Microsoft's take on June NPD: Paid downloads increased 73 percent YoY

According to NPD data, Xbox 360 moved 241,000 units during June, which is a 9 percent year-over-year increase and Aaron Greenberg is confident that the 360 will maintain momentum during the back half of the year, combined with the growth of its download service.

"Our console sales for the first half of the year actually grew 20 percent from January to June versus the same six months last year," Greenberg told Gamasutra. "We're the only console that grew in the first half of the year."

"I think what's interesting there is we were the first to market, so in many ways we're showing a lot of longevity. Xbox Live data is kind of this untold phenomenon. There are 20 million people there, but what are they doing? Are they buying more stuff?

"In the first half of the year, paid downloads increased 73 percent over the 12 months through June. That significantly outpaces what we saw in growth for console sales or software sales. It's continuing to become a bigger and bigger part of our business."

Greenberg says he is confident with the holiday line-up, what with exclusives Forza 3, Halo: ODST and Splinter Cell: Conviction and multiplatforms DJ Hero and Rock Band Beatles.

"We've kind of bucked the trend of the declining market," he says. "I hate to promise or speculate what the second half will be for us or for the market, but I think it will be tough comps for the entire industry, and we hope we can continue to buck that trend, too."

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