Microsoft's Xbox One video-game console sales hit 2 million

SEATTLE: Microsoft said sales of the new Xbox One video-game console reached more than 2 million in its first 18 days on the market, as the company vies to keep pace with Sony Corp's PlayStation 4 during the holiday season. Sony said it had sold 2.1 million of its machines since they went on sale on November 15 in North America.

Microsoft, which introduced Xbox One on November 22 in 13 countries, is selling pretty much every console it can get into stores and has "aggressive" plans to restock, said David Dennis, a spokesman for Xbox, in an interview yesterday. "Sales of both platforms are basically on par with each other," said Colin Sebastian, an analyst at Robert W Baird & Co in San Francisco.

Microsoft and Sony are trying to attract gamers against a backdrop of declining console sales. From 2008 to 2012, the market shrank 32% to $13.3 billion, according to researcher NPD Group.

Both the $499 Xbox One and the $399 PlayStation 4 have more powerful graphics and entertainment applications than older models.

To distinguish its machine, Microsoft has been pitching its motion-sensing camera, the ability to control live television and exclusive games like "Ryse: Son of Rome" and "Dead Rising 3."

"We're at 2 million at 18 days, and they were at about 2 million at 18 days, so we are running neck and neck," Dennis said. He declined to provide a forecast for future sales.

SALES PROJECTIONS

After replenishing initial inventories, Sony and Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft each may sell about 3 million consoles worldwide by the end of the year, according to projections by Sebastian as well as Michael Olson, an analyst at Piper Jaffray Cos. in Minneapolis.

Jack Tretton, president and chief executive officer of Sony's US computer entertainment division, said Nov. 11 that the Tokyo-based company is confident it can meet analysts' sales estimates of 3 million units by year-end, and its own target of 5 million units by March. Sony expanded sales of the PlayStation 4 on November 29, and it was available in 32 countries as of December 3.

Both consoles sold more than 1 million units in their first 24 hours in stores.