NPD: Xbox 360 wins US sales war in a downbeat February

The cosmos must clearly have approved of Microsoft's actions over this past month, as today we're hearing the Xbox 360 broke out of its competitive sales funk to claim the title of "month's best-selling console" ... for the first time in two years. Redmond's own Aaron Greenberg describes it as the best February in the console's history, with 422,000 units sold outshining the consistently popular Wii (397,900) and the resurgent PS3 (360,100 consoles shifted, which was a 30 percent improvement year-on-year). In spite of the happy campers in Redmond and Tokyo, the overall numbers for the games industry were down 15 percent on 2009's revenues, indicating our collective gaming appetite is starting to dry up. Good thing we've got all those motion-sensing accessories coming up to reignite our fire.

[pixel8 Posted Mar 12th 2010 8:48AM]

I've had to buy another since my first one died. I am not surprised by this article.

[DerekUGA Posted Mar 12th 2010 9:36AM]

If motion sensors reignite the gaming scene it will just prove that video game consumers are idiots and should find new hobbies. After the Wii has been the best selling console for like 3 years straight you're going to go spend X amount of dollars on a useless peripheral that will turn your modern gaming machine into a Wii-wannabe...lol

Wow, no wonder there's only like 1 good game a year these days. You people will buy anything that labels itself "new tech".

As for the RRoD, quit trying to mod them you useless noobs. If you cannot write a simple program in C# then you should not open up a console and try to tamper with it.

I've had 3 360's and not one has died on me, even when I left it running and sitting on my carpet for days. I think the RRoD is mostly the "modders (i.e. stupid kids who don't know how to do anything)" screwing them up....which is why they have to buy new ones instead of sending them in under warranty.

[JXCGunrunna Posted Mar 12th 2010 9:54AM]

@DerekUGA

I love by 360's (2 of them) but I did not do any mods and the first one RRoDed on me 2 times. Most of them that RRoD were not modded in any way. Also, what the hell does being a programmer have to do with modding HARDWARE. I can not program for shit but i can mod hardware and my buddy is a programming major and I build his PC's for him. They are unrelated.

[Kloc Posted Mar 12th 2010 10:28AM]

Nice good job MS but I'll be playing my PS3 for awhile. Until I beat FFXIII, my Xbox360 will be collection some dust.

[HektikLyfe Posted Mar 12th 2010 12:33PM]

@Kloc Why did you choose the PS3 version of the 360? Honest question. I have all 3 systems (2 360's) so I'm just wondering. Folks usually choose the 360 for the achievements and friends list (party chat) etc during games.

[Kloc Posted Mar 12th 2010 2:04PM]

@HektikLyfe Few reasons actually.

1. It was developed for the PS3. Usually the developement platform will perform better then the ports.

2. It all fits on one bluray over 3 DVD's, Not a big issue but hey I won't have to switch disk.

3. The xbox360 version has compressed audio and texture resolution is lower. This is noticable when side by side but I'm sure the xbox360 version looks great on it's own.

4. The PS3 version runs at full 1080p@60fps and the xbox version runs at a lower resolution.

[monster Posted Mar 12th 2010 10:42AM]

Not surprised, everyone knows you never just buy one x-box
Not many can stand to think of the money invested in games / controllers / accessories and not get another after the inevitable RROD

[Okjeff171 Posted Mar 12th 2010 12:15PM]

@monster That is true I'm on xbox number 3 and I've got friends who've had more then that.

[HektikLyfe Posted Mar 12th 2010 12:31PM]

No explanation for that XBox mod in the image or did I miss it. It is huge. If it were smaller I might like it over the current form factor.

I don't mean to be a troll but I have had to buy 2 myself, I wonder how many other folks haven't had to do the same to help these sales. As more people reach that end of warranty...

[HektikLyfe Posted Mar 12th 2010 12:34PM]

@HektikLyfe Woah reading through the comments I see I'm not the only one.

Engadget should have a poll. How many XBox's have you had to buy for yourself not including free replacements?

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[Kloc Posted Mar 12th 2010 2:10PM]

@HektikLyfe It was developed on the PS3, It fits on 1 bluray vs 3 DVD's, Uncompressed audio/visuals, full 1080p@60fps. Can tell it looks better side by side.

[d3sc3nd3ncy Posted Mar 12th 2010 1:44PM]

Should have used this as the image: http://www.atechfabrication.com/images/htpc/products/HeatSync%20three-sixty%20086-680.jpg

[Mustapizza Posted Mar 12th 2010 9:48PM]

i think i could actually make my xbox looks like that design by getting a wasted box hahahahahahahahmmmmmmmm....
anyways, i may have the logical explaination on the big sales made by xbox consoles for the couple of years. it may be because of the same reason why ps2 sales beats the old xbox, and also to my personal interest for buying the console in the first place which was cheaper and reasonable priced games that has the same quality and performance as its competitions.
xbox games sold in my country is only 7bucks and it beats prices like 89-124bucks for ps3 games

[bjblackmamba Posted Mar 26th 2010 2:51PM]

I would like to report Engadget for the improper use of 'downbeat' in a sentence. This is an affront to all those musically educated.

[Trickymaster Posted May 4th 2010 3:51AM]

Of course! All those other consoles were short term orgasms. XBOX Live is the key to success!