Along with the momentum for Xbox hardware, August sales of Xbox software grew faster than on both PlayStation 2 and GameCube, up 58 percent for this same period last year. Pulling in two of the top four best-selling titles and four of the top 10 in August, the Xbox cumulative attach rate increased to 5.8, the highest on record for any next-generation console after 22 months on the market. Xbox top sellers included "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder" by Ubi Soft Entertainment, "Soul Calibur II" by Namco, "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" by LucasArts, and EA's "Madden 2004."
Xbox Live™, the premiere online gaming service, saw a 17 percent leap in sales of Xbox Live Starter Kit in August. Supplementing this achievement was the launch of XSN Sports, the first truly virtual online sports league for any Xbox Live-enabled video game featuring the XSN Sports logo, including "NFL Fever 2004" from Microsoft Game Studios. Xbox Live, the world's most intense unified gaming service, offers gamers a consistent, reliable and exhilarating experience. With its unified approach, Xbox Live allows gamers to easily find their friends online, match up with players of all skill levels and quickly jump into their favorite games with friends and foes around the world.
In the coming weeks, eight more countries will launch the Xbox Live service. They are Korea, Austria, Australia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway and Switzerland. By the holiday season, more than 50 action-packed Xbox games will be Xbox Live-enabled, more online games than any competing console claims.
Accelerating its marketplace velocity, last week's launch of a special holiday promotion is already proving popular with consumers. Priced at $179.99, this limited-time offer includes the powerful Xbox console, a two-month trial subscription to Xbox Live*, the blockbuster game "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" by LucasArts and THQ's "Tetris Worlds Live," an enhanced version of the classic favorite optimized for online play.
"The latest data is really a harbinger of what we expect to see this holiday season," said Mitch Koch, vice president, retail sales and marketing for the home and entertainment division at Microsoft. "With close to 400 games, a global Xbox Live community, 50 Xbox Live-enabled games, and a holiday promotion that offers tremendous value, Xbox is appealing to an ever-growing audience of thrill-seekers."
The momentous success of Xbox will continue with the release of this year's hot holiday title lineup, with exclusives such as "Ninja Gaiden" (Tecmo), "Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy" (LucasArts) and "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3" (Ubi Soft) and a diverse first-party lineup showcasing Counter-Strike, Crimson Skies®: High Road to Revenge™, Grabbed by the Ghoulies™, Project Gotham Racing® 2, Xbox Music Mixer, and XSN Sports-enhanced Amped® 2 and Top Spin™, providing new and exciting entertainment experiences for gamers of all ages.