Most of the civilised world is aware of the sheer size and power that Microsft wields, but even by their standards the short-term goals they have set for the Xbox 360 seem quite incredible.

In an announcement by the Xbox 360's chief financial officer, Microsoft have set itself the goal of selling 3 million units of the Xbox 360 by Ferbruary 2006! During this same period they also hope to make over a billion dollars in games and accessory sales.

By the middle of next year Microsft believes that such will be the demand for the Xbox 360 that over 5 million units will have been sold. Bold predictions indeed when you consider that both Sony and Nintendo will be releasing their next-generation consoles in that period of the calendar. Time will certainly tell but without question Microsoft have raised the stakes in the next round of console wars.