Microsoft exec delivers blistering attack against PlayStation 3
By John Pospisil
A senior executive at Microsoft UK has delivered a blistering attack against the PlayStation 3 (PS3), claiming that Sony’s new console has no real advantage over the XBox 360.
“In the technology and gaming there’s really little in the PS3 where I can say ‘gosh, I wish we had that’,” Microsoft’s Senior Regional Director, Northern Europe, Entertainment & Devices Division, Neil Thompson told the Times Online.
Thompson dismissed the PS3’s much hyped Blu-Ray drive as being “two to three years ahead of its time”, arguing that people don’t want to replace their DVD collections and that in any case the Xbox 360 is better for watching standard DVDs than the PS3.
“The Internet is becoming an increasingly important medium. Surely online is going to be the distribution method for much of the high-definition content,” said Thompson.
According to Thompson the biggest threat presented by Sony is that it had a strong brand in the gamers market. He also conceded that the PS3’s graphics power might pose a challenge to the Xbox 360.
However, Thompson argued that the Xbox 360 has a huge advantage over the PS3 in online gaming, which he believes is becoming increasingly important.
“You have to have a range and quality of gaming content. More and more we’re seeing that the online experience is a really important factor. Sony have come up with an online world that seems to let you do just about everything except gaming,” said Thompson.
Despite hints by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to the contrary, Thompson said that the XBox 360 would not be discounted. He believed that the existing price offers good value.
You would think that given the Xbox 360’s commanding lead over both the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii, that Microsoft executives wouldn’t be drawn into these infantile “my console is better than your console” tirades.
Many commentators have already said that Sony won’t succeed in this round of the console war, though Thompson’s outburst makes me wonder whether Microsoft does actually perceive the PS3 to be a real threat after all. And if Microsoft feels threatened, perhaps there is hope for the PS3 yet.
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Stumble It!
March 27th, 2007
“…arguing that people don’t want to replace their DVD collections…”
One thing many people don’t realize is that all Blu-ray players play DVDs just fine. Unlike the VHS to DVD transition where feelings to replace your movies came hand-in-hand since DVD players typically don’t have a VHS bay and the two formats physically look unalike, etc, a consumer can choose to buy a Blu-ray movie when they see it fits. Why replace your Ren & Stimpy DVD collection or old 80s slasher movie collection with Blu-ray movies? I support Blu-ray but I’d probably prefer to watch a bloody 80s slasher flick on a grainy dirty VHS. Picture quality doesn’t really matter here. Movies you’re going to immediately replace with Blu-ray are Star Wars, LOTR, Terminator, huge epic sci-fi and/or adventure and/or action movies, blockbusters, etc, etc. We need to eventually replace DVD and that’s what Blu-ray will eventually do. But for the time being they actually work perfect coexisting together if you as a consumer can manage where your DVD vs Blu-ray needs lay per movie.
March 27th, 2007
agreed.
March 27th, 2007
so correct about that… I think neil thomson focusing on how ppl dont want to replace their dvds and not boasting about hd dvd, shows that microsoft is conceding… if only ppl could read between the lines… this rant by thomson pretty much is saying “we at microsoft have come to accept that the PS3 is a beast and is going to kick our ass eventually”….
Another thing… ppl who think blu ray or hd dvd are not important or dont matter…..are just ppl who have never experienced Hi DEF… I can guarantee u…… when u experience HI DEF…..its like an emotional experience u cant describe. Watch the panasonic viera commercial on youtube….. just type in panasonic viera guatemala
And unless Nintnedo Wii comes out with a Hi- Def capable version….its going nowhere…….because within the next 5 years…..HDTVs will be the norm (u can get 40 inch HDTVs for just under $1000) and no one wants to play video games at 480p when they can play it at 1080p…..
March 27th, 2007
I wouldn’t call this so much a “blistering attack”… instead more like an “intimidated rant”.
March 27th, 2007
hahahahahahahahahhaha! this is so funny, they just anounced the 360 “elite” which has a bigger HD and HDMI, things the PS3 has out the gate… but wait, they still dont match up to the PS3’s spects.. MS are done with the spects they have going, even after anouncing the elite, no built in wifi, no HD-DVD drive.. done with
March 27th, 2007
xbox is just getting cocky due to thier pre-mature launch of 360, you better have the lead if you are one year ahead boasting about it is meaningless, and i am really going to take advice from the competition… that is just a LITTLE biased!
March 28th, 2007
Hold on, when I look a the two systems, and their online capabilities ( for which Sony has done some great things with Resistance: Fall of Man), the first thing I think is “gosh, how come these microsoft fanboys aren’t up in arms about paying for the service?”. If you compare the prices with what you get, PS3 is far better value, just add, the price of the cheapest xbox, an hd’dvd add on and a few of years subscription to xbox live…. one word to describe xbox fans – punished.
March 28th, 2007
This must the worst case of ’shooting yourself in the foot’ incident between Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s Playstation so far.
Neil Thompson all but admits Sony has the upper hand ‘except for online play.
Depending on howo you look at it he man sis either fully qualified Microsoft Buffoon when it comes to ‘bigging up’ his employers. Or a rare ‘honest john’ in the Microsoft Empire. After all He concedes Graphics, Hi-Def, future-proof.
On a final note. the mark of a successful PS is not whether Microsoft deems the PS3 (or any other product for that matter) to be a threat. as you seem to suggest in your closing comments. Microsoft sees any real or potential competitor as a threat, iparanoia is a standard part of corporation mentality.
March 28th, 2007
Microsoft is just very jealous, becaz they know that the ps3 is better than the cheap ass 360, their disgracing the ps3, becaz they dont like it, they wish they were like the 360, thats why they’re coming with the 360 elite to try to top the ps3, but im a playstation fan, i dont care what microsoft tries to do, but, i gotta tell you that u criticize everything about it, and stop taking sony’s ideas man, because microsoft says that the 360 elite might come with a blu ray drive with it man, i bet u sony would get pissed off, and probably sue them.
March 28th, 2007
Microsoft is running scared & Neil Thompson would not make a good poker player, who does he think he is kidding.
One other thing: After all the ranting about the PS3 being priced too high, what does Microsoft do, why they come out with a higher priced 360 which has only some of the features of the PS3 & oh it is shinny black in colour, they have absolutely no shame.
March 29th, 2007
What a fucking prick that guy is!! Fucking microsoft wankers, what do they purposely hire the worlds biggest dickheads!!! He says ‘I can’t think of anything that would make me say i wish we had that’!! How about FREE internet service?? Or a browser?? Or Wifi?? Or how about a fucking HD player (blu-ray)?? MSG4?? Tekken6?? What a fucking cocksucker. He says the PS3 is too far ahead of it’s time, thats only cuz microsoft dickheads like him want to hold people back and give us crap like the 360, this is proven already by them by putting out the ‘elite’. WE want the best technology NOW no need to hold it back gimme everything. COME ON PS3 the xbox360 can rot in hell!!!
April 14th, 2007
You are spot on there John, microsoft are wankers with the shitty xbox. the whole set up fucks me off, no customer service for any of there software and i bet most people are fucked off with them. Now something that microsoft tossers can not control, PS3 hell of a lot better than the fucking xbox shit.
April 24th, 2008
All of ya can suck my pussy anyway.