The Xbox One is finally selling in big numbers in North America. According to a Microsoft announcement, the company doubled its sales of the console in June. Microsoft doesn’t really benefit financially from the games market, but the company is insistent on continuing to pursue success, even as the Sony PS4 pulls far ahead in the race for console supremacy.

The sale of units early in a console cycle is unimportant next to the final generational figures, but they do have a big effect on the decisions that developers make while putting together some of the biggest games out there. If the Xbox loses steam early on, it could result in more exclusives traveling to the PS4, reducing the appeal of the Xbox One going forward.

Console war Isn’t All About Pricing

Despite the numerous arguments over which console has greater capabilities and better games, the decision on whether to buy the PS4 or the Xbox One comes down to price and price only. Microsoft dropped the price by taking the Kinect out of the picture, and now its sales are increasing. That’s enough to ensure some kind of parity with the Sony machine, but it may not be enough to heal the damage the law sakes have already done.

What happened to Microsoft in Japan in the last generation should act as a major warning for the company this time around. Not willing to fight in the home of consoles, Microsoft didn’t do much to compete in that market and the Xbox 360 never made an impression. That meant that Japanese games were never a big deal on the console. Luckily for Microsoft, the market for JRPGs declined during the life-cycle of the Xbox 360. The company may not be so lucky this time around.

It’s not likely that Japanese games will have the same kind of following that they did fifteen years ago this generation, but there are other genres that could dominate that Microsoft may be ignoring. The Xbox One has shooters covered, but what if a new genre, like sci-fi melee combat, becomes a big deal and the smaller developer that spreads the genre only offers a PS4 version because of a wider install base?

Microsoft Continues To Roll Back Features

In order to compete with the PS4, Microsoft has gotten rid of pretty much everything that differentiates it. If developers begin to decide to concentrate more on the Sony machine, there will be nothing to draw buyers to the Xbox One, and Microsoft will have lost the generation.

Microsoft is doing a lot better in the console race, but there’s no telling the damage that’s been done by the company’s failure to launch as well as the PS4. For now fans can take solace in growing sales and presumed parity on holiday releases.