Microsoft's Kim Reacts To PlayStation 3 Launch News

Microsoft Game Studios general manager Shane Kim spoke out on the recent PlayStation 3 announcements in an interview with the UK's Official Xbox Magazine. Kim generally welcomed the competition that the launch of Sony's next-generation system will bring and expressed confidence that the system's worldwide release in the fall would not change Microsoft's set plans for the Xbox 360. "Even though it's disappointing for people who were expecting PS3 this spring, it's good that Sony is sharing more information," said Kim. "For us, it doesn't change anything. We've had a very clear strategy for a long time now and we're not going to change that. We’re not going to react to anything that they do." He continued: "We know what we're doing, we'll be in full supply shortly, we've got great content on the way, and we've got fantastic third-party support. If Sony happens to stumble – and we know first-hand that there are a lot of challenges in a worldwide launch – then we'll be in an incredibly strong position to take advantage." On the subject of the competitive air at the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo, Kim noted that "We'll have real content, real games that people can go out and get their hands on. Similar to what we had last year. We didn't want to go out there and show a bunch of rendered videos that wouldn't necessarily reflect reality. Sony has created that expectation and we'll have to see if they can deliver on it." The rest of the interview, which is currently available online, focuses on Rare's recently announced all-ages title Viva Pinata, and Microsoft's efforts to expand its user base to younger players.