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 The U.S. software giant on Wednesday said it took 18 days for Xbox
One's global sales to surpass 2 million — a new company record.
Japan's Sony last week said it took 15 days for PS4 sales to cross
2.1 million.
The Xbox One, on sale in 13 countries, is selling quicker than its
predecessor, the Xbox 360, and is sold out at most retailers, said
Microsoft Xbox spokesman David Dennis.
"We're manufacturing as fast as we can" to replenish supplies at
stores during the holiday season, Dennis said.
The Xbox One, priced $499 in the United States, and PS4, priced
$399, offer improved graphics for increased realism and faster
processors permitting smoother play, as well as numerous exclusive
games.
"Being even is a win for Sony," Benchmark Co analyst Mike Hickey
said.
Sony's pitch that its PS4 is a gamer-centric device has successfully
attracted game enthusiasts and "that will show in market share
moving forward," Hickey said.
Microsoft hopes the new Xbox will become the entertainment hub in
living rooms, not only enticing gamers but appealing to a broader
consumer base of TV fans and music lovers with its interactive
entertainment features and media applications. It has been pitching
its Kinect motion sensor camera, Xbox-only titles like "Ryse: Son of
Rome" and features that allow hands-free control of television sets
to differentiate its device.
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Robert W. Baird & Co analyst Colin Sebastian in October said he
expected global shipments of 2.5 million to 3 million consoles for
both the Xbox One and PS4 in October-December. Both consoles sold
over 1 million units in their first 24 hours after going on sale.
Investors are keeping a close eye on sales of the two
next-generation consoles, which arrived after a gap of eight years.
Analysts say they could reignite the video game market, which
struggled with flagging sales for over a year until this fall when
it began seeing a gradual uptick in revenue.
Strong launches of both consoles were a good sign for the industry
but it was too soon to forecast where the market was going to shift,
said Benchmark's Hickey.
Despite robust initial demand, "it remains to be seen how much
mainstream consumer demand will unfold," Baird & Co's Sebastian said
in a recent research note.
Microsoft shares were down 1.3 percent at $37.60 in afternoon
trading on Nasdaq.
(Editing by Christopher Cushing and Tim
Dobbyn)
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