Xbox 360 Outsells Wii in February

By Geoff Duncan March 12, 2010

New figures from NPD covering U.S. video game console and software sales during February 2010 paint a gloomy picture for the industry: overall, the gaming industry saw a 15 percent drop in sales compared to February 2009, pulling in some $1.26 billion in revenue. But the big winners of the month were BioShock 2 (which managed to sell some 563,000 units on the Xbox 360, making it the best-selling game title of the month) and the Xbox 360, which managed to outsell the Nintendo Wii, moving 422,000 units compared to 397,000 for the Wii.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 hasn’t been the top-selling game console in a month since the release of Halo 3 back in September 2007. Otherwise, consoles sales have been dominated by the Nintendo Wii. However, overall sales figures for the Wii have been dropping off, suggesting the Wii market has reached saturation. Although it’s work remembering that for well over a year Nintendo couldn’t make enough Wiis to keep retailers stocked. February also saw substantial improvement for Sony’s PlayStation 3, which moved 360,000 units, a 30 percent improvement compared to February of 2009. Sony also managed to sell 102,000 PlayStation 2s.

Amongst portable systems, Nintendo continues to dominate, with the Nintendo DS line moving 612,000 units during February, compared to 133,000 PlayStation Portables. However, both numbers represent a drop in sales: the Nintendo DS is off 4 percent compared to a year ago, while the PSP is off a whopping 33 percent year-on-year.

BioShock 2 for the Xbox 360 was the top game for the month with 563,00 copies sold, followed closely by New Super Mario Bros. for Wii with 556,000 copies. Modern Warfare 2 moved 275,00 copies on the Xbox 360 and another 247,000 copies on the PS3, while Dante’s Inferno pushed 225,000 copies on the PlayStation 3 and another 219,000 copies on the Xbox 360.

So far in 2010, the overall downturn in the sheer number of console and game units sold hasn’t been paralleled by an identical downturn in industry revenue, because while prices for game consoles are dropping, the price of games and accessories is, on average, higher than it was a year ago. Even though fewer units are being sold, those higher prices are helping the industry’s bottom line look less saggy.

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Microsoft will no longer offer Xbox 360 games via Games with Gold

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Microsoft will discontinue Xbox 360 games from its Games with Gold service starting in October 2022. This news comes by way of an email from Microsoft, which was translated by Twitter user Wario64.

Following the removal of Xbox 360 games from Games with Gold, Microsoft will continue to add Xbox One titles for the foreseeable future. The email from Microsoft explains that the company has reached the limits of adding Xbox 360 games.

Gaming

2022’s Xbox and Bethesda Showcase is vital for Microsoft

Senua stares ahead wearing war paint.

On June 12, Microsoft will hold its second annual Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase. Following a series of delays and reports about development issues at Xbox studios, it is shaping up to be one of the most pivotal shows for Xbox ever.
Xbox had a strong showing in 2021 with critically acclaimed games like Forza Horizon 5, Age of Empires IV, and Halo Infinite, but has lost that positive momentum in the first half of this year. As debates rage over just how compelling Xbox’s 2022 lineup is now that Bethesda’s heavy hitters Starfield and Redfall have been delayed until 2023, Microsoft needs to prove why gamers should care about its platforms and services this year, and the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase is the right place to do that.
First-party woes
The back half of 2022 is looking pretty dire for Microsoft in terms of first-party games it's directly developing or publishing. Originally, it seemed like Microsoft was relying on Bethesda to provide it with two blockbuster titles, but that strategy went out the window when those games were delayed. While Microsoft has announced plenty of games since the Xbox Series X's reveal in 2020, none of them are publicly dated to release this year. It's relying on third-party exclusives like Warhammer 40K: Darktide and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, the latter of which could have its release date impacted further by Russia's war on Ukraine.

This isn't a good situation for Xbox, so the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase is the best place for the companies to reassure fans that first-party games are actually coming. So, what could possibly be in store? We know for sure that Redfall, Starfield, and Contraband won't release this year. State of Decay 3 and Perfect Dark also seems unlikely due to the reported development trouble both titles are facing. That said, other Microsoft titles could sneak in a 2022 release. To start, Grounded will likely leave early access this year.
When you consider that Forza Horizon 5 wasn’t revealed until E3 2021 and managed to be one of the best games of the year, it seems likely, if unconfirmed, that Microsoft will put out the next mainline Forza Motorsport this year. The next entry in the series has been in development at Turn 10 for some time and is rumored to be beta testing.
As for its other first-party studios, it's possible that Senua's Sacrifice: Hellblade 2 or Avowed will actually manage to come out this year and fill the void left by Redfall and Starfield. Age of Empires IV and Deathloop could also strengthen the lineup if ported to Xbox consoles this year.
It's also possible that there are announced first-party games slated for this year, like the rumored non-combat RPG from Obsidian's Josh Sawyer, the leaked remaster of Goldeneye 007, or one of the many Xbox Game Studios Projects that were exposed via the Nvidia GeForce Now Leak last year. Xbox Game Studios Publishing could also help bolster the 2022 lineup if As Dusk Falls launches this year and they release some other unannounced games from second-party partners. If any of those guesses are true, this Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase is the place to confirm it. Microsoft can't afford to wait any longer to show us what's in store from them this year if it has anything at all.
Forza Motorsport - Official Announce Trailer
Other parties
If Microsoft is truly unable to provide that many compelling first-party exclusives this year -- which is a very real possibility -- then it will need to add some extremely noteworthy heavy-hitters to Xbox Game Pass on day one in the back half of 2022. In the 2021 conference, all but two games featured were to be included in Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft needs to repeat that this year, and it would certainly help if many of those games are launching in 2022. Managing to net some of this fall’s big titles like Saints Row, Sonic Frontiers, Gotham Knights, or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to be on the service day one would make the lack of exclusives and first-party games would sting less for Xbox fans.
The worst-case scenario for Microsoft here is having no compelling AAA games launch day one on Xbox Game Pass this fall, first-party or not. It might be able to fall back on Xbox Game Studios Publishing, which has partnered with developers outside of Xbox Game Studios to create Xbox-exclusive titles. If Microsoft is not able to provide anything compelling for this year across the board, 2022 could be one of the most disappointing first-party years for Microsoft since 2017.
Gotham Knights would be a very compelling Xbox Game Pass title in 2022. Image used with permission by copyright holder
Whether it’s with secret first- and second-party exclusives or some compelling Xbox Game Pass deals, this is a very important showcase for Xbox. It has spent years acquiring studios to bolster its exclusive lineup but still doesn’t have much in the way of palpable results to show for it. In a tweet after Redfall and Starfield's delay, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer tweeted "These decisions are hard on teams making the games & our fans. While I fully support giving teams time to release these great games when they are ready, we hear the feedback. Delivering quality & consistency is expected, we will continue to work to better meet those expectations."
While Microsoft having that mindset in the future is appreciated, it could come at a real cost of there not being that many compelling games on the system this year. And if it’s bad, the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase will leave us questioning if we can ever expect consistent results from Xbox. As such, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda both need to come out strong during this showcase with lots of games. Not just ones for years to come, but for 2022 as well.

Gaming

How to connect your Xbox 360 controller to a PC

how to connect an Xbos 360 controller to a PC

It wasn’t that long ago that trying to connect a controller to your PC was either impossible or you needed plenty of wires and cords to get it done. However, new technology has finally made it easier to connect your controller to your PC by using Bluetooth and similar methods.

Syncing your Xbox 360 Controller is not an exception, and even older models should connect to your laptop or desktop without too much trouble. Here is a basic rundown of how to connect an Xbox 360 controller to your PC.