Xbox 360 attach rate is a record, says MS

By Robert Purchese Published 28 January, 2008

Seven games sold for every console.

Microsoft money man Chris Liddell has said that Xbox 360 owners possess an average of seven games for the console, which he reckons is a record.

Liddell was waffling on about some financial results for the Xbox division, explaining how the business model MS put in place is paying off.

"We're now at a stage where we sell about seven games per console and that's a record certainly for any console and relative to history," Liddell told CNBC.

"So people are now actually spending more on the games and accessories than they are on the underlying console, so that business model that we put in place the last couple of years is certainly starting to fire."

The last time Microsoft talked attach rates for the Xbox 360 was last January, where the company said the average user owned 5.3 software titles.

GamesIndustry.biz is a silent anagram of FACT.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (61) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Darren #1 4 years ago

    Oh... I misread the article as the Xbox 360 having an attachment rate of seven CONSOLES to each owner, something I could have easily believed given the machine's appalling reliability record! LOL

  • LeD #2 4 years ago

    Ah ah so witty

  • FooAtari #3 4 years ago

    Launch console still going strong here.

    I know that doesn't mean the same for everyone, but 7 machines...


    Anyway, the high attach rate should keep devs interested.

  • Yossarian #4 4 years ago

    you know people laugh when MS harp on about leading in 'consumer spending' and 'attach rate', but it's actually a pretty fair point. just think, if they hadn't had to tear open the chequebook to remedy their awful reliability issues they'd probably be making a profit now.

  • LeD #5 4 years ago

    Well they are making a profit now Yoss, they published it a few days ago.

  • barnard666 #6 4 years ago

    I thought it was quite funny...hell I have been through 4 360's and now own 2 just so I can always have one to play (whilst another will inevitably be down at the repair bay)

    Just think what the attach rate would be if people hadn't had to buy second consoles?

  • FooAtari #7 4 years ago

    6 posts in and the thread is a wreck already :)

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #8 4 years ago

    Not at all surprised. I've already got more 360 games than I ever had for the first Xbox, even discounting those I get for free.

    And with Halo, PGR, Crackdown, BioShock, Viva Pinata, Gears, and Mass Effect, that's seven top-quality games right there. And I've left a few off, too. AND only two of them are straight-up shooters. Two and a half if you count BioShock. ;-)

  • aldo_14 #9 4 years ago

    you know people laugh when MS harp on about leading in 'consumer spending' and 'attach rate', but it's actually a pretty fair point. just think, if they hadn't had to tear open the chequebook to remedy their awful reliability issues they'd probably be making a profit now.

    (IIRC) They cunningly remedied that issue by making the warranty announcement just before they published their financial results, thus relegating that loss to the previous years finances. Although I'm not sure if the profit was due to the 360 or helped by other 'entertainment' stuff or not (like the Zune....errr, probably the 360 then).

    It sounds odd that 7 games is a record - I've had more games than that for every console I've owned since the NES.

  • lambtron #10 4 years ago

    Yeah I have a lot more than seven games for teh 360 (as do all my friends), so this is not hard for me to believe.

  • scott_morris13 #11 4 years ago

    i own 22... planning on buying another 10+ titles that i want this year also. this doesn't surprise me!

  • ruckus #12 4 years ago

    Seven games... a bit low me thinks yet this is an industry record. Price a contributory factor?

  • McBradders #13 4 years ago

    I have about 25 retail and 30+ XBLA games. Microsoft must love me, surely?

  • Raya #14 4 years ago

    Eh? Nintendo says the attach rate for wii is 8 - guess EG missed that one - ms aren't going to mention it ;-)

  • SlackMaster #15 4 years ago

    Lets just hope 2008 is another strong year for games. I own probably about 16 games for 360 and have had a lot more but trade alot to get new titles.

    I think I probably spend more time bargain hunting for games than actually playing them... not sure how that happened.

  • Wendelius #16 4 years ago

    Launch 360 still going strong here.

    I believe I've bought around 12-14 games since I got my 360 and still own 8 of them. Definitely lots of games worth owning, even though I had never been big on console gaming before.

    Wendelius

  • lambtron #17 4 years ago

    "Does this mean XBOX gamers have less of a social life than everyone else?"

    Umm I think it just means they buy more games. Make of that what you will :).

    Although it is fairly obvious that Sony (being the mass market favourite) are more likely to sell machines to people who will only buy the occasional game.

  • Macross #18 4 years ago

    Raya, where did you get that number from? I mean i have a wii and a 360 (so no fanboyism) ii honestly find it hard to beleive the wii has a higher attach rate...

  • Whizzo #19 4 years ago

    I think I've got a hell of a lot of other people's "7" games...

  • Darren #20 4 years ago

    @farticusmaximus - Actually I'm no "fan boy" as I own an Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. I have, however, been through FIVE Xbox 360s in two years but that's normal, right? ;)

    P.S. I own some 62 Xbox 360 games and have bought well over 100 since I bought the machine in December 2005... :p

  • GamesConnoisseur #21 4 years ago

    Its all maths, so say if X360 owners have gone through 3 consoles on average (such as Sony crowd would have you believe) but the attach rate to X360 owner is actually 21 games (7 x 3)!!?

  • thepiedpiper #22 4 years ago

    Its all maths, so say if X360 owners have gone through 3 consoles on average (such as Sony crowd would have you believe) but the attach rate to X360 owner is actually 21 games (7 x 3)!!?

    ----------------------

    That's the dumbest maths I ever did see!! And yet somehow it makes sense. Kudos to you my dear boy.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #23 4 years ago

    @ SlackMaster - I kinda hope 2008 is a quieter year than 07: I'm still on BioShock, got Mass Effect, Galaxy, Orange Box and others yet to complete! And I wanna play Halo 3 and Crackdown some more...

    @ GamesConnoisseur - LOL :-)

  • Brenders #24 4 years ago

    <a href = "http://arstechnic a.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/01/25/wii-attach-rate-soared- to-81-for-december"> These are figures for all consoles.. </a>

    Not sure where you got your info on 8 games for Wii, Raya. Especially considering that a good few Wii owners are content with Wii Sports :/ - unfortunately.

  • asphaltcowboy #25 4 years ago

    @Raya

    There is no way IN HELL that the Wii has an attach rate of 8... if it does, it'll be down to retailers bundling utter shit for a muchos high price!

  • moggsy #26 4 years ago

    @ Darren

    Bloody hell you've spent in the region of 3 grand on games in 2 years! How do you find the time/resources?
    Edited by 1 at 28/01/08 @ 16:52

  • Killerbee #27 4 years ago

    I suspect Brenders' article is where Raya got his attach rate of 8 for the Wii from - it was 8 for the month of December, but overall attach rates stand at:

    Wii - 4.64
    PS3 - 4.26
    360 - 7.0

    NPD figures, so America only, of course.

    So Microsoft is a fair way ahead, but then they've been on the market longest, so it sort of makes sense that there would be a difference.

  • Darren #28 4 years ago

    @Moggsy - Don't ask!!! LOL

    I admit I buy far too many games such that I finish very few of them. I'm trying to be a bit more conservative over my game choices in 2008 though, something that could be quite easy given that I'm planning on avoiding FPSs on the Xbox 360 (totally bored of the genre these days ya see)! That should cut down the number of games I buy on the platform by... ooooo.... 50%! LOL

  • Brenders #29 4 years ago

    To be fair, even 4.64 seems quite high for Wii. I'd expect Microsoft's generally more hardcore audience to have at least doubled the Wii's attach rate, given the recent explosion of AAA titles on the system.

    I guess I've been underestimating Nintendo's new market way too much...

  • Altrezia #30 4 years ago

    Must be some giant dorks out there - as I only have 2 games. Who has my other five, as I want them.

  • Darren #31 4 years ago

    @lavalant - Oddly I bought a UK PS2 at launch in November 2000 and it's still working perfectly albeit my nephew now owns it. It even plays "problematic" blue CD games with no issues at all. It never crashed once either!

    While I'm well aware of the PS2's early issues (I remember seeing it mentioned on BBC's Watchdog), I was obviously one of the lucky ones. In fact, the only consoles to have died on me are those made my Microsoft. My original Xbox lasted just two weeks in March 2002 and, as mentioned earlier, I'm on my fifth Xbox 360!!! LOL

  • Raya #32 4 years ago

    @Killerbee - of course you're right there. Doh me.

  • Salvia #33 4 years ago

    There are those that say such a high attach-rate is a bad thing showing that the 360 is much more of 'specialist' console than the PS2 (for example. The PS3 hasn't sold nearly enough to do a fair comparison). The more mainstream console owners were buying PS2s for the odd game of FIFA and GTA whereas the 360 owner is more into games as a hobby (rather than a diversion) and as such collected mroe games. This 'niche' appeal also unfortunately tended to mean that sales of the 360 had pretty much peaked...this was first stated around the last time MS trumpeted their high attach rate and sales don't seem to have dropped much.



    Edited by 1 at 28/01/08 @ 17:12

  • yashin #34 4 years ago

    Raya is right, ARS reported a Wii attach rate of 8.11 per console in December:
    [link url=http://arstechnic a.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/01/25/wii-attach-rate-soared- to-81-for-december
    ]http://ar stechnica.com/journals/thumbs.a...[/link]
    I'd guess it has a lot to do with the bundling that was going on over Christmas, unless they count Wii Sports as 5 games. Whichever way you cut it, a one-month view is meaningless, but particularly so when your hardware supply is constricted during that month.

    Seriously, I still love my Wii, but I only own four games (Sports, Zelda, Resident Wiivil, Mario Galaxy). Great titles, but swimming in a sea of mediocre rush-releases.

    By contrast, I own a dozen 360 games and can think of another 4 I'd like to own.

    And the PS3? I got Motorstorm and Resistance bundled with it and have since bought the excellent Uncharted. But until a cross-platform release is shown to be worth buying on the PS3 over the 360, I'll be concentrating on exclusives.
    Edited by 1 at 28/01/08 @ 17:17

  • FooAtari #35 4 years ago

    Raya is right, sort of.

    I do remember a new item that Nintedo had at attachment rate of 8 during December. But it was only for consoles and games sold during that month AFAIK

    Edit
    Dam you yashin :)
    Edited by 1 at 28/01/08 @ 17:18

  • asphaltcowboy #36 4 years ago

    @yashin

    WRONG! Read it again - 8:1 attach for December - that is quite different to life-to-date attach rate!

  • yashin #37 4 years ago

    @ asphaltcowboy

    I did say 'in December', but you're right that wasn't clear, so I've duly added an extra sentence to correct this.

    -EDIT - typo on 'duly'
    Edited by 1 at 28/01/08 @ 17:22

  • Gaol #38 4 years ago

    "As I recall the PS2 wasn't the most reliable console when release, infact I think it had just as many failures as the 360(obviously didn't get as much attention due to the internet not being so widespread and mainstream as today)"

    What a load of absolute bollocks. Stop defending M$ for a 99% launch unit failure rate (and it is that high, if not now, then eventually). The PS2 wasn't even in the same league. My launch unit works perfectly, as does everyone else I know - it might have been higher than normal for a console - but higher as in 5% and not every frickin unit.

    The high attachment rate is commendable, helped on by the excellent achievements and gamerscore system. Ironically this exacerbates the reliability issue - more time played = closer to rrod.
    Edited by 1 at 28/01/08 @ 17:35

  • knocker #39 4 years ago

    Hm. I own 12 wii games - and not too much dross in that lot (but I think this is a running joke rather than serious comment)

    The wii figures are inflated by wii sports, and wii play being virtually free.

    I currently also have over 30 360 games ... and even 4 PS3 games (and I don't even own a PS3 ... .don't ask)

  • samk #40 4 years ago

    Darren: "P.S. I own some 62 Xbox 360 games and have bought well over 100 since I bought the machine in December 2005... :p"

    o_O ...for about 5 minutes.

    Blimey. Do you own half of Yorkshire, or something? :)

  • MrChigurh #41 4 years ago

    I've owned about 30 360 games since launch excluding Xbox live arcade games (about 20). 360 is just a great console at the end of the day, really nice exclusives and great third party support.

  • symbiote #42 4 years ago

    If 7 IS a record, there's more tight arsed, part time, lame mother fucking gamers out there than I'd thought there were.

    Haven't they all bought a Wii yet or what?
    Edited by 1 at 28/01/08 @ 19:15

  • SpigleyMcCheese #43 4 years ago

    I've always wondered whether these are full-priced retail games, or do they include Arcade games? Is the answer in the article? I'm too lazy to read, yet sufficiently energetic to comment...

  • symbiote #44 4 years ago

    "too lazy to read, yet sufficiently energetic to comment..."

    LOL! That's going on my tombstone dude :)

  • Darren #45 4 years ago

    @ApoIogie - Well if I sound pro-Sony then that's probably because my PS3 hasn't had to be exchanged four times because if I had to pick a favourite console then it would be the Xbox 360, no contest, simply because it has the best selection of games. LOL

    Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with my PS3 but I haven't played nearly as many games on it and it has yet to prove itself as a serious games machine. At the moment, its use is split 50:50 between being an (admittedly excellent) upscaling DVD/BD player and games console. I've just bought Burnout Paradise for it (better framerate IMO) and I intend buying Devil May Cry 4 (better controls IMO) so things are starting to look up for it on the games front. :)

  • thebuzzard #46 4 years ago

    So if the avg was 5.3 and its now 7 thats means the avg 360 owners has bought only 1.7 games since in a whole year. I can do maths you know.

  • George-Roper #47 4 years ago

    @Darren

    "Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with my PS3 but I haven't played nearly as many games on it and it has yet to prove itself as a serious games machine. At the moment, its use is split 50:50 between being an (admittedly excellent) upscaling DVD/BD player and games console. I've just bought Burnout Paradise for it (better framerate IMO) and I intend buying Devil May Cry 4 (better controls IMO) so things are starting to look up for it on the games front. :)"

    Bollocks its a better framerate and bollocks better controls. I have both machines too and you're talking complete bullocks, old chap.

    Oh, and..

    LOL?

  • DAN.E.B #48 4 years ago

    Ive no idea how many games ive had on the 360 but its at least 30 and 20 Arcade.
    Im one of the few thats never had the legandary RROD since launch.
    I have to say the 360 is the best console ive owned to date and ive owned them all!
    It just has the best games FACT.
    Edited by 1 at 28/01/08 @ 20:11

  • Pablo2k5 #49 4 years ago

    oooh, seven games! What a collection... lol.

  • Luvbeers #50 4 years ago

    I think it is safe to say that the 360's reliability issues extend from playing so many games on it.

  • drumbaby #51 4 years ago

    Replace 'attach' with 'failure' and you're on the money.

    Edit: damn...beaten to it by many other astute peeps.
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/08 @ 00:26

  • Moonprince #52 4 years ago

    Frame rate doesn't jump on DMC4, what you talking about. AA also looks more than fine...

  • ParmaViolet #53 4 years ago

    I think 7 is about right. I think that pretty much everyone that I know with a 360 has more, but there are always going to be the more casual gamers that will buy a console purely for the latest PES or FIFA and stick with that almost exclusively - especially with the great deals on the XBox 360 Arcade console that are going around.

    I have 11 so far, not a bad figure, but nowhere near the amount of original XBox games that I owned (or rather own).

    I suspect that this will rise over the next few months, it seems that the game prices are dropping on a lot of the sites, so I expect a lot more of the casual gamers will be picking up some of the AAA titles from last year for a lower price than RRP.


    PS - Still on my first 360 and had absolutely no problems whatsoever - not even a game crash!
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/08 @ 09:51

  • Wendelius #54 4 years ago

    "So if the avg was 5.3 and its now 7 thats means the avg 360 owners has bought only 1.7 games since in a whole year. I can do maths you know."

    Erm... No, you can't. :)

  • miiiguel #55 4 years ago

    I'm bored with "oh my god is the rings shit..."... old.

    Anyway, I have 56 (retail) gamesm on my 360. 2 more pre-ordered, KUF and DMC4.
    And FFS, why is so hard for you to admit 360ers buy loadsa games? It's not hard, say it s-l-o-w-l-y... . I mean, you say it often "oh you geeks! that's an harcore machine". Yes it is, yes it is.

    "So if the avg was 5.3 and its now 7 thats means the avg 360 owners has bought only 1.7 games since in a whole year. I can do maths you know."
    Shit man, sorry to say, but you're kinda dumb. 360's were sold in the meanwhile you know? sheesh... that was pretty dumb.
    Edited by 3 at 29/01/08 @ 10:29

  • zuljin #56 4 years ago

    @thebuzzard
    "So if the avg was 5.3 and its now 7 thats means the avg 360 owners has bought only 1.7 games since in a whole year. I can do maths you know."

    Seconding Wendelius. Someone needs to go back to A-level maths.

  • muscleblade #57 4 years ago

    Only 7! A lot less than i thought. I have 38 retail games and 53 xbla games. I have preordered DMC4, The Club, Army of Two, Condemned 2.
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/08 @ 11:17

  • Cyhwuhx #58 4 years ago

    .::: So what's this about then?

    [link url=http:// wii.ign.com/articles/847/847472p1.html
    ]http://wi i.ign.com/articles/847/847472p1...[/link]

    Is Microsoft counting differently or are we talking about global/regional things here? Because Wii's 8.11 seems to be higher than 7.76 in my book.

  • JonFE #59 4 years ago

    Cyhwuhx, the 8.11 vs 7.76 is for one month only (Dec. 2007).

    According to the article you linked to "While Nintendo's console certainly flourished in December, perhaps signaling the beginning of solid tie ratios to come, it should be noted that Wii's life-to-date software to hardware tie ratio is at 4.64, compared to 4.26 on PlayStation 3 (despite a much smaller installed base) and 7.0 on Xbox 360, according to NPD data.".

  • PEANUTXXI #60 4 years ago

    I think I must have owned around about 50 games on 360 since launch (btw, still on first console with no HW failures - purchased on release day). Although I usually trade games in to save some cash.

    Do people really have that many games stacked up? I just see it as wasted money if they sit there collecting dust.

  • Sar #61 4 years ago

    I have about 13 retail games and 4 Arcade games. Not bad for only having it 3 months.
    Had my Wii just under a year and I've only bought 3 games for it: Zelda, mario and metroid.