Aussies set new high score in video game spending

Mike Bantick
Friday, 19 December 2008 06:03

Your IT - Entertainment

Last week was a big one for the Australian video game consumer, breaking spending records in the lead up to the gift giving season.  In other news, Microsoft have announced that they might be happy with Xbox 360 sales by Christmas, probably.

According to the latest sales figures thrown up by GfK metrics group, Australians spent over AU$100 million on interactive entertainment goodies last week, setting a new spending record – good to see Prime Minister Rudd’s economy kick-start hand out going to the right place.

Expect the streets to be bare as Australians spend the post Christmas week indoors with their new electronic distracters.

Microsoft is hoping that a significant proportion of those distracters are branded Xbox 360.  Microsoft has announced that – with any luck – by Christmas this year there will be half a million Xbox 360’s in Australian households.

This would make the Xbox 360 the most popular High-Definition, Next-gen, concave shaped, with a green circle on the front, console in the country.

Microsoft EDD Regional Director (ANZ) David McLean said, “Although it’s a challenging worldwide economic landscape, Xbox Australia has seen an increase of 52 per cent in console sales in recent weeks compared to this time last year. By Christmas, Australians will have spent more on the Xbox 360 than they did on the original Xbox console.”
 
“Xbox users to date have bought more software and accessories per console than users of any other nextgeneration console,” commented McLean. “2008 has been the strongest year in Australia for Xbox since we entered the market seven years ago and we still have two weeks to go.”

Microsoft also released a press release updating us on some local and international Xbox 360 and gaming related facts.

• Australians have spent $608 million since the beginning of October on gaming products, which is a 40 per cent increase on the same period last year
• Xbox 360 has now sold 25 million consoles worldwide with over 4 million games sold in Australia
• Over 50 per cent of Xbox 360 users in Australia are now connected to Xbox LIVE
• Australians are turning to gaming as a cost effective form of entertainment and a great option for those holidaying at home
• Over 14 million people globally are connected through the Xbox LIVE social entertainment network worldwide.