When Microsoft revealed its financial results for the first quarter of 2015, the company chose not to divulge the amount of Xbox One consoles it shipped during the period. The decision is a surprising departure from the company's past financial reports and is something seldom seen in the video game industry; where console sales numbers are often flaunted as a point of pride.
According to Game Informer, Microsoft opted to leave the sales numbers out because it is redefining its metrics for success in the industry. Instead of console shipments, Microsoft is looking at engagement figures like Xbox Live membership to determine how good its gaming division is doing.
According to the fiscal report Xbox Live, Microsoft's online gaming service, has 39 million users. The figure includes both paying Gold members and the free Silver tier of users. The numbers also show that gaming revenue as a whole was up 6% for the quarter. Hardware revenue was down however; due to declining sales of the Xbox One's predecessor, the Xbox 360.
As a whole:
- Revenue was $20.4 billion GAAP, and $21.7 billion non-GAAP
- Operating income was $5.8 billion GAAP, and $7.1 billion non-GAAP
- Net income was $4.6 billion GAAP, and $5.4 billion non-GAAP
- Earnings per share was $0.57 GAAP, and $0.67 non-GAAP
"We are making strong progress across each of our three ambitions by delivering innovation people love," said Satya Nadella, chief executive officer at Microsoft in the report. "Customer excitement for new devices, Windows 10, Office 365 and Azure is increasing as we bring together the best Microsoft experiences to empower people to achieve more."
Microsoft is hoping that its strong holiday lineup that includes blockbuster titles like Halo 5: Guardians and Rise of the Tomb Raider can help boost consoles sales.
