Microsoft responds to Sony launch plans
by Richard Mitchell 
{ Sep 7th 2006 at 9:30AM }
Yesterday, Neil Thompson, head honcho of Xbox UK, pounced on the opportunity to twist the knife in Sony's already festering PR wound (watch out, it could be gangrenous!). Dissing both Sony's choice of Blu-ray and their failure to execute a worldwide launch, he said:"We know how challenging it is to pull off a global launch, so it's not surprising that Sony has backed away from their previously announced launch plan, due to the unproven technology they are trying to pack in to their console."
Not content with a solitary jab, Thompson followed up with a nice punch in the gut:
"Europe remains a priority for us. That is why gamers have been able to experience Xbox 360 from day one, and why we're confident we're going to have a great Christmas - regardless of what competitors are or are not in the market"
Translation: Only one company really loves you, Europe, and that's Microsoft! Any Euope folk care to comment? (And, just to be fair, the 360 worldwide launch wasn't exactly simultaneous.)
[Via QJ]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DannyOB @ Sep 7th 2006 9:57AM
Hehe, i was wondering when Microsoft was going to comment!
I live in the UK and yes, they did do a european release date somewhat simultaneous with the rest of the world, but my shop still didn't get our FIRST shipment until the 19th of December, 17 days late. That's not so great is it. Especially seeing as we had a demo kiosk, mocking me it was...
As for the comments made, i was expecting them to be leaning more towards trash talking, they were much less offensive towards sony that i thought they would be.
And Europe being a priority...its not your NUMBER ONE priority though, is it microsoft?
Xbox should release an advert in the UK saying, PS3 won't come this christmas, but we're here and we love you!
insane_cobra @ Sep 7th 2006 9:57AM
Yeah, I'll comment on that. I'm from Croatia, admittedly a small market with high piracy rates. Nevertheless, Sony and Nintendo are officially present here and, as far as I know, Microsoft isn't (Microsoft as a whole is, just not their gaming division). Of course, that problem doesn't exist in all European countries, but for us it's very real.
In addition to that, we all know that Microsoft loves us Europeans so much that they've generously allowed us to pay almost 28% more for our consoles than our American peers, not to even mention Japan. Granted, some of that are taxes, but not all.
I'd still get an Xbox 360 rather than a PS3 (and I will), but let's not get carried away, it's not like Microsoft exactly LOVES us.
Ashley Williams @ Sep 7th 2006 10:09AM
I'm from the UK! :D
Over the last year or so, I have watched as the PS3 was AMAZING and the most popular console....to now!
Before 360 was launched, it was like a countdown to god visiting earth in the console gaming world, but due to everything bad sony has done which gets on Xbox360Fanboy, Joystiq and many other blogs, forums and news sites, this wont follow!
The ONLY thing sony has over other next gen consoles is BLUERAY!
Something which us UK gamers will suffer from! Would you US gamers pay $100 dollars for a game? We already do! And that’s only on DVD discs! BlueRay is going to be far more expensive!
So....
Microsoft's Xbox 360: Great online community
Nintendo's Wii: Kwl controller/remote
Sony's PS3: A blueray player...
I was a Sony fanboy till late last year....would never turn back unless I got a free PS3 and games for life! lol
Ashley
Skeeve @ Sep 7th 2006 11:26AM
I'm from Germany and yes, if you browse European/German forums, most guys there are foaming because of Sonys repeated rip offs.
Sure, the launch of the 360 wasn't relly simultaneous, but it was close enough to feel appreciated as a European gamer.
Sony on the other hand has a history of delaying European launches on short notice, so what Microsoft did with the 360 launch in Europe was werry well taken by at least the hardcore audience who's keeping track of the whole video games business.
Many voices arise now in forums that are really disapointed and plan to drop their PS3 preorders to get a Wii and/or a 360.
Xbox360 @ Sep 7th 2006 11:38AM
Isn't the battle all ready decided? Its a 2 console race at least for 2006 and by the time PS3 comes out it will already be too late.
puh_fifer @ Sep 7th 2006 11:47AM
As a fat American I was upset when Japan got consoles at a lower price and they just sat on a shelf.
If I was European I would've had a shit fit paying almost $200 more than the US or Japan.
Luckily, Sony has the ability of making Microsoft look like the nice kid who let you copy his homework in high school. Meanwhile Sony look like a class clown asshole.
shaun @ Sep 8th 2006 11:03AM
Im from the uk
I bought a 360 on day of launch and ive been happy ever since with my purchase. I believe sony has lost alot of goodwill over this latest delay. while i wouldnt have bought a ps3 *£400+* i do know people who would have. I think the prospects of a wii 360 conbination this christmas is interesting.
Ive already decided to buy a wii i just hope nintendo doesnt let us europeans down like sony has
troakey @ Sep 7th 2006 11:49AM
This is history repeating. In Europe the Sega Mega Drive was bigger than the SNES, why? because like Sony, Nintendo saw Europe as a ginger head step child it didn’t want!
This is classic Sony, Over promising and Under delivering in every way, cost, the machine, the graphics and the games!
poorpoorsony @ Sep 7th 2006 12:17PM
One thing is thinking about...The Countries in Europe have a national sales taxs, which adds plenty to the actually cost of these items. In Virginia I paid $40.00 in taxes after the price of the 360. Someone in DC or Califorina is paying double the amount I paid.
When I was in Endland 20 years ago, If remember correctly the VAT was something like 15% or 20%. There's most of the higher price right there.
Please if I'm wrong what is the current VAT?
edhe @ Sep 7th 2006 12:31PM
Nowt wrong with the ginge.
One thing all us UKers hate is when things that are the same as the US (TV shows, products, gadgets w/e) get shipped over here late and at a higher price. MS have done their best to keep the gap small, they could do better of course.
As for cost... blame the government (and buy from Jersey.. play.com )
James @ Sep 7th 2006 1:11PM
@8
Everyone seem to forget that it's not "$200" more over here (UK). In UK, Value Added Tax (VAT) at 17.5% almost always included in sales price while in NA this isn't true so when people compare prices they forget that they're looking at for 1. a different currency and 2. a different tax system.
P.S. "Xbox loves us"? Dead Rising the game everyone's raving about isn't even out over here yet (8-11-2006)
AoE @ Sep 7th 2006 4:19PM
Ahahah, thank you James! I was afraid by comment nine that I wasn't going to see a dig about dead rising. Bravo!
And for the record, you'll note that's a game from Capcom, not microsoft ;)
Frank West @ Sep 7th 2006 4:37PM
To James: Dead Rising's European release date is Capcom's decision, not Microsoft's.
2W @ Sep 7th 2006 2:47PM
They love wester Europe foe now, but they will soon bring the love to central Europe.What Sony did here is worse then awful.
Brian @ Sep 7th 2006 3:53PM
Its not the delays that will make or break the PS3 but the service. If it crashes and freezes like the 360 or the online service kicks you off if too many peole try and join a game then many people will stick with the 360.
Price isn't really an issue otherwise Porsche wouldn't sell a thing.
James @ Aug 5th 2008 7:53AM
I was sort of just pointing out that PAL regions (can't forget down-under) are always getting shafted by games companies
Ashley Williams @ Sep 7th 2006 5:09PM
@10
If you work it out....its alot more than 17.5% more than the US! lol
They rip us off with games, then the games too! :P
You can pay upto $100 USD in the UK for 360 games, which when you think that US gamers moan about $60 games, its alittle over the top!
Ashley
Corey @ Sep 7th 2006 6:32PM
Just to add to the tax thing, I live in the US (Mississippi) and I pay a 7% tax on all games, ect. I walked out of the store the other day with Saints Row for under $65.
shaun @ Sep 8th 2006 10:59AM
saints row is 49.99 pounds here in the uk that is 94 dollas. even if saints row is 60 dollars lets add the british vat to make things fair thats another ten dollars which equals 70 dollars.
94 dollars including tax uk
70 dollars including tax us
could somebody give an explantion what the extra 24 dollars is for other than extra
profit
apologies if my sums are wrong its 1230am here in the uk
Jules @ Sep 7th 2006 7:40PM
Are you sure some of you guys are from the UK. You say that we in the UK can pay upto $100 dollars for 360 games?! Thats like just over £60 and i'm sure i've never seen a game cost that much. And if you're spending that much then you're mad!
Shop around. Buy off the internet....like play.com - £40 xbox360 games and free delivery.
No game company likes Europe. The large amount of different languages doesn't help either.
mike_mgoblue @ Sep 7th 2006 9:49PM
Sony has simply made too many mistakes this time. The fact that the Playstation 3 will only have 100,000 systems available for Japan means that on News Year's Day of 2007, we will look back and say that the Xbox 360 will LITERALLY have outsold the Playstation 3 in Japan for the year of 2006!!!
As far as Europe and North America go, it is AMAZING to consider just how much the Xbox 360 is dominating in terms of sales!!!
Stop and think about this: Mitsubishi Securities said that Sony would only be able to sell 3 million Playstation 3 systems worldwide by March of 2007, rather than the 6 million systems that Sony continues to "claim" that they will sell. Obviously, Sony will not sell 6 million systems, especially now that the system has been delayed in Europe. This is obvious, just like when Sony was "claiming" the Playstation 3 would be launched worldwide in the spring of 2006 and/or when Sony was "claiming" that the Playstation 3 would have TWO HDMI ports, which it obviously never had a chance of doing.
When you stop and think about the fact that Sony will have sold only 3 million systems by March of 2007, and you compare it to the fact that Microsoft has already achieved all of their sales goals, and Microsoft is also on track towards achieving their sales goal of 10 million systems sold worldwide by the end of 2006, and 15 million systems sold by June of 2007; it means that the Xbox 360 will be outselling the Playstation 3 by a 5:1 ratio!!! That is even bigger than the ratio that the Playstation 2 outsold the Gamecube!!!
I think it is only fair that Sony is paying for all of their deliberate lies and deliberate deceptions that have taken place without consideration toward the consumers that Sony obviously does not care about. The Playstation 3 is known as the system that "Over promises and under delivers" for a reason; it continually disappoints gamers and fails to live up to expectations. I guess that is why the Sony Playstation 3 is also called the Fony Plagiarization 3DO.
Matt @ Sep 10th 2006 11:32PM
Well I'm here in Australia and we're on the European release schedule (usually) and I for one couldn't give a rats bum about the PS3 delay.
I'm a happy Xbox360 owner and when the Wii arrives I will add that to my "Sony free" stable of consoles.
Krazy Ken you are a dick.