Xbox 360 DLC has brought in $240 million

by Alexander Sliwinski { Aug 6th 2008 at 12:30PM }

Microsoft recently revealed that the Xbox Live Marketplace has seen over $240 million in revenue, with $180 million of that occurring in the last 12 months. Gamasutra reports the company also revealed that games with paid DLC make an average of $21 million more at retail if the content hits within a 30-day "sweet spot," causing customers to hold on to the titles longer.

Gamasutra's piece also delves deeper into XBLM issues like content testing and the submission process, but we're surprised by that spike in revenue over the last year. It means the Marketplace made $60 million since its inception in late 2005 and then raked in $180 million over the last year. We'll take that as a sign customers are getting comfortable with this newfangled digital shopping thing the kids are talking about.

Tags: microsoft, money, revenue, xblm, xbox-live-marketplace

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

SeanScythe @ Aug 6th 2008 12:38PM

Shame they used that money to buy FFXIII port rather then fix Hardware failures. I refuse to buy a 360 until this has been fixed.

Bloo @ Aug 6th 2008 12:43PM

I heard they used the money to hire prostitutes with AIDS to kill orphans.

Oh. And cake. They also bought cake.

tmacairjordan87 @ Aug 6th 2008 12:43PM

Well my 6th 360 has lasted almost a year so far so I think they may have finally fixed it for newer consoles. It seems like it's only the old ones that are crapping out still.

Burritoclock @ Aug 6th 2008 12:49PM

New Sku's dont RROD, as proof I submit several peices of evidence:

1: The drying up of the onslaught of RROD stories

2: The drying up of the anecdotal "I have been through 85,000 360's."

3: I own a launch console, an elite, and a Halo edition, and not one has ever red ringed. My Halo edition was actually knocked off it's table by my cat and still plays just fine (also the power card was chewed through, but a simple splice fixed that)

In other words, if you won't by a 360 at this point, you never will so enjoy Metal Gear.

Shagittarius @ Aug 6th 2008 12:52PM

It may happen soon, it may happen later, but your older 360s will all RROD eventually.

Duke @ Aug 6th 2008 12:52PM

I seem to recall them fixing the hardware failure at this point by releasing new versions of the hardware. I also recall them spending their money on extending warranties. Acting like they have ignored the problem the initial units had is pretty silly at this point.

xFenixKnightx (RRoD hath striketh upon me 08-03-2008) @ Aug 6th 2008 1:00PM

Old console? Launch model? Yup, it will happen eventually. Like mine.

:(

Duke @ Aug 6th 2008 1:07PM

OMG, Fenix is turning anti-360 now. Don't tell me you are hanging out with Krazy Ken on the weekends!!!

SeanScythe @ Aug 6th 2008 1:11PM

Well my friend is on his 3rd one that he got for his birthday in April. The first one he took back in may and then he sent the last one back to MS and now he is waiting to get it back. So it's not fixed.

dark_inchworm @ Aug 6th 2008 1:13PM

Mine's still holdin' up... but I do believe it's louder than it used to be.

I LIVE IN FEAR.

AwesomeTown @ Aug 6th 2008 1:15PM

Mine is a non-HDMI box, right at the time HDMI boxes were hitting the shelves and somewhat hard to find (it was a gift). It's just about a year old now. I hope it lasts.

Tom18230 @ Aug 6th 2008 9:17PM

I bought a second hand launch console (the guy I bought it off bought waited in line to buy it) and I haven't once seen red lights on my console, it any form or another.

arrrgh @ Aug 6th 2008 1:25PM

@SeanScythe

did you ever stop to think that maybe...just maybe MS refubs the RROD consoles that are sent in rather than shipping out new ones?

I only ask because this is, in fact, what they do the majority of the time.

So in reality (that's the place we live in) MS could very well have fixed the problem, but your narrow scope of said reality has failed to pick up on it.

just maybe...

SeanScythe @ Aug 6th 2008 1:31PM

@arrrgh

Well I'm not sure what reality you live in but spending X ammount of money on something that is known to fail within the first 6-12 months is not a good product. Again my good friend Patrick got one this year, brought it back and got a brand new one in May then sent that one off to get repaired by MS. Now I love a lot of the games MS has and I buy them for my PC. But I refuse to buy a product that it seems I have a better chance to win the lottery then get a working console.

dark_inchworm @ Aug 6th 2008 1:33PM

"spending X ammount of money on something that is known to fail within the first 6-12 months"

You've got marbles in your mouth.

Purchased 03/17/06 and hasn't failed to this day. In inchworm math, that's over 12 months.

xFenixKnightx (RRoD hath striketh upon me 08-03-2008) @ Aug 6th 2008 1:34PM

Duke

Yes! Down with all you Xbots and M$! Its all about the Powar of TEH CELLLL!!!! I play games in 4D in native 1080p dont you know?

jk

NEVARRRRRRR!!!! :O

I am bummed though as you know. PS3 has been keeping me occupied for now but its not the same since all my buddies are on 360. I dont even want to log in to my gamertag here at work. For what? Just to see everyone playing, having fun and unlocking achievements without me? NO SIR!!!

:P

arrrgh @ Aug 6th 2008 1:37PM

Sucks to be you and your good friend patrick I guess?

I've had the HDMI version since last fall, bought it along with 3 of my friends who got them at the same time...1 was an elite. No problems with any of them so far. Don't assume that your experiences somehow make up for the entirety of a product. I know the RROD problem was widespread, and not pretending that it never existed...

but there are, in fact millions of xbox 360 owners who have never had to deal with RROD, and if it wasn't for the bad press hitting the internet, might not even know the problem existed.

Duke @ Aug 6th 2008 2:06PM

Fenix, sorry bro. I know you have got to be bummed out.

Sean, there are millions of the 360's out there in people's homes being played every day. Don't sit here and act like they all are breaking still. The rrod problem has been diminished substantially, and for you to act like its a piece of crap product when so many people enjoy it is just a sign of you being stubborn. Dont get a 360 - thats fine. Yet, don't give us this bs reasoning when you seem to be the only one around here pissed off about the problems with the current model.

Also, my friend's dog groomer's sister once saw a guy whose toyota broke down, so I would never buy a toyota now. They are all crap!

marauder800 @ Aug 6th 2008 2:07PM

Go away troll! I'm on my 3rd PS3 since March (one replaced by the store after failing within 3 hours of purchase, one replaced by Sony). My 360 is still going strong after 2+ years, and see some use almost every day (unlike my Dustcollector 3).

Burritoclock @ Aug 6th 2008 2:32PM

Don't misunderstand me, I know that the RROD is a REAL issue and problem, but anyone with a shred of honesty would admit the problem is obviously way better then it was, and yes my launch console may one day die, but I sold it and have two others so I don't really care.

However, if that thing is still running at the end of the year I will buy it back just to have a launch 360 that has never Red ringed, perhaps they will put it in a museum since apparently it has defeated reality or was sent from the future and I happened to buy it.

tlarkin79 @ Aug 6th 2008 2:54PM

My launch unit never RROD'd, and only recently started showing a problem with scratching discs in the horizontal position. Surprisingly, I've been using the system vertically and it's been working better, still I picked up an elite 360 with HDMI for my entertainment center. :)

Ritz @ Aug 6th 2008 3:08PM

Yea... the console I bought when Halo 3 came out RROD'd last month. We'll see how this one handles the same kind of zero abuse I gave my first one.

nick @ Aug 6th 2008 4:47PM

Is this still a concern? I thought there's been a hardware revision since then and a warranty extention.

Me, I'm still on my original 360, which I purchase a few months after launch. Haven't had a problem with it, and I use it practically everyday. It stands vertical, and has room for ventilation.

But if you're seriously considering one, I'd wait for the price decrease coming up later in the year.

Duke @ Aug 6th 2008 4:52PM

"But if you're seriously considering one, I'd wait for the price decrease coming up later in the year."

I think by the posts here that he isnt seriously thinking of buying one.

SeanScythe @ Aug 6th 2008 5:05PM

Man you guys still rambling on with this? First of all yeah I would love to get one I love FPS, and Fable 2 looks really cool and most of my friends have 360's. I may wait til next year to get one or this holiday.

Also I know things break my sisters PS3 over heated on her and I know another person's PS3 that locked up and had to be sent in. The thing is I hear and see more reports on the 360 failing then any other.

BTW how do I stop receiving email on my first post for when you reply.

deaftly @ Aug 6th 2008 12:38PM

*HEAD ASPLODES*

Steve @ Aug 6th 2008 6:33PM

Clearly Joystiq are not too bright..

This is REVENUE.. Not the same as PROFIT.

"Xbox 360 DLC has brought in $240 million" is totally untrue. Most of that money will have gone back to the content providors (i.e. developers), I would be suprised if Microsoft got more than $20m in PROFIT from that lot. They wasted much more than this on shoddy hardware repairs and buying their way into exclusives.

Korova Pamplona @ Aug 6th 2008 10:18PM

Queen Victoria says:

We are not confused!

[-]

juju187 @ Aug 6th 2008 12:40PM

yea?

dark_inchworm @ Aug 6th 2008 1:17PM

/hops on board the Post Count +1 bandwagon

ChuckJ @ Aug 6th 2008 1:46PM

Prostitutes, aids, and killing orphans?????

I know you were trying to joke but are you kidding me? I saw someone got banned once for saying a chick had "whore glasses". You definitely should be banned for a remark like that, joking or not.

Moorio - XBL: peacebyanymeans @ Aug 6th 2008 6:20PM

@ChuckJ

You have whore glasses.

StLouisRibs7734 @ Aug 6th 2008 12:43PM

Thank Harmonix for at least 30 million of that.

totoro @ Aug 6th 2008 12:46PM

Damn, that is a lot of horse armor.

Prince King @ Aug 6th 2008 12:47PM

i wonder how much the ps3 and wii pulled in. oh wait... no i dont

tmacairjordan87 @ Aug 6th 2008 12:58PM

What is with all the douchebags today asking a question then answering it in the same comment? It's a very very dickish thing to do.

Prince King @ Aug 6th 2008 1:14PM

when did i ask a question before this one? oh wait... i didnt

Dr. Stabbingworth @ Aug 6th 2008 1:24PM

"i wonder how much the ps3 and wii pulled in" is a statement. But I won't vote you down, tmac, as a result of the "everybody wins at least once so they can feel good despite not deserving it" school system we have these days.

tmacairjordan87 @ Aug 6th 2008 1:29PM

Aww I failed there, just realized it. In fairness, someone did do that earlier though :D

Moorio - XBL: peacebyanymeans @ Aug 6th 2008 6:23PM

The thing that makes this burn so extra awesome is the fact that he accused you of doing something you didn't do, and then responding by doing the thing he initially accused you of doing.

Now, if you all excuse me, I'm going to go outside and explain jokes to people at any chance I get.