Fuzzy math has been the only explanation to the back and fourth between Microsoft and Sony concerning their Europe hardware sales claims; they've been all over the place. But Microsoft in particular has been biting its own lips.

On September 3rd, 2009, Microsoft told MCV that its next gen install base was 1 million ahead of Sony in Europe. However Sony announced that it had sold 10 million units in the PAL territories at GamesCom, that was a few days after Microsoft had revealed their numbers to MCV. Then came this:

"We're confident that we're actually 1 million units ahead," Xbox Europe Boss Chris Lewis contested, "we count install base differently to them."

"We count the number of units in the consumers hands. We are committed to continuing that momentum - not only in places like the UK, France and Germany. Continued growth in all parts of Europe is integral to winning [against the PS3] overall."

That's what Xbox Europe chief Chris Lewis said to MCV back on September 3rd. So Chris is actually claiming that at the time Sony announced they sold 10 million units in Europe, that the Xbox 360 had sold more than ten million, which puts him in contradiction with himself over the statement he made a few weeks earlier.

But that's not all, on November 12th, 2009, which was four days ago, the company came with yet another set of numbers. This time claiming that after four years they finally arrived at the 10 million units sold benchmark. But what's even worse is that They're not only talking about Europe, but the Middle East and Africa.

See the thing is if they're confident that they sold more than Sony back in August, which would be over 10 million, then what's the explanation given for their latest announcement? Is the software giant lying just to make itself look good?