Last year, Microsoft stopped reporting those juicy sales figures – instead opting to reporting on user engagement metrics. From the outside, it seems like the sort of thing that the losing side might do to soften its own embarrassment.
According to Microsoft’s Phil Spencer, it’s not. Spencer said that Monthly Active Users (MAU) is a greater, more functional indicator of the company’s performance. He says it’s not – as many feel – the company’s way of “hiding something.” Spencer reckons that by publicly sharing active users, it’s “more exposed by picking a number that shows how many people are using our platform.”
“The number of people in the last 30 days that have engaged with an Xbox Live game on either Windows or Xbox 360 or Xbox One is the critical factor for our team to gauge our success, because that’s what our partners want,” he said (via GI.biz).
“Our partners and gamers, they want the largest collection of active gamers who are buying and playing games. That is the health metric of any service that you want to talk about. 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.”
It does mean that network issues – like the recent attacks on Xbox Live, make the company look worse than it does by not selling as many consoles as Sony does.
“That’s not great for our MAU count,” he said. “That directly hits us. [So is going] long stretch without having great games on our platform, that will hit MAU. That will negatively impact MAU.’
Last Updated: March 2, 2016
Captain JJ the "saviour"
March 2, 2016 at 08:20
They’re not hiding anything, it’s their right to do what they want.
But they’re probably embarrassed about the figures.
Pieter Kruger
March 2, 2016 at 08:21
Probably but they shouldn’t be really!
Pariah
March 2, 2016 at 08:25
They’re probably more embarrassed about the console. 😛
Captain JJ the "saviour"
March 2, 2016 at 13:37
XD
Hammersteyn
March 2, 2016 at 08:33
They’ll do yet Another 180 if the sales catch up with PS4
afterthefaux
March 2, 2016 at 10:45
Yeah, probably embarrassed about those 50 million xbox live users. Did you read the article?
oVg
March 2, 2016 at 10:51
They had 47 million xbox live users before the Bone came out. They sold over 80 million 360s. They ditched half their install base when they made the console mandatory on-line only for the day one patch to activate the console.
EVERYBODY ran to the pS4. Also the PS4 was released a year before the Bone left America. FAILED so hard.
Now 2 thirds of PS4 owners never owned a PS3. Hence all the re-makes.
XBOX GO HOME 😛
I love console wars.
P.S. SEGA SUCKS
Captain JJ the "saviour"
March 2, 2016 at 13:37
Oh crap, sorry, forgot to write
*NOT SERIOUS COMMENT* at the bottom.
Hammersteyn
March 2, 2016 at 08:34
They stopped reporting the sales of the XBOX One because they won’t be catching up any time soon and the numbers influences people when deciding which console to buy, plain and simple.
Pieter Kruger
March 2, 2016 at 08:41
Very true, you must focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses.
Fox1 - Retro
March 2, 2016 at 09:25
Indeed Mista Miyagi.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
March 2, 2016 at 11:31
whipe on… whipe off!
oVg
March 2, 2016 at 10:03
Quantum Break is their last Trump Card and its more niche than Tomb Raider so dont expect great sales. I know, I owned a XBOX 360 for 8 years and all the games that I enjoyed like Playstation centric games (jrpgs) never ever sold well. Or even ALAN WAKE what a fail that was on the 360, It sold well on the PC. 2007-2009 Microsoft KILLED SONY.
The PC cross Platforming is their only hope.
Otherwise stick to Bro Shooters and Motor Head games.
miaau
March 2, 2016 at 10:12
Hi. Nice, calm, objective rant. Extra strength coffee this morning, then?
What, pray tell, is DOG. Surely you meant GOW?
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 2, 2016 at 10:23
I think he means the COD dog, Riley. #oVgtranslation
oVg
March 2, 2016 at 10:38
For those who missed it 😛 FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
March 2, 2016 at 11:31
Shut your mouth old man… Gears of War will bring balance to the force!
oVg
March 2, 2016 at 11:33
ITS THE COLE TRAIN BABY!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO WOOOOOOOOOOOO
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
March 2, 2016 at 11:30
I don’t blame them, the xbone is massive (you could kill a man with one). It’s embarrassingly huge, like that morbidly-obese guy in the office who insist on wearing tight white pants….
Microsoft is probably hoping for this gen to be over so that they can release something more visually appealing and sexy. Sadly, microsoft has never had a flair for design, so the Xdeux (Xdough lol) will probably be shaped like a breadbin.
oVg
March 2, 2016 at 11:36
They lost the race out of the gates. SONY were already a year ahead with a slick design including a power brick. But I dont blame them for starting so late as they were milking the successful 360 and… KINECT needed backing.
Nettrick Nowan
March 2, 2016 at 14:42
Of course they’re not hiding anything.
According to Spencer.
But then, he’s also the guy behind the Kinect lies, too, right?