Microsoft has announced that its Xbox 360 games console has reached ten million unit sales in the US.

The company figures reveal that the machine beat Nintendo's Wii and the Sony Playstation 3 in reaching the landmark sales figure.

When released in November 2005, the Xbox 360 was the first of the latest generation games consoles to be released in the US. The Wii and PS3 were launched a year later.

Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the entertainment and devices division at Microsoft, said that this year will be the largest in the history of the video game industry.

A new update will be available for the Xbox 360 High Definition DVD player.

Microsoft has said that the update will improve compatibility with "certain titles" and offer "additional support for network features".

The new Xbox 360 HD update will automatically update for Xbox Live members with a manual download option also available. The update will be available from Xbox.com in the near future.

Microsoft had previously said that they were not making a HD update for the Xbox but would continue to invest in its on-line service which allows users rent HD movies.

Microsoft has got a Hollywood producer to generate content for Xbox Live.

The company has signed a deal with Safran Digital Group, a web production and distribution firm launched by Peter Safran, to produce to series which will premiere on Xbox Live during the summer.

Mr Safran, a producer on recent film Meet the Spartans, said in a press statement that the deal will serve as a "proof of concept" for the Xbox's future. He added: "The Xbox is unique. It operates at a level outside of what we generally consider Web entertainment."

Microsoft has launched a large-scale crackdown on Xbox LIVE cheaters who tamper with save files to elevate their scores.

Some of the biggest cheaters identified by Microsoft have had their entire Gamerscore accounts reset and labelled clearly as "cheaters".

The company has announced that it looks for abnormal achievements and Gamerscore activity using pre-set criteria and only players who meet its criteria 100 per cent have their account reset.

Microsoft has announced it will not develop a Blu-ray add-on for the Xbox360. It plans to concentrate instead on digital downloads.

Recently Microsoft had sold a high definition DVD add-on box and there were rumors of a Blu-ray version to follow.

There were also stories in the media about the development of a possible Blu-ray compliant Xbox being developed.

Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for Xbox 360, said in an interview with Reuters "Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience".

Console manufacturer Microsoft is in talks with rival Sony about bringing a Blu-ray drive to the Xbox 360, a senior executive has claimed.

Up until now, Microsoft has been a staunch supporter of Toshiba's HD-DVD format, to the extent that there is an attachable HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360, while Japanese company Sony has touted Blu-ray as one of the main selling points of its PlayStation 3.

The research company NPD Group released data for U.S. sales of gaming consoles: 335,000 Wiis, 228,000 Xbox 360s, and 127,000 PlayStation 3s. The Wii continues to outsell all other consoles in the short term but has a ways to go to catch up to Microsoft in terms of total sales. Latest cumulative figures for U.S. sales for the big three: 5.1 million Xbox 360s, 1.9 million Nintendo Wiis, and 1.1 million PlayStation 3s.