While the add-on HD DVD drive may be a popular accessory for Microsoft Xbox 360 game console, it is hardly as popular as any add-on device for other game systems. Nonetheless, it represents about one third of all HD DVD players sold through in the U.S.

“We get asked a lot about the performance of the Xbox 360 HD-DVD add-on. Life-to-date sales of this accessory are 269 thousand units in the U.S., representing a 3.4% attach rate to the 360 install base,” said Anita Frazier, an NPD group expert in analyzing and providing insights on trends in the video game, entertainment software, and toy sectors.

Earlier this year Microsoft Corp. said that it managed to sell 155 thousand of HD DVD add-on drives for Xbox 360 game console in the first six months of availability. After a little more than a year of availability sales of sold-through numbers of the accessory were 269 thousands of units, which means that the drive was more popular in its first six months rather than later on.

According to HD DVD Promotional Group, about 750 thousand of HD DVD players – which are both standalone players as well as add-on HD DVD drives for Xbox 360 – had been sold in the U.S. as of late November.

Life-to-date sales of Microsoft Xbox 360 game system in the USA are about 7.911 million units, which means that while a lot of those interested in high-definition movies own a game console, not a lot of gamers are interested in high-definition videos. That said, it can be expected that few owners of Sony PlayStation 3 – that has been sold in 2.4 million quantity in the U.S. so far – are highly interested in using the console to watch Blu-ray movies.

Microsoft Xbox 360 add-on drive should be acquired separately and presently costs $129. Although the player is designed for the game console, it can be plugged to any personal computer with Microsoft Windows XP or better operating system using USB 2.0 ports.