According to new sales figures released by Microsoft, their Xbox 360 console has sold 17.7 million units since its launch in late 2005.

Software sales were also solid, with Microsoft saying that the blockbuster Halo 3 game has moved 8.1 units since its release 2 months ago.

In a statement, the company declared: “Microsoft is proud of the contributions Xbox 360 is making to the gaming industry, and looks forward to an even more successful 2008.”

Despite their successes in North America and Europe, the Xbox 360 has lagged behind its rivals in Japan by a huge margin. The Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 regularly outsell the 360 by hundreds of thousands of units per month and that gap doesn't seem to be tightening any time soon.