Microsoft Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Yusuf Mehdi explains why the PS4 has outsold the Xbox One so far, and also claims that Xbox 360 users have “less need” to upgrade to next-gen since they’re more satisfied with the Xbox 360 than the PS3.
Quick show of hands, who among you bought both a PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 before the current-gen (PS4 and Xbox One) started? Were you more satisfied with the Xbox 360 than the PS3? Apparently, people with an Xbox 360 are more satisfied with their purchase than those who bought a PS3 — at least according to Microsoft Marketing and Strategy Officer Yusuf Medhi. Speaking to Forbes regarding the Xbox One’s recent Kinect-less SKU, Medhi was asked about the PS4’s sales gap over the Xbox One, and if the exec thinks this can be attributed to the PS4 costing less. Medhi claims it’s mostly due to the PS4 being more available worldwide, and because Xbox 360 users are more satisfied with their consoles, so they feel less of a need to upgrade.
It’s hard to really assess the gap in sales. They’re in many more markets right now than we are. They’re in 40+ markets, we’re in 13. People have been more satisfied with the Xbox 360 than the PS3, so in that respect people have less of a need to upgrade in the short term due to regular updates for the Xbox 360. We could point to any number of things. That said, we’ve heard from a lot of our Xbox fans who say, “Hey look, I want an Xbox One, but at $499, I probably have to wait a little while before I can afford to get one.” I do think we’re going to get people now who move over, and then buy the Kinect later. So I do think the [price point] broadens the appeal and hopefully brings more people to Xbox One sooner.
Elsewhere in the interview, Medhi was also asked what he thought of Kinect moving forward, and whether it lived up to its potential.
The way I look at it is that you should take a five year vision. I think in five years, we will laugh at any computing device you can’t walk up to and talk to. Voice is going to be there for all devices. We’re a pioneer with Kinect in the living room. And it’s not just voice, and it’s voice and biometric ID. The ability to pioneer that, and with the success we’ve had so far with five million people, it’s remarkable. We feel great about it. And look, we’re going to learn a lot, and our partners are going to learn a lot, and our customers are going to learn a lot, and we’re going to continue to shape it. But I think we’re breaking a lot of new ground and we’re delighted with the progress.
In related Xbox One news, just the other day, Medhi commented that the Xbox One could potentially be more powerful without the Kinect, since the processing power the peripheral needed can be diverted towards games instead. Also of note, if you’re one of the many that bought an Xbox One at launch, don’t expect any freebies from Microsoft for being a loyal customer anytime soon.
For those who own both a PS3 and Xbox 360, which console are you more satisfied with? And do you agree with Medhi’s explanation that the reason the PS4 is outselling the Xbox One is due to it being released in more markets?
Source: Forbes
