After a very disappointing launch and a haphazard strategy to catch Sony, Microsoft and Xbox fans finally have something to write home about. The company’s fourth-quarter sales report was release yesterday and there are a lot of positives to take from it. The major highlight for gamers, however, is that the Xbox One has finally turned the tide, posting a 27% increase in revenue year-over-year.
The revenue number, which includes console sales, game sales and Xbox Live transactions, contributed to the $28 billion (about R347 billion) in profit the Redmond firm posted in the fourth financial quarter of 2015. Microsoft certainly is on the right track with the updates and new features (particularly Xbox 360 backward compatibility) of the Xbox One.
Unfortunately the rest of the Microsoft business did not do as well as the gaming division. Windows OEM revenue (computer components) dropped 22% before the company lost $7.6 billion (about R94 billion) in the Nokia division’s restructuring process, which resulted in a several billion dollar net loss for the company.
Microsoft will take heart in the stellar Xbox One performance especially with Windows 10 launching next week. More Xbox consoles means better inter-connectivity between PCs and Microsoft’s systems, and a better ecosystem is a win-win for everyone.
Even though the Xbox One is still lagging behind the PS4 it has recently been gaining market share where as its Sony equivalent has been losing out. Microsoft hopes to continue the momentum with their upcoming exclusives Halo 5 :Guardians and Rise of the Tomb Raider hitting shelves in the next few months.
Source: TechRadar
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