Following a dramatic surge in sales, Xbox now claims a larger installed user base than Nintendo's hardware, racing into second place in the console race
After nearly seven months at retail, Microsoft's Xbox console has finally muscled its way into the number two spot in the UK, boasting a larger installed user base than GameCube.
Despite releasing almost two months ahead of GameCube, Xbox had a slow start in the UK and Europe, with brand loyalty allowing Nintendo's console to hit the ground running.
But with the vital Christmas period approaching, Xbox has confounded expectations by pulling well clear of GameCube in weekly sales, while edging past Nintendo's machine in the all-important yearly totals.
UK figures for the week ending November 2, compiled by ChartTrack, show Xbox shifting an impressive 10,371 units, marking a rise of 42 percent on the previous week's sales, with GameCube tailing on 6,657 units - an increase of 15 percent.
The cumulative totals for 2002 make even more interesting reading, with GameCube on 230,876 since launch, and Microsoft just ahead on 233,503. But on the back of a successful new Xbox bundle, this trend seems unlikely to change, with the gap expected to widen in the run up to Christmas.
The ChartTrack figures as a whole, however, represent a positive overall sales rise in the run up to Christmas, with PS2 in an unassailable position, shifting a massive 39,719 units last week, up 35 percent, and GBA clearing 13,693 units - a weekly increase of 26 percent.
News source: Computer and Videogames
