As the Xbox 360 enters its seventh year on the market, Microsoft (MSFT) has announced that its second game console has sold 70 million units worldwide since it launched in 2005. It still trails the 96.56 million Wii consoles Nintendo (NTDOY) has sold, but in terms of competing with Sony’s (SNE) PlayStation 3, it’s still in the lead by about 6.1 million units.
Seven years is unusually long for a console’s lifespan, when considering the average generation usually lasts around five years. Microsoft’s next Xbox code-named “Durango” is rumored to launch next fall with built-in 3D, Kinect 2, Blu-ray and cloud gaming in tow. It’s also said to be about six times more powerful than the Xbox 360.
Even with seven years under its belt, the Xbox 360 isn’t slowing down. Microsoft is slowly rolling out a new Dashboard update that’ll add a customizable UI, Internet Explorer and Xbox Music to the game console. Add the new possibilities of SmartGlass and the Xbox 360 doesn’t look like it even needs to be replaced any time soon.
Microsoft is also generously slashing $50 off most Xbox 360 consoles and selling new holiday bundles to make its console the best gaming deal this year.
