X-bit labs

Microsoft Recommends Xbox 360, Wii, Condemns PlayStation 3.

Category: Multimedia

by Anton Shilov

[ 05/12/2006 | 03:38 PM ]

Microsoft Corp.’s vice president in an interview during the Electronic Entertainment Exhibition (E3) criticized Sony Corp. for $599 price-tag on the PlayStation 3 and expressed opinion that consumers would prefer to get an Xbox 360 and a Wii, rather than a PlayStation 3.

“Tell me why you would buy a $600 PS3?” Peter Moore, Microsoft Xbox division vice president, is reported to have said, according to Reuters news-agency. “People are going to buy two (machines). They’re going to buy an Xbox and they’re going to buy a Wii for the price of one PS3”.

Microsoft’s premium Xbox 360 version costs $399 today, whereas Nintendo’s Wii game console is rumoured to sell for $199. The top-of-the-range version of PlayStation 3 console, which will be able to play Blu-ray disc movies, will cost $599, by contrast. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 cannot play HD DVD movies by default, but requires a separate HD DVD drive, which costs additional money.

But Mr. Moore of Microsoft believes that in the game console world it is everything about the pricing and games, not additional features, such as Blu-ray disc player capability, which would cost over $1000, when purchased as a standalone device.

“People will always gravitate toward a competitively priced product – like what I believe Wii will be – with innovative new designs and great intellectual property like Mario, Zelda and Metroid,” Mr. Moore is reported to have said.

It is unclear whether Microsoft is going to co-work with Nintendo in a bid to replace Sony from the top of the game console world, however, denouncing the main rival amid praising another seems to be rather uncertain in terms of future plans.

Sony currently dominates the worldwide video game market with a 66% share, while Microsoft and Nintendo each hold 17%, according to Strategy Analytics.