14 DAY TRIAL // You know, it wasn't just SCEA's head, Jack Tretton who told MSNBC a few about their future plans, but Microsoft's Don Mattrick too. In fact, Mattrick's statements (which you'll get a glimpse at below) come as somewhat of an answer to Tretton's attitude towards the success of the PS2 and his optimistic view of the PS3's 10-year life cycle.
Don Mattrick is Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business unit senior vice president, just so everyone knows. Now, Don claims in his interview with MSNBC that their Xbox 360 is the hottest thing out there, and that it too can last for 10 years in the wild, just like Sony's fancy PlayStation 2 did:
Speaking about the Xbox 360, Mattrick said that it "definitely has the potential to have a similar shelf life. [...] We're at a point now where we're eight years in, and there's more resources, more third-party support, more retail support and more consumer support. And it's very probable that this will be a longer life cycle."
As for this holiday's expectations, Don Mattrick believes they're going to withstand competition pretty well, "on a price-per-value basis" anyway: "On a price-per-value basis, I think we win [...] relative to Sony and Nintendo," Mattrick told MSNBC. "Of course, I'm biased, given the role that I'm in, but if I really think about it using my consumer instincts and the experience that I've had, this is the best blend of performance, price, online and games - by far [...] If you look at our quality ratings, there [are] more 85-plus rated games on Xbox 360, by a long shot, when you compare it with PlayStation 3 and Wii."
So, I guess it's Nintendo's turn to throw in some predictions, say 5 years life cycle for the Wii (is that a lot...?). The company's chief marketing officer, Reggie Fils Aime, should do a great job at showing an optimistic attitude towards the future, don't you think? What am I saying here? If there's a console making company out there that doesn't need to worry so much about the future, that company is Nintendo. They can't get enough Wiis on shelves for Christ's Sake!