Xbox 360 sells nearly a million during Black Friday week

The Xbox 360 may be over six years old, but it's only just hitting its stride. Microsoft has announced that last week's Black Friday shopping spectacle was "the biggest sales week in the history of Xbox." How big is "big," exactly? Microsoft managed to sell more than 960,000 consoles in the US during the week.

Even more impressive is that 800,000 systems were sold within a period of 24 hours. More than 750,000 Kinect sensors were also sold during the week.

During the Thanksgiving weekend, many retailers dropped the price of the Xbox 360. A 4GB console could be purchased for as low as $150, and a Kinect sensor bundled with three games was available for $100. These deals certainly made it easy for newcomers to "jump in."

"Xbox 360 was among the best-sellers at Best Buy this Black Friday, and is a testament to the continued popularity of the gaming category this holiday," Chris Homeister, senior vice president and general manager of Home Entertainment at Best Buy, said in a press release.

Sony also talked up its Black Friday sales, but didn't provide any figures. "Consumer demand for the PlayStation 3 system, peripherals and software was very strong during the Black Friday weekend. Gamers were quick to recognize the incredible value of the PS3 with its free access to PlayStation Network, Blu-ray capabilities, and the industry's best lineup of new titles, including the critically acclaimed Uncharted 3," an SCEA spokesperson commented to IndustryGamers.

Nintendo also recently noted "record-breaking" sales for its new Zelda and Mario games.