On Tuesday, Microsoft announced that its Xbox video game console was gaining significant market share growth as its competitors falter entering the crucial holiday selling season. According to a report by NPD group, sales of the Xbox rose 6 percent year over year (measured from August 2002 to August 2003), while sales of the Sony PlayStation plunged 36 percent and sales of the Nintendo GameCube fell 22 percent. According to the group, the Xbox now accounts for 27 percent of video game console sales in the US.

Likewise, sales of Xbox software continues to grow at a faster rate than that for the competition, Microsoft notes. In the same time period cited above, Xbox software sales grew 58 percent, with the Xbox accounting for two of the top four software titles, and four of the top ten, in terms of sales, for August 2003. Upcoming exclusive titles for the Xbox include "Ninja Gaiden," "Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy," "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3," "Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge," "Project Gotham Racing 2," "Xbox Music Mixer," and the XSN Sports-enhanced "Amped 2" and "Top Spin."