Xbox Coasts Into E3 On News Of Sales Growth

Sales of Xbox 360 consoles have surpassed 30 million worldwide, Microsoft said Thursday, adding that its Xbox Live community has grown to include more than 20 million active members. Xbox 360 had the highest percentage growth in hardware sales of any console so far in 2009, up 28 percent over the previous year, according to NPD Group research. <P> The company gets to glide into the big E3 gaming show June 1 in Los Angeles on the coattails of that news. Microsoft is expected to highlight its "commitment to bringing blockbuster entertainment experiences" at the E3 show. <P> Since the Xbox 360 was launched, U.S. customers have spent $14.5 billion across all categories. To date, consumers have downloaded nearly 1 billion pieces of gaming and entertainment content from Xbox Live Marketplace, including a broad array of premium high- and standard-definition movies and TV shows from studios and networks around the world. <P> The system has generated $5.9 billion in sales to date for third-party publishers, which is more than those of current-generation consoles combined, according to NPD. The research also found that Xbox 360 leads current-generation consoles in game purchases, with consumers owning an average of 8.3 titles each. <P>