10 million Xbox 360s within 12 to 16 months

Microsoft's Peter Moore believes Xbox 360 will sell 10 million withing 12 to 16 months.

Speaking at ELSPA'S International Games Summit this morning, Microsoft Corporate VP of Worldwide Marketing and Publishing Peter Moore revealed the company has targeted the sale of 10 million Xbox 360 units within 12 to 16 months of its launch this winter.

When pressed on how many units the console would sell by the time Sony launch the PS3, believed to be Spring 2006, Moore said it was "difficult to say until we know what 'Spring' means."

During his keynote presentation, Moore pushed the 'first-mover advantage' Microsoft would have by launching ahead of Sony and Nintendo's rival next-generation consoles. "I'm not in any way saying that he who gets to 10 million first wins," he continued, "but that's a target that we in Redmond believe that we can get to very quickly."

Moore referred to the much maligned comparisons between the 360 and the Dreamcast, which also had first mover advantage, but spectacularly failed on a commercial basis in the last generation battle.

As the former Sega of America boss, who oversaw the launch of the Dreamcast in that territory, he said that Microsoft was well aware of what went wrong with that console, and that they "won't be repeated" by Microsoft.

Reflecting on that time, Moore said the Dreamcast had zero momentum at launch, Sega was an underfinanced company and there was poor marketing and publisher support, along with the online gaming premise simply being too early. Comparing the Dreamcast and the 360, Moore said "There is no linkage."