Worldwide Xbox 360 sales reach 76m units

Microsoft has proudly announced that the Xbox 360 has now sold 76m units worldwide.

Amazingly, the machine has been the best selling console for 24 consecutive months in North America, fending off new hardware launches such as 3DS, Vita and Wii U in the process.

On top of the console numbers, 24m Kinect sensors have now been sold while Xbox Live has grown to house 46m subscribers, with year-on-year growth of 15 per cent.

Microsoft also confirmed the name of its new LA development studio – Xbox Entertainment Studios.

2012 also delivered a host of other pleasing numbers for Microsoft. Xbox delivered 18 billion hours of entertainment” throughout the period, growing ten per cent year-on-year. The average user now spends 87 hours a month on Xbox, also up ten per cent.

Entertainment app usage grew 57 per cent in 2012. Microsoft adds that 38 per cent of the Xbox audience in the US is female.