Washington (eCanadaNow) - The Microsoft Xbox 360 has become the first gaming console in the U.S. to hit the 10 million units sold milestone.

Microsoft was not shy one bit to toot its horn about this mark.

It surpasses the Nintendo Wii as well as the Sony PS3 to reach this milestone, and was helped along quite a bit with sales of Grand Theft Auto IV on the next-gen console.

"This year will be the largest in the history of the video game industry, with Xbox 360 leading the charge in the U.S. and abroad," said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "History has shown us that the first company to reach 10 million in console sales wins the generation battle. We are uniquely positioned to set a new benchmark for the industry."

Microsoft also stated that the growth of Xbox Live, which is now at 12 million memberships around the world, helped the Xbox 360 along as well.