this article suggests 15 million xbones sold, but I think it's shipped since it's talking about Ps4 being at 29.3 million.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/ps4-sales-continue-to-rapidly-outpace-the-opposition/0158189
I think MS have been making it fairly clear they don't consider their console business to be particularly relevant anymore. When Nadella took over, he said they'd be focusing on Windows, Office, and the cloud, and added that while gaming didn't seem particularly relevant to Microsoft's core interests, it was actually the biggest segment "in a mobile-first world" and he felt they could have an impact there. Note, he said mobile phones and tablets not consoles or even computers. Gaming is important to
mobile, and
mobile is important to MS.
When asked about the sales disparity with the PS4 recently, Phil said it didn't matter because he had users on 360, Bone,
and Windows to worry about now. When asked about the recent trend of bringing XBox games to Windows, he basically said even MS can't afford to make exclusives for the Bone anymore, and if it weren't for the Windows versions, these games may not get made at all, so look for most or all of their games to appear on Windows in the future. In fact, I believe he said the only reason games like Halo and Gears aren't sim-launching on Windows is because they didn't realize until development was well underway. He recently told Polygon he's
obliterating the distinction between XBox and PC. Everything is Windows now.
And if there was any doubt remaining whether they considered consoles to be significant for them going forward, their recent earnings report made it quite clear that they don't, because they'll no longer be reporting them, at all. Now it's all about Live logins. XBox's primary purpose is luring people on to Microsoft's servers.
XBox doesn't really have a future as a console. Its future is to be the brand name for gaming on Windows; primarily on phones and tablets, to hear Nadella tell it, though I suspect they have Steam in their sights in addition to Apple and Google. Much like the Vita, the Bone is basically a legacy product; a living relic from a time gone by. I actually have to hand it to MS. They've actually been pretty straightforward about their intentions, but have still managed to be subtle enough that many would say the idea that they've moved past consoles is crazy. lol
I still think the $50 price drop was a mistake. 2016 is the big software year and you want as many consumers with your equipment as possible. Dropping to $299 would of been a headline grabber and is the general point in which people think of a casual purchase. I think they could of killed during BF even moreso then they already will with the Star Wars and COD bundles. And the price drop would of kept sells high through into early 2016 and beyond. Setting them up for potentially 40m consumers ready to big software launches like Ratchet and Clank and Uncharted and Dark Souls 3 and such early next year. Would also increase potential profits of the potential sleeper hits like The Witness early in the year.
We will see how this holiday goes. I'm just still shocked they went with a $50 drop. $100 is like their staple drop. Trademarked even! Lol
What baffles me is the $350 price point includes a game that Sony are likely paying like $40-$45 for, which is what Walmart would've paid EA/Acti for a copy. So the $350 bundle only profits Sony $5-$10 more than a $300 gameless console would profit for them, and as you say, the $300 price point is better in a number of ways, especially if you have little or no interest in the bundled games.
So yeah, $300 with no game is nearly the same from Sony's perspective, and has a much broader appeal for consumers. Maybe they're waiting until closer to Christmas, or for the PSVR launch. /shrug