Yusuf Mehdi, who you might recall from the Xbox One reveal event and last week’s Xbox Media Briefing at E3, has spoken to a Spanish newspaper. It’s a little tricky to be sure of what he’s saying, but Google Translate does a good enough job to catch the gist and a user on NeoGAF has smoothed out the most pertinent points even further.
Basically, though, Mehdi seems to concede that Sony “won” E3 (for whatever that means). He’s not giving up the war though, adamant that “in the long run, our console will win.”
When pressed on whether the restrictive 24-hour check in was a little excessive, Mehdi insisted that it wasn’t. “It is a mere connection to check who the user is and what is in your account. It doesn´t require a powerful connection. Just use a mobile for the check.” That statement seems to assume that you have a data-connected mobile (and ignores the list of countries that aren’t supported by the console at all).
It’s odd to see Microsoft representatives repeatedly make statements that seem aloof or uncaring while most of their critical reception has been scathing. Mehdi’s claim that they showed 20 games and 17 of them were Xbox One console exclusives doesn’t exactly leap out as a fair representation, either. Even writing off the ones that are also coming to PC and/or Xbox 360, that number seems high.
They’re probably counting Minecraft Xbox One Edition but I’m still struggling to think of more than a handful of exclusives and I was in the room when they showed them. So, either they’ve made that number up or there’s a dozen console exclusives that have simply passed by me, despite being involved in the industry and at the Media Briefing. That’s a problem, either way, isn’t it?
Mehdi makes a valid point though, next generation will be decided by the consumers. By the way, did you see that CVG Poll this morning that said 71 per cent of their readers were getting a PS4, in comparison to 14 per cent getting an Xbox One (5 per cent said both). Consumers, eh?
quinkill
The arrogance continues. Seriously they need to just stop talking for a while.
MadYetHatless
It’s like they’re trying to put out a fire with petrol, even when they try to regain some standing just the way they phrase it is enough to make it worse. At this rate, short of the unlikely event of them changing everything they’ve said so far, I genuinely think the best thing they could do is just stay completely silent until launch. If your mouth stays closed, you can’t keep putting your foot in it.
pdannysan13
Or just let one person say all the remaining positive stuff for the next 6 months, give him sort of saviour aura, and let someone else say all the bad stuff.
Gaztee
So does anyone have a handle on ps4 vs x1 pre orders?? Last time I checked shopto they were one & two on the pre order chart. Would be great to know if the difference is anywhere near the polls? I think probably not.
Voolar
Well, I’ve pre-ordered the PS4 purely because I’m a little worried about supply and demand. If I was going for an XBone, I wouldn’t have rushed in yet…
blarty
My problem with this is that bar the HDMI in, and the skeletal/IR tracking of Kinect there’s really very little that the PS4 couldn’t do in time that the Xbox One can do now – be it voice control (if you should want it), TV, or emphasis on a digital library model.
The key issue for MS is that they’re not making gamers feel like there is a benefit to these things, I don’t care about an App for NBA, while I;m watching TV… but an app that shows info and updates for a persistent world either while I;m in that game or others, and gamers can see that there’s an advantage…. as an example if Activision built a COD Elite app and added in more real time functionality that gamers can see or get notifications from while they’re watching a DVD or lovefilm or playing other games then some gamers will see a benefit to side by side. Explain things like always on checkins by saying we check the store for updates and if there’s free DLC on promotion for a game you already own. we’ll download that for you….
Show us the benefits of you doing this, and show us that the benefits can outweigh the cost to people and whilst some certainly still won’t go forward with Xbox One, perhaps some people will see a bigger picture, because right now gamers just think they’re getting screwed over and at $100 more, they feel like they’re paying for it as well.
leeroye
I love how MS keep coming out shouting about how their console will “win” this generation. No one from sony has felt the need to come out and say these sorts of things. The only message we hear from sony is how they are creating a platform for gamers and developers to thrive on. Yet the only message i hear from MS is how great they are and how their console is amazing with great exclusives.
Sony dont need to come out with this crap, at the end of the day they are letting the console and its games do the talking.
Tomhlord
Which exec isn’t going to say this..? He may well be right, or wrong. He has to represent the Xbox One in a positive light. This newly found laissez faire approach to PR from Microsoft execs is all they really can do. The brand is already coming across as aggressive and controlling thanks to the DRM restrictions.
double-o-dave
I can’t believe the word ‘flexibility’ isn’t mentioned in the article. I can only put it down to bad translation :)
The Von Braun
Well, they were hardly going to come out saying: ‘Whoops, looks like we’ve really screwed the pooch here’ are they?.
Look MS, i personally don’t give a proverbial rats backside what your sales figures are for Region X, Y or Z compared to Sonys in this generation or the next. We, the consumer need you to stay in the game, we need strong competition, just provide the sort of amazing software you did with Xbox and Xbox 360, as well as deliver on your visions for Xbox TV and Kinect 2 and everyone will be happy.
This bullish we are going to win, all a bit mystic MS is it not?, unless of course you’ve come from the future and know exactly what Sony+Apple for example will be doing over next 5 years+, as i doubt if even they have solid plans.
The Lone Steven
Sure and i’m going to become PM within the next hour. If MS can pump out a lot of excellent exclusives, they may have a chance to stop it from bombing but i seriously doubt that it will outsell the PS4 due to the way it’s been recieved as well as the DRM and focus on everything apart from gaming. :O
Broonba
Aye, and pigs might fly. :p