The console wars are officially on, not that Microsoft particularly cares. In an interview with Game Informer magazine, Xbox 360 director of product management Aaron Greenberg proudly declared, “It’s not a real concern to us.”
Characterizing Sony’s anticipated PS3 numbers (over September) as a “short term bump,” he claims to be unsurprised. Given how many people held back on getting a PS3 due to the price, after all, the post-markdown heightened sales are to be expected.
Greenberg added, “What I can tell you is we remain confident that Xbox 360 will not only outsell PS3 for the full calendar year, but for this entire generation.” Strong words, considering the current-gen consoles are only in the middle of their lifecycles. With the PS3’s better and more powerful hardware, that pronouncement can actually be a closer call than he’d like us to believe.
Not for this year, though. Microsoft has posted powerful sales over the past three quarters, with consistent year-over-year increases, despite the economic downturn. More importantly, Greenberg points out the ecosystem surrounding the consoles, such as the user base of Xbox Live and the exclusive titles, as a deciding factor. Eventual success, according to him, comes down to “much more than just hardware sales…it’s about…investing in the future.”
We’ll see. Microsoft can deny it all they want, but with an attractive price point and increases home adoption for the PS3, the landscape could change drastically within the next 12 months.
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