Xbox 360 EMEA sales top 10 million

Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox 360 has sold over 10 million units in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

The news comes as Microsoft prepares a new dashboard update, which will add Twitter, Facebook, Last.fm and streaming HD movies to the Xbox Live service from November 17.

"European consumers are very discerning and demand a connected entertainment experience," said Chris Lewis, vice president Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Europe. "That’s why we focused on providing content that is right and relevant for them and entertainment beyond just gaming to movies, music and social networking.

"We have delivered on this promise and next week will bring real innovation into the living room through instant streaming high definition movies, connecting with friends on Facebook and Twitter and a personalised music channel. Together, this represents a real shift in the way people are entertained every day," he added.

According to Microsoft, the Xbox 360 is the only home console to achieve year-on-year growth across the EMEA region.

"Xbox 360 continues to pull ahead of the competition when it comes to delivering on a complete home entertainment experience and we think that Xbox Live currently is about 12 to 18 months ahead of its main rival PlayStation Network when it comes to offering service and content beyond traditional games," said Martin Olausson, director of Digital Media Research at Strategy Analytics.

"By introducing innovative new services and content such as Natal, instant streaming of full 1080P HD video, and integrating social media features such as Twitter and Facebook, Xbox will likely attract a wider audience than its rivals and is in a great position to maximize sales in the next few years."

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