360 sales up 45%, 14 million units shipped

Microsoft's financial reports for its Entertainment and Devices Division show that Xbox 360 revenue grew by 45 per cent for the year, while the device itself shipped 13.7 million units, an increase on 2010's 10.3 million.

Profit from EDD for the quarter was $32 million. The report also noted that the 360 has been the top selling console in the US over the last 12 months.

"EDD revenue increased primarily reflecting higher Xbox 360 platform revenue. Xbox 360 platform revenue grew $2.7 billion or 48 per cent, led by increased volumes of Xbox 360 consoles, sales of Kinect sensors, and higher Xbox Live revenue," said the firm.

The report also showed a 12 per cent ($119 million) rise in research and development costs for the division over the year, due to an expanded team, and an increase in marketing costs of 12 per cent.

Across all divisions Microsoft's sales for the quarter was $17.37 billion, a rise of eight per cent, and a profit of $5.87 billion, a rise of 30 per cent.

Overall Microsoft sales for the entire fiscal year was $69.94 billion, which represented a $23.15 billion profit.