Microsoft and Sony execs mince words over PS3 and Xbox 360
Another day full of mud slinging between Microsoft and Sony, it just never ends. While Kaz Hirai head of Playstation division swears he wouldn’t take any Xbox 360 exclusive, Microsoft exec declares Xbox 360 the winner already.
Can we get a room big enough to fit these two egos? I suppose that would be impossible. According to Gamepro in an interview Hirai was asked if he had a choice of taking an Xbox 360 exclusive with a gun to his head which one would he pick? Hirai says he believes he is satisfied with the current PS3 lineup and would not take any Xbox 360 exclusive game.
While according to Eurogamer Microsoft head Don Mattrick flat out and said he already knows Microsoft will win this generation. He also claims Xbox 360 is the first console to reach 10 million sold, which I really don’t get the point of saying that.
It seems like these two head honchos can’t keep themselves out of the limelight. One (Sony) doesn’t even acknowledge the competition and the other (Microsoft) can’t stop attacking the competition.
Mattrick says:
“I did the math, I did the math a different way, I did the math…there was no equation that I came to where I got a different answer, and I went, ‘You know what? This is getting boring,’” he said. “Like, instead of everyone standing on the sidelines trying to hedge, I’m just going to say it.”
“We’re the first box in this generation to pass 10 million units, we’ve passed so many thresholds in terms of quality titles,”
“I think our team showed up for work every day, had more than 12 months of productivity, and it kind of feels like the competition took an extended holiday and didn’t get as much done as a result,” he said.
“I hope the other guys got some great pictures when they were away on vacation,”
It just seems like that’s not that great of a point Don has, gauging their success from who was the first to hit 10 million. That’s like the Wii saying they were the first to hit 13 million.
I also just don’t understand Mattrick’s arrogance here about Sony taking an extended vacation, when clearly from the internal first party production workload it seems Sony far surpasses them.
Lets take a closer look at what Kaz-man had to say:
Aftonbladet: If you had to choose ONE exclusive Xbox 360 title and launch it for the PS3 instead, which game would it be?
Hirai: I don’t think I have to choose any…..
Aftonbladet: You have to pick one.
Hirai: Again, I don’t think I have to pick one because we have such a fantastic lineup of games.
Aftonbladet: But if someone is holding a gun to your head and you have to choose one. Which game would it be?
Hirai: Okay.. then they have to shoot me, because I really don’t think we need any.
Come on, I understand he is trying to validate Sony’s PS3 lineup by saying they don’t need anything and they are satisfied with their current lineup but there is no such thing as too much of a good thing.
Meaning of course you want Gears of War and Halo on your system because well, they just sell well and adding that to your lineup can only help you in the long run.
Ah, but I can see why these stiff executives are like this, because they are just so set in their ways and won’t compromise their position.
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July 27th, 2008
That is pretty funny…
Sony: If we close our eyes, the enemy doesn’t exist…lol & we don’t want any of thier exclusives, he he. Sorry Sony, there is a couple of 360 games I wouldn’t mind on PS3
Microsoft: Claim first place after 50 metres in a 100 metre race…good one.
Give yourself a 18month headstart in a race and then call yourself the winner as soon as it appears the opponent is making headroads into your lead.
Both as bad as each other…….
July 27th, 2008
lol well said spideydog
im a ps3 owner, and i’l admit i wouldnt mind getting some of those xbox games onto the ps3.
man it seems mud slinging arguments are getting stupider (if thats a word)
July 27th, 2008
I loved the way you spinned Don Mattrick story by taking out the questions and putting your own spin on it. He was talking about software sales and saying that Sony will never catch them in software sales. In that statement he went on to mention the milestones they have crossed and the game ratings being high for Microsoft Games. The Vacation part was aimed at Sony and Nentindo’s E3 Confrence saying they did nothing special. I am amazed how you took that out of context and printed a complete lie. That’s Sony.Blorge.com for you people.
July 27th, 2008
That man is living proof that any idiot can run a company.
I hope all will be here next year to see eat that words.
“I’m willing to declare here today that Xbox 360 will sell more consoles worldwide this generation than PS3.â€
yeah, dream on
“We also know we have a volume lead both in Europe and North America”
funny the CEO dont get the memo… “xbox 360 lost Europe months ago”
“when you have the number one game in the world as we have in Halo”
What are you talking about? Mattrick… i dont know if you are talking about a game or a franchise, but nevermind, cause halo is NOT the number one in both, it even show in the TOP 10 best selling game or franchise
aayyy matty you are not very smart, you know?
July 27th, 2008
Halo SUCKS!!!…Its a total failure in the FPS catagory when it stands next to Crysis or COD4, or even Bioshock.
Halo has the worst campaign ever, and its multiplayer isnt special either.
And when was this idiotic interview done?…Cuz,as I remember it, the No.1 game is GTA-IV.
This guy and MS are a bunch of losers.
July 27th, 2008
i mean
“halo is not in the the TOP 10 best selling games or franchises”
i guess, you and me are not very smart… damn it
July 27th, 2008
Nice post CAD. Again it shows $ony.Blorge’s bias.
July 27th, 2008
CAD….hit the delete button….. That interview is an embaressment for 360 owners m8. Read it again very carefully, not only does it back up what Mike wrote about, but it even throws in a few absolute gems as well
“Were elated at the consoles performance in Japan”
WTF…are they serious. After a comment like that, how can anyone, xbot or not, take anything this guy says seriously…..
The guys above have already picked up on a couple of other “priceless” comments. So I’m not going to list each gem, blow by blow.
Sorry CAD, no offence, but Mike’s piece was far more complimentary to your cause and that interview transcript is an embaressment. In my opinion.
Anyways, why so upset, Mike was just as negative to Sony as he was to ms ??? None of us “so called” sony boys are getting our nickers in a twist !!
July 27th, 2008
Sorry for the double post, But I couldn’t resist… Mattrick got caught out lying in the interview (in regard to Bungie agreeing and being happy not announcing thier products at E3)
Oh yeah…Sony are the only ones that lie…pfft.
“you only see the benefits of blu-ray if your sitting near the tv” what a crock of s%^t.
“everyone is demanding and wants digital media” MS is very good at TELLING us what they think we want ??
If you xbots EVER bring up Sony lies, I am just gonna bring up this interview. Thanks CAD ;-0
July 27th, 2008
They can both get f*cked. For mature, normal gamers this mud-slinging just ruins both brands.
July 27th, 2008
Hmmmm….I don’t really see any lies, just an exec hyping his company like all the rest. I’m just glad he isn’t showing faked gameplay videos or talking about jacking into the Matrix.
Anyone with a little smarts would know that Don is overly hyped about 3rd party support from Japanese developers, not console sales. He even says you have to start somewhere.
I also like the fact that MS used E3 to talk about what they have THIS year, rather than Sony’s approach of updating what they talked about LAST year.
The first to 10 million consoles sold is important to 3rd party developers. When a game console has a larger based, the chances of a title being successful go up.
His point about BluRay vs DVD and digital downloads is very valid. MS never invested heavily in the format war because they always said DD was the future.
Sonys point about having the most success 3 – 4 years into a consoles life really defines the problem they have to overcome. 80% of PS2 came after the price dropped to under $200. How long do you think it will take to see a $200 PS3?
These over stimulated execs are always embarrasing, but I don’t agree with the claims that he is telling lies.
July 27th, 2008
holy hell, what an essay CAD. But at this level why are we arguing about what they have to say? I mean if we’re going to have a fanboy war lets have it about something worthwhile like hardware/software, rather than what both companies claim and slag each other off as.
July 27th, 2008
I wouldn’t mind having gears of war on the ps3 platform which i believe is only the good game, Halo i did not like it that much but thats my opinion lol.
July 27th, 2008
I wonder why they dont mention the Wii maybe because the Wii is beating xbox360 and totally killing the ps3.
July 27th, 2008
Gears of War and Halo both suck. Sony doesn’t need Xbox exclusive Microsoft needs Sony’s games instead. Kaz is right i rather get shot. Xbox 360 IS DEAD IN THE REST OF THE WORLD ALL THEY GOT IS here USA once they get destroy here too bye bye Microsoft. Windows Vista sucks Zune sucks Xbox sucks MSN search is pathetic.
Companies that Microsoft is trying to rip off but they failed already.
1. Sony
2. Apple
3. Google
4. Nintendo
July 27th, 2008
wait, Ivan you’re American and you don’t like xbox 360?
July 27th, 2008
Yeah so? I own two Xbox 360 and i hate them they got bad games.
July 27th, 2008
LOL Ivan…why dont u sell them for ps3 game money?
July 27th, 2008
I don’t believe a word Ivan says. Sony has stolen ideas from many companies and universities. Rumble, Cell chip, BluRay design, etc.
Heck, Sony even stole that destructive rootkit they planted on peoples computers.
July 27th, 2008
Yes my rant does concentrate on ms….but no one was silly enough to post a Sony interview.
They ARE as bad as each other over hyping etc. When I said lying, read the part where he talks about Bungie and Bungie later contacting eurogamer to to say, YES they did actually have a problem with not announcing at e3, that was in stark difference to what ms exec Mattrick said. He either lied in the interview or was “mis-informed”.
July 27th, 2008
Yes my rant does concentrate on ms….but no one was silly enough to post a Sony interview.
They ARE as bad as each other over hyping etc. When I said lying, read the part where he talks about Bungie and Bungie later contacting eurogamer to to say, YES they did actually have a problem with not announcing at e3, that was in stark difference to what ms exec Mattrick said. He either lied in the interview or was “mis-informed”.
July 27th, 2008
I have no idea why that double posted ????
July 28th, 2008
*Slaps forehead*
@CAD,
Don’t post the whole interview in the comments section. There are links in the article that will take you to the Eurogamer interview.
How am I biased, I am clearly saying both Don and Kaz put their collective foot in their mouth.
July 28th, 2008
Both head honchos from Microsoft and Sony are just plain old dumb with their comments. Oviously, the do not play games because if I was Sony, I would definitely not minded to get Gears of War or Halo. And if I was Microsoft, selling 10 million now does not mean that I won the console war when there has only been one winner so far and that is the Nintendo Wii. With that said, Hey Sony!!!! Why dont you come up with a solution to play games without being installed on my hard drive………..I’m running out of space and I havent gotten Killzone 2, Resistance 2 or Little big Planet yet. And Microsoft!!! Why are you still charging for Live and where is my certificate of “No RROD” guarantee??
July 28th, 2008
Oh, and I guess Sony’s main man already took the bullet……..or got both feet shoved in his mouth, because if I remember correctly “Bioshock” was a Microsoft exclusive at one point………….Things that make you go hmmmmmmm!!!
July 28th, 2008
Alex, not that either company deserves to get defended, but Hirai said he wouldn’t choose an exclusive that he wanted. However, if a developer comes and says, hey we want to go multi plat, what is he suppose to say no? Really it was a dumb question by an interviewer, a no win answer. If he says he wants Gears, xbots are all over it, if he chooses the bullet he is a liar when they get a 360 exclusive.
July 28th, 2008
Yeah Mikes right, please don’t paste entire interviews, just link us or paraphrase it. Its bloody annoying when you cant be arsed to read it and have to scroll to the bottom.
July 28th, 2008
mike, spidey, and the other gaming noobs – traditionally the first console to sell 10 million unit has gone on to win the “console war” of the generation. this is pretty common knowledge to industry folks so i’m confused why it would go over your heads and prompt Mike to question the importance of such a statement.
sorry spidey, the overhype award is still sony’s. at least ms delivers on their hype.. unlike sony’s “spring 2006 launch”, “halo killers”, failed ps3 sales promises, HOME still undelivered, etc, etc, etc…
July 28th, 2008
Kev- yeah, that’s common knowledge. It’s also common knowledge that the Wii will take this generation! Also, traditionally the first to 10 million is when the consoles are available at relatively the same time. Not one console having a year and a half head start! Maybe the 360 will win its generation, its the only one in it!
July 28th, 2008
Kev,
What hype has Microsoft delivered on? Halo 3? Freakin Wii Miis?
-Arvis
July 28th, 2008
arvis – they met the launch date, sony didn’t. they delivered on xbox live, sony hasn’t. those are just two, but you get the point…
July 28th, 2008
Errrrr….nobody beats Sony in the hype department. Some examples from the PS2/Ps3 era.
-PS2 will deliver toystory graphics, and going online with it will be just like jacking into the matrix.
We all know what really happened.
-PS3 has 2.12 TFLOPS of computing power, meaning it is twice as powerful as 360.
Hopefully, we all know they are about the same.
-At $600, people will buy PS3 even if there are no games. It’s just that amazing!
-PSN will be free, and just as good as Xbox Live.
-These Killzone 2 videos are actual gameplay!
Sony has some great products, but I’m glad they have toned down the BS since Ken got kicked.
July 28th, 2008
Wylie quote: “Kev- yeah, that’s common knowledge. It’s also common knowledge that the Wii will take this generation! Also, traditionally the first to 10 million is when the consoles are available at relatively the same time. Not one console having a year and a half head start! Maybe the 360 will win its generation, its the only one in it!”
Agreed: Excellent points. Yes, common knowledge Kev…. But wii is going to kill the 360, so sorta puts your point to shame. You being the “gaming insider/god” don’t question the importance of the statement when it has now been debunked by wii…..
Kev, Yes ms met thier launch date, but at what cost (without mentioning that 4 letter word).
You get soooo upset that we have a go at the ms executive, but we said pretty clearly that Sony are just as bad in the hype department, but you had to go one step further, crying a river mind you, saying “Oh, but Sony’s worse…” You really have a complex m8.
You just can’t have a friendly chuckle (with all of us) about BOTH systems execs being over the top…nooooo you have make it into a 360 v ps3 argument AGAIN. m8 loosen up.
Signed the “gaming noob” lol
July 29th, 2008
spidey – nice job genius. you just proved the fact the ps3 will lose this gen by claiming the wii will win. the wii is winning simply due to pricing. it has less games, inferior online, and inferior hardware. so with that in mind; who has the least consumer friendly pricing? yep.. the PS3.
buh bye ps3…
it doesn’t matter to ms if they become #1. there SOLE intention was to unseat sony. and they did, splendidly….
July 29th, 2008
ron – i remember those. LOL. good times…
July 29th, 2008
Kev- it doesn’t matter to ms if they become #1.?
Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. MS is no different than every company, they want to be #1. If you want to say that they will be forced to concede this generation and would still be happy to beat Sony than your post wouldn’t sound so stupid. Of course you somehow tried to spin the Wii into a win for 360, not sure where you are going with that, so maybe your post would have been nonsense either way.
July 29th, 2008
wylie – thanks for the daily reminder that you know nothing of this industry. both sony and ms are fighting for the “set top box”. ninty does not fit into this competition, and never has intended to do so.
ms has always been vocal abou their intentions of simply unseating sony who is their main competitor.
it’s good the wii is doing well. i was just just proving why the ps3 will end up last. pricing.
July 29th, 2008
Kev,
- Yes, MS met the launch date of the 360. Bill Gates also said it would be the most reliable console of all time. Turns out MS is full of liars, I guess…
- It is NOT good that the Wii is doing well. It is very very bad for us all.
- You can’t “prove” why the PS3 will end up last, since it is an eventuality that has not occured yet. You can’t prove something that hasn’t happened.
- XBL was not super-awesome right when it was launched. It’s become much better over time, especially in conjunction with the release of the 360. And yet they saw fit to charge money for it from Day 1 when it scarcely had any functionality at all. How does this fit in to the “consumer friendly” picture of Microsoft that you would try and paint for all of us? How is it “consumer friendly” for them to release (and charge a premium for) buggy, unusable operating systems that are forced on consumers? How is it “consumer friendly” for them to purposely program their services with bugs that force consumers to spend money to “upgrade” every two years? How can you, as a human being, EVER defend the business tactics of the one company in the world that has repeatedly attempted to gouge the free market and run all competition into the ground in order to fleece the common people to the point of bankruptcy?
*takes a breath*
Alright. I’m done ranting.
-Arvis
July 29th, 2008
arvis – the fact wii is #1 proves the ps3 is set to be last. maybe “prove” was not the right word, but the point stands.
second, the first gen of xbox live (i was a member then too) was NOT full of bugs. it had SOME problems that were addressed and fixed. the fact that 98% of all d/l content was FREE on xbox live at that time, took the edge off considerably. never had the stats dumping like psn did…
“unuseable operating systems”? really? i’m typing on one right now.. no problems.
don’t go outside of gaming to try to paint ms as bad for business as the history of sony’s exploding batteries, lawsuits and DRM fiasco are still fresh in the minds of many, many consumers.
you took my “consumer friendly” quote waaaay out of context. read next time.
July 29th, 2008
arvis – can you link bill’s statement for me? (reliabiity one). i’ve heard of it, but never got a chance to read it.
July 29th, 2008
Kevin,
Here, this should help: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Bill+Gates+360+reliable
Sorry about the rant. I tend to view Microsoft somewhat unfairly, but I’m working on it. I always felt that MS had way too much money in the first place, and when they announced their plans to take over my precious world of gaming, I became embittered towards them and have held it against them ever since. However, over time I find it a bit easier to accept this… “intrusion”, if you will. For all the things I hate about Microsoft, I can still look at the 360 and think: “Well, at least it isn’t the Wii.” And that’s helped me warm up to the console significantly in the last year.
Also, never meant to imply that Live was buggy on launch. Just not as robust as it is now.
-Arvis
July 29th, 2008
Kev- of course MS only talked about unseating Sony. Why, because no one, I mean no one saw that the Wii would come out of right field and take over as #1. I know Sony, MS, you, me, and a lot of other people don’t see the Wii as this generation. But, it was released this generation and is killing what it sees as its competition.
Also what does the 360 and Wii have in common besides price? You can not prove who will win on price alone. If that was the fact than why did PS3 win monthly sales lately? You fail to realize that people hate MS as much if not more than you hate Sony. People outside the states see MS as the front runner of a country that they can’t stand.
July 30th, 2008
arvis – thanks for the link. the problem is; this statement was made AFTER the rrod issue was brough up and bill’s statement was his committment to make it better and more reliable. you made it sound like bill said this before the 360 or rrod was even around and that’s simply not the case.
sony’s statements are made before they even hit the market.
i see what you’re saying, but your opinion of ms has clouded your judgement in gaming.
i hate sony, but bought 4 ps2s….
wylie – if everyone hates us, why are all your leaders asking us for help? to make such a blanket statement about the US is dumb… you do not speak for everyone.
July 30th, 2008
Kev – I didn’t say “everyone”, but there are plenty out there, trust me. Why would leaders ask for U.S. help. Oh I don’t know, because the U.S. has military superiority and money to help back them! Doesn’t mean they like us. Quite frankly I can’t blame people either, the ignorance in the U.S. is out of control.
July 30th, 2008
Kev,
Sorry, didn’t mean to imply that. There’d be no reason for Mr. Gates to state that before launch, as products are usually purchased under that assumption that they will work. I should have been clearer.
But as for “clouded judgment”, you admit you hate Sony, so perhaps your judgment is also clouded? I posit that we all have cloudy judgment. You and I just fell on opposite sides of the cloud and have equally valid reasons for staying there. The least we can do is try and squint through the cloud and wave “hi” to each other every now and then.
Wylie,
Get the log out of your own eye before you try and get the splinter out of somebody else’s. Accusing an entire nation of “ignorance” is both short-sighted and high-minded. It’s viewpoints like this that inhibit multicultural understanding.
….
I’ll refrain from a rousing chorus of “Kumbayah” if that’s ok with all of you.
-Arvis
July 30th, 2008
ps3 is better because it doesnt make a sound as a chain saw
July 30th, 2008
ps3 is better it doesnt make a bif sound
January 27th, 2009
ps3