Dennis Durkin, Xbox CFO for Microsoft, has a vested interest in proclaiming his company’s products to be “superior” to their competitors. In a recent interview with IndustryGamers, that’s exactly what he did.
I think our first party performance in terms of quality bars and units per title this shift has been superior to our competition’s
It’s hard to criticise the guy for doing his job and trailing the company line but the assertion that Microsoft Studios are noticeably superior doesn’t appear to make much sense to me.
Statements like this are needfully non-specific. Is Durkin talking about every Microsoft Game Studios title released this generation? Is he including the Games for Windows and Windows Phone 7 content that Microsoft Studios publish too? Is he discounting sales of bundled software like Wii Play? Without clarification, it’s impossible to determine what he means and that makes it impossible to argue with his statements. Except that I’m not sure it works on any level.
[drop2]Of course, it would be equally as foolish to claim that Sony have had a clear advantage in anything but actual number of exclusives published on a home console. It’s simply too difficult to conclusively prove superiority in general terms when there are so many factors to be considered.Metacritic averages for critical responses to each stable shows that Microsoft and Sony are very close (73 and 75) with Nintendo just faring slightly better with critics at 77. So there is a rough similarity with general critical response but using the best data we’ve got access to, and the most basic way of presenting it, Nintendo comes out on top.
Economically, of course, it’s a little more difficult to pin down. It’s almost impossible to get accurate data with many retail outlets not counting, a discrepancy between “shipped” and “sold” and no European figures at all. But it’s reasonable to assume that titles like Wii Fit and Super Mario Galaxy, with their astronomical sales and long tails, have outstripped first party offerings from either of the HD consoles. So economically speaking, at least on specific titles, Nintendo seem sure to take that crown as well as their narrow victory with the critics. But it’s all very marginal and based on a fair amount of guess work and supposition, not to mention wilful manipulation of the data.
Of course, another way to look at it is by taking specific examples and pitting them against each other. For example, is Uncharted 2 a better game than Gears of War 2? I think so, but then I also suspect that Gears of War 2, as great as it is, will have sold more units. So financially speaking, Gears would be the better product. But that triumph is short lived when Nintendo weighs in with Wii Fit. Is that a better game? I would say not but I think the sales figures, if we kept accurate data, would say it outstripped both Uncharted 2 and Gears 2 by quite a considerable margin.
It’s a murky debate perpetuated by plenty of participants with varying degrees of knowledge in the subject but, ultimately, it’s a fruitless one. The only sensible thing to do is to enjoy the games you enjoy on whatever machine you want to play them on and let the executives, like Durkin, worry about what business they’re doing.
Source: IndustryGamers
Mick939
I think uncharted infamous resistance and killzone dispute in my opinion. But then i do love halo. But still second to uncharted or resistance. You know what i cant balance it sonys first party tirles this gen are almost all gems.
Boomshanks
In other news: Sony CFO Thinks PS3 Exclusives “Superior” to Xbox, Wii
blackredyellow
Given the title, I’m surprised to see no drunken rants on here considering this was released late Saturday night! You’re all very well behaved ;-P
However, as a few people have already said, the article is nicely written and beautifully summarised: ‘enjoy the games you enjoy on whatever machine you want to play them on and let the executives, like Durkin, worry about what business they’re doing’ (Peter, 2011).
Cheers Peter.
Vaile23
who really gives a shit? as long as i keep getting quality games to play on the 2 consoles i own i don’t really care who’s “winning”…
david
Really the only one that’s winning is you.
Sympozium
Haha, thats so true I agree
Sympozium
Woo Metacritic, can’t decide everything in entertainment.
Great article
tonycawley
I don’t understand! Why do these things always come about in relation to video games, yet they don’t with any other market? Why don’t we hear Ford boss say his cars are superior to Renault? Why don’t movie studios make these comments? Book publishers? Why don’t haribo bang on about their sweets being so much better than nestle? Just childish nonsense.
Kitch
Because Haribo suck. Their adverts are full of annoying kids that need putting down. Nestle clearly have a better range. Haribo better? Bloody fanboys. :0
TheArgonian
*cough* God of War 3 *cough* but seriously i think there equal i love them all… except for racing games. Well Mario Kart and Modnation i’ll make an exception. (hope they make a MNR2)
BlueWolf
… and in other “stating the bleedin’ obvious news”, the French Government announce that France is the best country in the World.
Crocadillian
Sure, people can enjoy the games they want. YAY, FREEDOM!
But….
Sony do produce the most creative and diverse range of games. Microsoft mainly have shooters and Nintendo keep rehashing they’re cutesy mascots. MotorStorm, LitleBigPlanet, flOw and Flower (and soon Journey as well), inFamous, Ratchet and Clank, WipEout, Gran Turismo. They’ve got all bases covered…
amiga_dude
Well would he really be doing a ratner?
For anyone who do not know what “Doing a Ratner” is:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Ratner