Microsoft: Rivals' Price Cuts 'Not A Real Concern To Us'

In recent weeks, Sony cut the price of the PlayStation 3, and Nintendo finally cut the price of the Wii. But Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg said that competitors' pricing moves are "not a real concern to us." Greenberg, director of product management for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, told Game Informer, "I can tell you to that when NPD releases September sales later today, we fully expect PlayStation 3 will come in as the console with the most units sold for the month." He continued, "This is frankly not a real surprise to us or the analysts that follow this industry, as it is typical to see a short term bump following the introduction of new hardware and pricing into the marketplace." Sony cut the price of the standard PS3 hardware by $100 last month to $299, backing the relaunch with a fresh ad campaign. Sony Computer Entertainment America said that PS3 sales rose 300 percent shortly after the price cut and new hardware introduction. Worldwide, the PS3 sold 1 million units in the opening three weeks following the price cut and hardware revamp. And at the end of September, Nintendo cut the price of the Wii for the first time since the console's late-2006 launch from $249 to $199. But Greenberg said even with two rivals that are more competitively priced -- Microsoft's Xbox 360 now ranges from $199 to $299 -- his company's console will still be in the thick of the competition. "What I can tell you is we remain confident that Xbox 360 will not only outsell PS3 for the full calendar year, but for this entire generation," he said, echoing a sentiment originally expressed in 2008 by Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business SVP Don Mattrick. "It is similar to a game of baseball," Greenberg added. "It is not about just winning one inning, but instead being able to win the game by consistently delivering across all nine innings."