Xbox 360 Year-to-Date Sales Increase 17 Percent

With all the news about the PS3’s sky-rocketing sales, it’s easy to forget that the Xbox 360 is still doing pretty well for itself. The NPD report for August shows that 360 sales have increased by 17 percent over the course of 2009.

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has proudly proclaimed being “the only console showing year-to-date growth in the U.S. this year.” It was only a few months ago they were saying the same thing, and they’re probably going to keep reminding everyone.

17 percent may not sound all that impressive, especially next to Sony’s whopping 300 percent, but there are two things to keep in mind. First of all, unlike the PS3, the 360 is showing sustained growth, which investors really like. And secondly, these figures don’t factor in the recent price-cut. Sony has been eager to get numbers right out of the gate, but the 360 is likely to see a surge of its own in next month’s NPD report. Microsoft is already reporting that first-week sales are “surpassing our expectations.”