Microsoft's Moore Speaks Out On Wii, PlayStation 3

Speaking with major consumer website IGN, Peter Moore, corporate vice president of worldwide marketing and publishing for the Xbox brand, has commented on the Xbox 360's competition, praising the Wii's innovation while simultaneously disregarding the PlayStation 3. Moore, who has in the past expressed some admiration of the Wii and its innovative controls, commented that he is “a big fan” of what Nintendo has put together with the Wii. “It ties in exactly with what Nintendo needs to do,” commented Moore. “And it ties directly into their strong intellectual property that is more youth oriented and more family oriented.” As expected, the executive was not so quick to offer such kind words for the Xbox 360's closest competition in Sony and the PlayStation 3. Particularly with regards to the console's PlayStation Network online service, Moore commented, “[Sony's] still trying to get it up to speed and there's nothing really there that I can really point to that I wish we had.” In addition, Moore noted that while it will remain important for Microsoft to build upon its strengths within the online market, it is equally crucial for the company to take advantage of the different types of Xbox 360 users by appealing to their distinct wants from the platform. Noted Moore, “A lot of people love to play Gears of War, but a lot of people would just love to download content. We need to be cognizant that there are different consumers that have different needs for Xbox Live and we continue to evolve the service accordingly.” He added: “It is a huge advantage for us. I think that is very difficult for Sony and Nintendo to catch up with right now.” Finally, with regards to the company's strategy in Japan, a region in which the company and its consoles have struggled to establish and maintain a significant foothold, Moore noted, “I think we need to continue to be a competitor as aggressively as we have been since the day we launched [in Japan].” Interestingly, the most recent Japanese software sales charts found Gears of War in the seventh position on the chart 33,000 units sold. Stated Moore, “Seeing Gears of War as one of the top ten selling games in Japan, on top of Blue Dragon's success over the holidays, is vindication of a company that understand what it needs to stick to the task. I think we are seeing progress in Japan. With Lost Odyssey still to come, I think we feel real good about our ability to compete and compete aggressively in the Japanese market.”