Xbox Live users now exceed 6 million members, but the company says it will not release country specific numbers.
The stance continues to cloud the lack of success for the Xbox 360 outside the United States, while independent games sales figures show that the Microsoft console has just a fraction of the Irish market.
In reply to a Games Toaster request, Xbox maker Microsoft say they “never release country specific figures”, but the in the same press release “record-breaking” United States specific numbers are given.
The release states that the United States has "a record-breaking accessory attach rate of 2.9 units per console”, referring to the amount of accessories people buy with the Xbox 360. At the time of publication the company had not replied to a request for the world-wide figures.
It is possibly that the vast majority of Xbox Live users are in the US where the console continues to perform well. In November and December alone the company sold 1.61 million Xbox 360s.
Even with the opposing Sony PlayStation 3 due to for release later this month Xbox 360 games sales are not substantially gaining on the rival brand.
Figures published recently by Games Toaster from the ChartTrack charts show that the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable have a massive lead, with over 70% of total sales of the games in the top 10 Christmas chart and 80% of the top five games. ChartTrack also compiles the data for the Irish Music Charts and the UK Games.
The independent figures also back up claims made by Niall O’Hanrahan MD of SCE Ireland before the Christmas, “Our own research indicates that, despite its age, the Playstation 2 will still be the biggest-selling console in the Irish market this year” O’Hanrahan told the Sunday Business Post.
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