Microsoft is not in the habit of reporting its Xbox One sales, but the company has a good explanation for that.
If Xbox chief Phil Spencer is to be believed, Microsoft is more concerned with how its console keeps users engaged rather than how many units it sells. For this reason, it prefers sharing other achievements instead of commercial milestones.
Just last month, we reported that 2015 saw 55 million console units sold, with Sony's PlayStation 4 faring notably better than Microsoft's Xbox One. But the truth is, Microsoft keeps avoiding sales figures, which makes it difficult to get exact numbers.
Instead of sharing figures, Microsoft relies on other schemes such as sharing how many monthly active users (MAUs) it has on Windows and Xbox Live. Microsoft's Phil Spencer offers some insight as to why the company prefers this strategy.
As GamesIndustry reports, Spencer told Xbox Live Showcase attendees that Microsoft saw a large number of users engaging with an Xbox Live game on either Xbox One/Xbox 360 or Windows in the past 30 days. For Microsoft, that's an essential factor for gauging its success, because that's what developers and game publishers are really after – engaging as many users as possible.
"Our partners and gamers, they want the largest collection of active gamers who are buying and playing games," says Spencer.
"This is the health metric of any service that you want to talk about," he adds. "What's your monthly active users in the space? It's not how many consoles I sell. If I sold a console two years ago and now it's in the closet collecting dust, that's not good for the gamers."
However, Spencer does reckon that using MAUs as a factor for gauging its success could be a slippery slope in some cases. For instance, if Xbox Live does not always work reliably (and it doesn't), it would negatively affect the MAUs. At the same time, another factor that could impact MAUs is the frequency of releasing hit games on the platform.
Lastly, Spencer notes that Microsoft is actually more exposed by sharing MAUs rather than sheer sales numbers, as it shows how users are engaging with its platform and service.
For that reason, sales numbers may not be the most accurate means of reflecting a platform's success, at least not for Microsoft. The company saw 48 million MAUs in January, but has yet to report the figures for February. Also back in January, Xbox One sales presumably hit 18 million, according to reports.
