Xbox Sales Top 5m in Europe
Another milestone reached for Microsoft.
A lot of people wrote Microsoft off as a console maker before the company even got started, but the Xbox has proved remarkably popular. Raw power, a well-planned online strategy and critically acclaimed exclusive games have helped it to move into 5 million homes in Europe alone.
With nearly 20 million consoles sold worldwide and a 30% share of the hardware market in 2004, the Xbox is running a firm second behind Sony's PlayStation 2. While Microsoft has done a good job overall of convincing people to give its machine a go, games such as Fable and the Halo 2 have been the real deal clinchers.
And it doesn't end there. Microsoft has set itself a very realistic global sales target of 21-22 million Xboxes sold by the end of June. With promising exclusives including Jade Empire, Forza Motorsport and Conker: Live And Reloaded and the Xbox port of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in the offing, this looks well within reach.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games
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