NPD numbers are in for December 2014, and Microsoft found themselves on top in the United States for the second straight month.
The Xbox One led US console sales in a month that saw them offer a $349 holiday price promotion, along with a solid lineup of first-party games and various special console bundles. Microsoft noted that sales of the Xbox One are up 50% over the Xbox 360 at the same time in its life cycle.
Microsoft isn’t resting with these victories though, as they have decided to bring back the $349 price starting January 16th. This time, they didn’t mention an end date.
“Building off a record-setting holiday, we are excited to announce a new promotion in which fans in the U.S. can buy an Xbox One at a special price of $349, starting tomorrow, January 16, from their preferred retailer,” said Mike Nichols, Corporate Vice President of Marketing for Xbox. “We are thankful for all the excitement for Xbox One this holiday and proud to offer more fans the amazing games lineup, Xbox Live gaming community, and continual innovation that Xbox One fans have come to enjoy.”
In addition to leading in console sales, Microsoft led with software sales in the US as well. They sold the most games on any current generation platform.
Overall worldwide sales numbers have been reported to show a December win for Sony’s PlayStation 4, but things are certainly heating up. Will Sony do something to make the PS4’s price more appealing? Check back with MONG for all the latest console news!
My Opinion:
This comes as no surprise to me at all. We know the Xbox is a popular brand with many in the US and the price drop was what Microsoft needed to push it into more homes. Looking at the worldwide numbers paints a slightly different picture here, so Microsoft still has work to do if they want to reign supreme. This is a step in the right direction though, and keeping the price down will certainly make many think twice about what console they want to purchase. In the end this is good for all gamers; the console market is alive and well.
Ryan Amirault is an Associate Writer for MONG and hasn’t played an Xbox for more than 5 minutes. Follow him on Twitter.
Middle Of Nowhere Gaming 
I didn’t figure MS would keep their price at $399 for too long. Does this get anyone else on the Xbox bandwagon? There’s not much they could do to get me to buy an Xbox One personally, but that is simply because of money and time.
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