Microsoft boasted last week that Xbox 360 sales have jumped 88% year-over-year following the release of the new Slim Xbox 360 SKU, but further data indicate that the bulk of the increase is attributed to the older model sold at a clearance discount.
In a note to investors, Michael Pachter revealed that the slim model accounts for 40% only of the units sold this month while the fat Arcade model accounts for 35% of the sales after seeing its price drop to $149. Elite and Premium Xbox 360 models made up the rest of the sales.
Pachter noted that Wal-Mart has bundled the Xbox 360 Arcade SKU with a $50 gift card, effectively reducing its price to $99.
"It is clear that the sales spike for the 360 was largely temporary, as clearance items accounted for around 60 per cent of total sales, and it is not clear that software attached heavily to these purchase," Pachter commented.