Microsoft’s October NPD Spin: We’re Better and Sell More Software

Unlike Sony’s responds to October’s NPDs, which focused on the upcoming months, or Nintendo’s silence, Microsoft is flouting the fact that it has more of the top-rated games on its system than any other and the fact that it sells more software than the competition.

As they do every month, there’s a plethora of bullet point list material thrown at us highlighting all of the Xbox 360’s victories from October. Those can be found in their entirety after the break.

The main points Microsoft pushed was that the Xbox 360 accounted for $354 million in total revenue compared to $246 million from the Wii and $116 million from the PS3. (Note the fact that they ignore the PS2 entirely; ignoring handhelds I can understand to an extent, but this is an attempt to make themselves look good, after all.) The other was that the top two selling SKUs were on Xbox 360 between Halo 3 and the Guitar Hero III bundle.

It all amount to a whole lot of manipulation and cleverly-worded statements, but then again, this is the monthly trip to the spin doctor, so what do you expect?

Check after the break for the original Microsoft outline.

Xbox 360: #1 in consumer spend for October with $354 million in total revenue

This holiday the best games are available on Xbox 360, and as the numbers show, consumers are investing in the Xbox 360 experience.

For the month of October, Xbox 360 led in total revenue with $354 million compared to $246 million for Wii and $116 million for PS3.

In addition to leading in total consumer spend, Xbox 360 led in software sales:

• Xbox 360 software revenue at retail surpassed that of Wii and PS3 combined
• Xbox 360 holds the #1 & #2 spot in the Top Ten list across all consoles –“Halo 3” (Microsoft Game Studios) sold 434K units and “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock” (RedOctane/Activision) sold 383K units
• Xbox 360 is delivering the highest-rated games lineup this generation, with 7 out of the top 10 rated games through the end of October according to Metacritic, the world-wide authority in entertainment reviews

Fueling Xbox 360 hardware, software and accessories sales is Xbox LIVE, recently announced to have surpassed 8 million members.  Available in 26 countries, Xbox LIVE is home to more than 9,000 unique pieces of content, and delivers unique experiences only found on Xbox 360 titles.

NPD Highlights:

Xbox 360 beats Wii in total consumer dollars spent

• Xbox 360 games portfolio continues to drive consumers’ retail spending more than any console this generation.  Xbox 360 leads with $354 million in consumer spending.
• For the month of October according to NPD, Xbox 360 software represented 54 percent of total software sales (at $162 million dollars) for this generation, compared to 30 percent for Wii and 16 percent for PS3.

Xbox 360 held 3 spots in the Top Ten Console List  with Master Chief and “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock” leading the way

• Last month “Halo 3” shattered retail records at every turn. This month the title has continued to dominate software sales as it was again the #1 title across any console.
• October also brought the release of one of the most anticipated titles of the holiday, “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock” (RedOctane/Activision) which launched October 28.  The Xbox 360 version w/guitar bundle led all consoles with 383K units sold.  Combined with sales of the stand-alone game, Xbox 360 was the destination of choice for Guitar Hero fans this generation, with 491K sold overall (guitar bundle plus stand-alone game), compared to the PS3 version at 106K and Wii at 286K.
• Coming in at #7, “The Orange Box” (Electronic Arts) for Xbox 360 posted strong sales with 238K sold.

Xbox 360 leading in 3rd Party success

• Gamers continue to show preference for third party titles on Xbox 360. Of all 3rd party U.S. software revenue in October, Xbox 360 generated more than double that of the PS3 and Wii. Xbox 360 weighs in at 57 percent with $130 million, compared to Wii with 28 percent and PS3 at 15 percent.
• PS3 and Wii combined had one third party title in the top ten console title list for the month, while Xbox 360 weighed in with 2. Since November, third party partners have seen their titles hit the top ten 29 times for Xbox 360, compared to 2 for PS3 and 2 for Wii.
• In last week’s earnings announcement from Electronic Arts, Xbox 360 represented 50 percent ($218 million) of their total revenue during the third quarter. In fact, EA titles on Xbox 360 outperformed those same titles on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Wii and DS combined.