Microsoft: We've Won the Core Gamer

[wraggster]

Xbox 360 group product manager Aaron Greenberg told Next-Gen in a phone interview Thursday following the release of March's NPD sales figures, "I think the battle for the core user is sort of over, if you will. We're heading now well beyond 20 million in console sales.

"I feel we've secured that core buyer, and that gives us quite a bit of an advantage versus PS3, which is late to the game and still at a price disadvantage relative to the Xbox."

Asked if his verdict is being doled out too soon, as big PlayStation 3 titles such as Metal Gear Solid 4, LittleBigPlanet and Gran Turismo 5 loom on the horizon, he asserted that Xbox 360 has indeed outdone PS3 in the core market.

"I think the type of audience that [Sony is] going after with many of those games, frankly, are Xbox 360 owners...They're trying to go after a consumer that has already bought an Xbox 360, which frankly has a much broader lineup with more titles and more exclusives. You could say that [Sony] showed up with too little, too late."

But even Greenberg will admit that on a global scale, the console war battleground is hotly contested, particularly in Europe, where the PlayStation brand, along with sales for Sony's console, remain strong.

"Without a doubt, Sony is a very formidable competitor in Europe, and they have entrenched themselves as an established brand, and we recognize that," he said. "But it's also part of the reason why we say Europe is the battleground territory for us this generation. So we've really double-downed our efforts there in marketing spend and our aggressiveness in that market."

Greenberg said Microsoft is forecasting Xbox 360's installed base in the US to be two- to three-times that of the PS3 by the end of 2008.

In addition, he said in the US and in EMEA territories, the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV has had more pre-orders than the PS3 version by a 2:1 margin. That game launches on April 29.

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10041&Itemid=2

Who has won the core gamer, let us know via Comments

[F9zDark]

So, basically what he's saying is, based on their dominance of the US market they believe they have won the "war"?

Sorry, but the PS3 has already outsold the 360 in both Japan and Europe... Give it another year and we'll see how well the 360 stands up against the PS3 here in the US.

[Ultima Chocochu]

I think he is F9zDark, which is kinda stupid, he himself even admits the console is doing great in Europe...But if he is talking about 360 sales being more than that of PS3, he forgot Japan and MGS4. And to add to it, a lot of people will get a PS3 for that game. Even if 360 has lots of exclusives, sold more in the US, doesn't mean it's necesarrily better.
ALSO he talks about Sony getting in the game late, they're the company who rushed their console out the soonest, and I guess he doesn't think MGS4 and other games to be released(like Final Fantasy) sell PlayStations.Eeh I just think it's lame he is trying to make it about sells over anything.

[DPyro]

What an idiot, the PS3 is now outselling 360 and he says it'll be 2-3 times PS3 sales :rofl:

[jamotto]

I think his definition of a core gamer is one who will only buy one console this generation and thus are completely loyal to the Microsoft brand.

[Demibeard]

I know it's only one store but GTA-IV has only sold out on preorders for the PS3 version at play.com. 360 version is still available...

Also do those figures exclude the ones in for repair?

I guess it's easy to shift that many machines if you userbase has to keep replacing them!!

[Justise]

What an @$$hole.
They count their broken consoles as sold.
They copy any patent they can find (talking about Wiimote)
They are briding to get exclusives and sabotage their opponent. (talking about GTA and Dual Shock)
They even forcing us to buy a useless operating system that nobody wants. (vista)

Think also that almost all the good tittles of 360 are coming to the PC eventually, which makes 360 also useless!

These people make me sick!

[Shadowblind]

So, basically what he's saying is, based on their dominance of the US market they believe they have won the "war"?

Sorry, but the PS3 has already outsold the 360 in both Japan and Europe... Give it another year and we'll see how well the 360 stands up against the PS3 here in the US.

Outsold in Europe? Not exactly, but in japan they have. In the Market the 360 still has more consoles sold in Europe an the US then PS3, but not in japan. However, the PS3 IS steadily outselling it. But it hasn't outsold it in Europe.

[DPyro]

Well, the PS3 is outselling the 360 weekly now. Even the PS2 (http://www.vgchartz.com/hwcomps.php?cons1=PS2&reg1=All&cons2=PS3&reg2=All&cons3=X360&reg3=All&start=39453&end=39551)is outselling it.

[F9zDark]

Outsold in Europe? Not exactly, but in japan they have. In the Market the 360 still has more consoles sold in Europe an the US then PS3, but not in japan. However, the PS3 IS steadily outselling it. But it hasn't outsold it in Europe.

Not yet anyhow. But really, how many people remain core gamers? And I would doubt Microsoft can even claim that (if they mean by core, those with one console) with the amount Wii's sold, I imagine most 360 owners have a Wii as well, and when the games stop coming on the 360 and PS3 is down in price, they'll move to that.

Microsoft can tout their claims all they want. But in the end, I think the PS3 will still come out on top, even if its 5 years down the road. The PS2 has the longevity. And PS3 was designed with this in mind.

Microsoft is only hurting themselves by following their Window's practice of disowning the last generation in favor for the next generation; unfortunately, if one makes the example of the PS2, that doesn't fly too well with gamers.

[Ultima Chocochu]

He makes a good point, the PS3 was basically built to outlast and be used for years, so by the time the 360 is completely behind and the PS3 is running better games, Microsoft will have to make another console which would possibly be MORE expensive than the PS3, and with that in mind people would prefer a PS3 due to cheaper, more games to be released for it around then. The PS3 is starting to come back as well, developers are being able to work with it better now so with that in mind, it's just a matter of time for the PS3.

[Eviltaco64]

I think that in a few decades 360's will be in museums.

THIS IS ONE OF THE LAST OF THIS DYING BREED. AS IT'S KIND DIED OUT FROM EXCESS HEAT.

[WhizzBang]

I think Microsoft certainly have a lot more reason to be confident this time, than they did with their bullish statements last time round.

Back then the XBox was the most powerful system, but the PS2 had the better games and some of them looked better than anything on the Xbox. Sony also had PS1 backwards compatibility which was a big customer retension factor at the time.

This time around it is Sony with the better hardware, but Microsoft have some great games under their belts, while the Sony big hitters are still on their way.

If Sony do eventually win out, it certainly won't be the walk over it was last time around. Microsoft may start making a profit and will certainly live to fight another generation.

Microsoft need to produce a console that is reliable, quiet, and more aesthetically pleasing. They also need to tap in to the main stream non-normal gamers, like Nintendo are doing with the Wii, and Sony did before with they EyeToy and Singstar. Guitar hero seems to be a start in this direction for the 360, but it isn't an exclusive.