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Microsoft sells 750,000 Xbox consoles on Black Friday weekend after seven years of sales

Microsoft sells 750,000 Xbox consoles on Black Friday weekend after seven years of sales

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Microsoft revealed today that it has sold more than 750,000 Xbox 360 consoles in the US on Black Friday weekend. Despite being seven years old, the Xbox 360's strong Black Friday sales follow 22 months as the top selling console in the US, according to NPD figures. While the sales are impressive, Microsoft managed to sell more than 960,000 consoles in the US during the week of Black Friday last year, with 800,000 sold within a period of 24 hours.

Microsoft now faces increased competition from Nintendo's Wii U console, which debuted in the US earlier this month. The Wii U sales surpassed 400,000 during its launch week, with the original Wii still commanding 300,000 sales. The surprising spike in sales for the Xbox 360 comes shortly after the release of Halo 4 and Call of Duty: Black Ops II, both popular titles this holiday season. NPD sales data will be available in early December, which will determine the top performer for November, but it looks like Microsoft will likely hold on to its bestselling record, for now.

The Xbox 360 is selling well, but what about the next-generation Xbox?

Questions around Microsoft's next Xbox will inevitably draw closer as the company plans to debut its next console in time for the holiday season in 2013. Microsoft has managed to keep its Xbox 360 fresh over the past seven years with software updates and a Kinect hardware addition to compete against Nintendo's Wii. It now faces threats from Sony, Apple, and Google to take hold of its strong position in the living room. An Xbox set-top box, a 7-inch tablet, and a wrist-worn fitness device might be some of the ways that Microsoft plans to tackle its rivals for the next-generation console battle in 2013.