Sales of Xbox 360 have topped over 30 million units worldwide, says Microsoft, citing NPD data to trumpet the highest percentage growth of any console thus far in 2009. Microsoft says 2008 was its "biggest year in history," but its growth so far in 2009 is up 28 percent over that. Thanks to a 136 percent user boost driven by the New Xbox Experience Microsoft unveiled in November 2008, it's also reached 20 million active Xbox Live users, who've downloaded more than 1 billion pieces of content from the service. "We’ve always been confident that Xbox 360 offers more entertainment value than any other console on the market, and these latest numbers show that consumers agree," says Interactive Entertainment Business senior VP Don Mattrick. Microsoft says that in the current console generation, U.S. consumers have spent $14.5 billion on Xbox 360 as a "category". As it frequently does, the company highlights its strength among third-party publishers, claiming $5.9 billion in sales to date for them -- "more than those of current-generation consoles combined," Microsoft boasts, adding that Xbox 360's ratio currently stands at 8.3. "We expect our growth to continue to accelerate," says Mattrick. "Our news at E3 next week will underscore our commitment to bringing blockbuster entertainment experiences to everyone and to growing the Xbox entertainment brand globally."