Cutting the cost of the Xbox has boosted sales of the Microsoft games console.

The number of consoles sold jumped 131% in the United States following a $100 price cut in May, according to figures from market research group NPD.

Future markets

South Korea Hong Kong Mexico Singapore Taiwan New Zealand

The figures come as Microsoft prepares to start selling the Xbox in six new countries.

The company said it would price the Xbox competitively in the new markets, avoiding problems it had in Europe when it launched the console at too expensive a price for gamers.

"We've learned a lot about the importance of good pricing and being competitive in the marketplace," said John O'Rourke, Microsoft's director of worldwide Xbox marketing.

"We will have every intention of being competitive."

Brisk sales

The figures from NPD will come as a relief for Microsoft. After a slow start, the Xbox is starting to make some inroads into a market dominated by Sony's Playstation 2.

Last week Microsoft said it had sold 3.9m units of the Xbox worldwide by the end of June.

The company is also celebrating brisk software sales.

Two of its games, Project Gotham Racing and Dead or Alive 3 have joined Halo in selling a million copies worldwide.

All three were part of the line-up when the Xbox launched in the US in November 2001.