i think VGC should update its numbers.

This morning, software giant Microsoft reported its earnings declined during the quarter ending September 30. On a year-on-year comparison, quarterly revenue sank 14 percent to $12.92 billion, with profits declining 18 percent to $3.57 billion ($0.40 per share), from $4.37 billion ($0.48 per share). The company blamed the decline on the deferred cost of a program that lets new PC buyers upgrade to Windows 7, which officially launched yesterday.

Of particular interest to gamers is the performance of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, which makes the Xbox 360 and Zune multimedia handheld, and will have 3D games by year's end. Though Microsoft touted "Windows and Xbox exceed expectations due to strong consumer demand" in the subtitle of its earnings release, the division's earnings were down slightly. Revenues fell from $1.893 billion in July-September 2008 to $1.891 billion during the same three months in 2009.

E&D operating profit, however, nearly doubled, going from $159 million to $312 million during the quarter, which saw the launch of the already multiplatinum 360 shooter Halo 3: ODST. The game was the top US title for September, the same month that also saw the $300 Xbox 360 Elite price drop in full effect. (It began at the end of August.)

[UPDATE] In a conference call with analysts after the report, Microsoft investor relations general manager Bill Koefoed dropped more details on game revenue. For the quarter, overall gaming revenue was up nearly $100 million dollars, with Xbox Live revenues increasing 50 percent.

The executive also revealed that the Xbox 360 now has an industry-best 8.7-title attach rate--that is, an average of 8.7 Xbox 360 games sold for each console sold. More significantly, the 360's installed base is now "almost" 34 million units worldwide, upabout 3 million from August. By contrast, Nintendo's Wii had an installed base of nearly 53 million at the end of July, and nearly 24 million PlayStation 3s were sold as of late August.

During Microsoft's prior fiscal year, which ended June 30, the E&D division generated an annual operating profit of $169 million, its second consecutive year in the black. As a platform, the Xbox 360--and before it, the Xbox--had traditionally been money losers for Microsoft since it got into the console business in 2001.

Today, though, Microsoft's overall third quarter profits were bigger than the $0.32 per share predicted by a survey of analysts compiled by the Thomson Reuters news service. As a result, the company stock shot up over $2.40 (9 percent) to over $29 per share in premarket trading.

link : http://www.gamespot.com/news/6237794.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;3

i think the gap is 10 million between the ps3 and xbox360 now right ?

Wow. Some major adjustments needed here.

That's good for the 360 but VGcharts needs updates on a lot of things not just the 360 sales.

C'mon now guys...MUST we go thru this again...can somebody please post the Capt Picard forehead pic?!?!

I love that captain Picard picture ^^^^

The figure that Microsoft is giving is almost 34 million shipped, not sold to consumers (VGChartz track consoles sold to consumers). Also VGChartz are a week or so behind generally so I don't think adjusting is necessary.

It said installed base which means sold to consumers.

Microsoft do not track that number, they only track consoles shipped to stores. It doesn't matter what terminology they use, that's the number that they're giving. Trust me, it's been debated on this site many a time.

The quoted PS3 figure is also way too low. Wonder where they got that from.

What number would you like VGC to update it to? I'm not sure they can represent "almost 34 million" in a numerically accurate way.

Given the spintastic ways of sales reports this round-a-bout number could have a 1,000,000 unit downward margin for error. Reasonable likelihood that the install base is above 33 million, but the statement could just as much be a comment about projected end of period install base as it could be a reflection of current install base. E.g. "current install base is 32.7 million which is almost the 34 million we projected for install base at the end of the period." It certainly could also mean that as of 30 Sept the current install base is 33.99 million units. But with such an imprecise expression of the install base it is impossible to draw a definitive conclusion. And certainly not a basis for insisting that VGC adjust the numbers up by 1 million units or more.

It is always much more indicative if they say something like "the current install base is more than 33.5 million", which means for sure something more than 33.5 and less than 34. "Almost" is almost meaningless.

And since when does "almost 34 million" - 25.52 million = 10 million?

VGC updates it's numbers when it gets hard data. Give them hard data instead of company promotional fluff and they'll do the right thing.