Microsoft has confirmed a change in its reporting practices for Xbox consoles. In the latest earnings release figures for console shipments are already missing, the company now focuses on engagement instead.
When it comes to the Xbox, Microsoft seems to keep a lower profile from now on. A look at Microsoft´s latest Earnings Release reveals that Microsoft has changed its reporting practices for Xbox consoles. For the first time, concrete numbers of Xbox shipments are missing.
Mike from Gameinformer got curious about it and received a confirmation that “Microsoft will not be using console shipments as its primary metric for success beginning with this quarter”, and that from now on the “is more focused on engagement, leading it to choose Xbox Live usership as its leading statistic.”
Using more general terms the company reveals that total gaming hardware revenue is down year-over-year, mostly because of declining sales for the Xbox 360. In contrast, Xbox Live usage has grown from about 30 to 39 accounts which is a plus from 28 percent.
A surrender to the PS4?
It seems like Microsoft has finally surrendered to the dominating PlayStation 4 in terms of market share. With the change in reporting they avoid the negative 1:1 sales comparisons, as the Xbox is usually far behind the PS4. At the same time, as user engagement on the relatively young Xbox Live is growing, Microsoft will be able to report positive numbers.
Microsoft has already masked stats about the Xbox One by just reporting a total figure for Xbox units sold, which includes shipments of the Xbox 360. However, it was not big of a mystery that the Xbox One so far has been unable to profoundly challenge Sony´s PS4.
Source: Gameinformer
Microsoft is getting exactly what they deserve. Selling us a cheap console with inferior parts and components, and then within less than a year of this console’s existence they are selling refurbished models! So not only did they cheap out, they built them improperly! At less than a years time, shouldn’t even be close to yielding enough consoles to start a mass sell off of returned and then refurbished Xbones.
You won’t see a single refurbished PS4 anywhere, for years! What does that tell you anyone stupid enough to buy an Xbox One?
I bought one of each, and was so disappointed in the lack of change between last gen and current, that I returned them both within 60 days for a full refund. I didn’t love the PS4 but from the moment you put that cheap assed Xbone controller in your hand, you know the PS4 is the better choice. I still hate that Sony designs it’s controllers for kid hands, because I’ve got man size hands, and we are the ones who pay for everything anyway, women have bigger hands than kids too.