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Sony Claims 'Official Leadership' of Console Industry, Says Xbox 'Lacks Longevity'

by Chris Faylor, Jan 20, 2009 8:43am PST
Related Topics – xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Sony, Nintendo Wii

Outspoken Sony Computer Entertainment chairman Kazuo Hirai has expressed his thoughts on the console industry, claiming a belief that the PlayStation 3 will eventually outsell the Xbox 360 and that Sony will "continue official leadership in this industry."

Curiously, Hirai told the Official PlayStation Magazine, as relayed by CVG, that "official leadership" was not contingent on a console's install base or which system sells more and when.

He then criticized the Xbox 360 as "something that lacks longevity," explaining that "[Microsoft has] never had a console that's been on the market for more than four or five years and we've committed to a ten year life cycle, so you do the math."

"Unless things go really bad," he added, "there's no way that at the end of a life cycle our competition is going to have a higher install base."

Conveniently, Nintendo and its ever-popular Wii console aren't part of that competition, as Sony doesn't "look at their console as being competitors" because "they're a different world and we operate in our world." Microsoft has previously snubbed the Wii as well, claiming that the Xbox 360 dominated worldwide so long as the Wii wasn't counted.

While Microsoft replaced the original Xbox with the Xbox 360 after four years, Microsoft president Robbie Bach recently told Mercury News that he expects this generation to "be a little longer than previous generations" as "just coming up with something that's faster and prettier isn't going to be sufficient."

Currently, the Xbox 360 has an almost 2:1 lead on the PlayStation 3 in North America, with an 8 million unit lead worldwide. However, the Nintendo Wii has outperformed both systems in all territories, having sold 34.55 million units before the holiday season.

Many analysts expect Sony to cut the price of the PlayStation 3 this April, with Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Patcher informing GameDaily of his belief that the PlayStation 3 would eventually outsell the Xbox 360 if both consoles were priced equally.


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Comments

21 Threads | 129 Comments
  • #70
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    By: NuMMnUtZ x
    Reply
    Why do I get the feeling that in a couple of years when the PS3 is doing it's best impression of the Dreamcast (not dumping on the DC, it's still played in my house) we will hear the most amazing spin about how this was all according to plan and finishing 3rd in the console race was right where they wanted to be.

    "We take risks because that is what leaders do. We have learned so much coming from a point of adversity that we can assure you that the PS4 coming out this Holiday season will truly be the best thing to happen to every man woman and child on the planet. We now know that you wanted more media features. The PS4 has them. All of them. Many more than the X720 that was just launched. The PS4 also will have games. Many games so beautiful and engaging you won't ever want to stop playing. But you must. You will need to pay back the loan you had to take out to purchase it. Getting a second job would be a good idea so you can buy games and accessories and many BluRay discs. 2012 will be the year of the PS4, I guarantee it!" -KK from the future.
    Jan 20, 2009 11:22am PST