Bell: More 360's in 08 than 07 (bite our ass Screen Digest) and Wii 3rd party lulz #1
http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest+N...ry_188709.html
Quote:
REDMOND (Washington) - Microsoft expects to sell more Xbox 360 consoles in 2008 than in 2007, with Europe standing out as a key battleground for dominance in the US$30 billion (S$44 billion) video game industry.
In Japan, where the Xbox 360 has far lagged Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3, Microsoft said recent and upcoming games from popular Japanese designers should boost sales.
'We will sell more consoles next year than this year,' said Mr Jeff Bell, head of global marketing for Microsoft's games business.
'We don't want to trade places with anybody,' he said.
He said that the Xbox 360 was strong in Britain and was gaining market share in France and Germany, but that Sony had also been lifted in Europe by a recent price cut for the PS3.
'Europe for us is still the swing,' Mr Bell said. 'The biggest challenge is that Sony as a brand has had greater staying power than in other areas. Not just PlayStation 3, but Sony as a brand.'
Microsoft had seen some retailers sell out of the high-end Elite model of the console as well as of the lower-priced Arcade version.
Asked if Microsoft was benefiting from Nintendo's ongoing shortage of Wii machines, he said: 'Sometimes you're good, sometimes you're lucky, and it's wonderful when you're both.' Mr Bell also took a dig at Nintendo, playing on an industry perception that independent video game publishers have not enjoyed great success on the Wii so far, in part because Nintendo's own offerings are so strong.
'Clearly, we have a competitor where they win and no one else wins. That is not sustainable, it's never been sustainable,' Mr Bell said.
Nintendo's United States president, Mr Reggie Fils-Aime, said earlier this week that perception was misguided, and he pointed to recent market data showing that 60 per cent of Wii game sales in November came from outside publishers. -- REUTERS