Microsoft's Gates Talks PS3, Xbox 360 Holiday Sales

In a new interview with CNET News, Microsoft chairman and co-founder Bill Gates has commented on the company's plans for the Xbox 360 heading into the holiday season, as well as his opinion of Sony's PlayStation 3 launch, noting that he “wouldn't change positions with them in a million years.” “I mean, we know what it's like to be a year late,” added Gates. “We feel great about the position that we're in. And, of course, they're going to sell a lot in Japan.” (The Japanese market has continued to be a tough sell for Microsoft since the console's debut in that region in December 2005. However, anticipation surrounding a few Xbox 360 titles targeted at the Japanese market, such as Mistwalker's Blue Dragon and Namco's Chopin-based RPG Trusty Bell, continue to play a significant role in Microsoft's Japanese strategy.) Continuing to address the competition offered by both Sony and the PlayStation 3, Gates further commented, “You know, Sony can make 80,000 bricks, and people would buy them. So the real competition--you're going to see the impact of our innovation and all the momentum we have in Christmas 2007. This Christmas, the story is: Xbox 360 is going to sell super-well, and they'll sell the rounding error amounts they can make.” Given the hardware shortages surrounding the PlayStation 3, market analysts seem to echo Gates' sentiments. Lazard Capital Markets' analyst Colin Sebastian earlier today commented in a research note that, according to figures pulled from major video game retail chain GameStop, the Xbox 360 hardware has enjoyed increased sales in the absence of available alternatives following the launch of Sony's newest console.