbox Series S a lot more attractive, which in turn makes a strong case for fans on a budget to go the Xbox route this time around all while being sure of receiving compelling exclusives throughout the generation.
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