Microsoft exec dismisses PS3, Wii launches

Xbox Europe marketing head questions competitors' launch plans, hints at surprises to counter their new console debuts.

Richard Teversham

Xbox Europe head of marketing Richard Teversham doesn't know if Nintendo and Sony will be able to launch their new systems across the pond this year, but he said Microsoft has a few surprises at the ready if they do, according to an article on the Web site of British industry publication MCV.

Teversham apparently told the magazine he doesn't know if either the PlayStation 3 or the Wii will make it to European shelves this year and "accused Sony of abusing its fan base to sell PS3s at £425" [MCV's words, not necessarily Teversham's]. And even if the systems do make their 2006 European launch dates, Teversham questioned what kind of supply they would be in. He suggested a Sony launch would come with "tiny quantities" of the system, and that the supply of Wiis might be outstripped by consumer demand.

Even if they do launch on time and without shortages, Teversham suggested Microsoft would be ready with a counter. But contrary to recent speculation, it won't be a price drop.

"I don't want to reveal any plans at the moment because we want to keep a number of surprises up our sleeve," he told the magazine. "We will ensure we are good value, and we'll do that through having a variety of pricing on games, a variety of pricing on console offers."

Earlier this month, rumors began circulating about a planned Xbox 360 bundle that will come with an Xbox 360, Project Gotham Racing 3, 1,250 Xbox Live Marketplace points, and a three-month Xbox Live Gold subscription card. The $399 bundle would presumably include the premium Xbox 360 model, in which case it would offer a savings of $85 over buying the contents separately.

351 Comments

  • Ace_WondersX

    Posted Aug 1, 2006 12:53 am PT

    lhardwick692, I'm tired of these stupid Sony Fanboys, can you kill yourself and all the people you just mentioned. oldschoolplayer, I thank you for saying a reasonable argument for your opinion, even though i disagree a little bit.

  • lhardwick692

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 6:39 pm PT

    the funny thing is this--everyone i know of that has a xbox360--which is 3 including myself--are going to trade in or sell our 360s to buy a ps3-and people i chat to online talk about doing the same thing so all i know is when the storm comes and the damage is done---ps3 will reign supreme-then the wii then the 360 will be last

  • i_love_my_ds

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 3:46 pm PT

    all I know is that im gonna buy a wii this holiday season

  • Xanimekid7_21

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 2:26 pm PT

    hi Jermwarfare

  • Jermwarfare

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 1:25 pm PT

    "....and $400 is a lot cheaper than $500 isn't it? pshh.....it's not. PS3 can be purchased for $500. "

    and the 360 can be purchased for $300 genious.you can play all the numbers games you want but the ps3 is $200 more than the 360.

  • Jimminyfixit

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 12:54 pm PT

    My opinion is that the PS2 was slower than the xbox, but does that mean that it was worse or had worse games?
    So the 360 is gonna be slower than the PS3, but this doesn't necessarily mean that is going to be worse to play or have worse games.
    It doesn't matter which console you play because the graphics are better than any PC you can buy or build for the same money, plus not all games will be on the PC such as COD3.
    And a message to the kids, mummy and daddy work hard for your console so just be grateful :-)

  • Zkeptik

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 12:15 pm PT

    Yeah, Europe really gets reamed. When they get clear consoles it's only because they ran out of paint at the manufacturers.

    Poor E.U.

  • sigma8

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 10:48 am PT

    Their surprise has to be price drops. Europe wouldn't get any "surprising" Xbox 360 stuff before the US. Maybe a purple Xbox 360. Or see-through.

  • dgroundwater

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 10:22 am PT

    LOL he should know about console shortages!

  • sainraja

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 10:04 am PT

    "gamefreak-the most expensive 360 is $400 not $500."

    ....and $400 is a lot cheaper than $500 isn't it? pshh.....it's not. PS3 can be purchased for $500.

  • elvoltage

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 9:16 am PT

    That surprise that microsoft has can be Halo 3 and there just being quiet about it.

  • delilahspawn

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 9:00 am PT

    yeah, games have to be innovative and immersive, but that doesn't mean that the games need to include motion sensor technology. we were fine playing our favorite games before ever hearing about upcoming features. i suppose you would want the motion sensitive controls to be mario, who is fat and the ploy of kids and fanboys who can't grow.

  • G-Unique

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 8:06 am PT

    The Wii kicks ass. Think about it. First and formost, the gameplay. They've got a load of support unlike the gamecube, plus innovative motion-sensitive controls. Playing games using a million-and-one buttons isn't how it should be. Using the actual movement of what you're doing is so much more natural and immersive, as well as the rumble-pak(not in PS3) and the speaker in the controller. The games are awesome, and look frickin' good despite the power of the other two consoles. When you play PS2 or Xbox you only think it looks crap because you're comparing it to 360/PS3. Project Gotham on Xbox, anyone? The Wii still pumps out something mean with technology more powerful than the Xbox. Look at super mario galaxy - that looks like a 360 game (minus the HD.) Speaking of HD, to buy the others you're going to have to fork out even more dosh on a tv to play the system. So you've got the PS3 = $600. Add in a HD tv = $200. Maybe a game or two? 2 Games = $100 - $120. Nearly a $1000. You (Your parents) seriously gonna fork out that much money for a console? Even if you've got HD, it's still gonna cost loads. Oh, and another thing. The other consoles are just competing again. You heard about the game industry getting ever smaller? Who's the only developer trying to open it back up? NINTENDO. Case closed.





  • jayme22

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 7:57 am PT

    playstation abusing its fan base? i dont know about you guys but when the x-box 360 launched they were 700 odd quid in the GAME stores in the uk

  • oldschoolplayer

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 6:35 am PT

    Microsoft needs to steal the "sports gamer". If microsoft can put out sports games that will be equal to the PS3 yet sell the console cheaper they will steal some of Sony's Thunder. They did nothing to gain these customers with Madden 06 and made steps in the right direction with NCAA Football 07. There are really two types of gamers out there. One's that play all sorts of games and One's that play mostly sports games with the occasional shooter game. I have yet to decide on which console I am getting but I am leaning towards the PS3 right now. Microsoft can win the adult gamer over if they play their cards right. Maybe Madden 07 will be the game that does this.

  • YPRikku

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 5:59 am PT

    What happens when everyone is totally bankrupt?

  • kelkimble2k4

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 8:20 pm PT

    No matter what MS does on the launch date of PS3 it can never beat it.
    PS3 will keep selling no matter what.

  • Jermwarfare

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 7:53 pm PT

    gamefreak-the most expensive 360 is $400 not $500.

  • AlbertWesker316

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 7:37 pm PT

    elzacharychi said
    Microsoft has always been mostly talk.



    Now u must not know anything about the gaming industry,or ur an ignorant sony fanboy.If u think microsoft talks alot of crap,just look at sony when they were releasing the ps2,and now there doing the same with the ps3,at least microsoft is trying to deliver.Does any one remember the ps2 promise?Toy Story like graphics for gameplay.What about the ps3 being a computer,come on sony talks the most crap out of both microsoft and nintendo combined!

  • Rocketstmac001

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 6:17 pm PT

    i really gatta say, who the hell cares which system is better. they all have kick ass games. i luv call of duty 2, graw, n3 etc so i luv my 360. ps3 has FF, tekken, and all those jpns games. nd Wii has its nintendo line up. THEY R ALL GOOD. SO STOP COMPLAINING.

  • elzacharychi

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 5:49 pm PT

    I agree with the guy before me. PS3 isn't that much more expensive then Xbox360. However it is that much better. Comon guys, HD frigging video games. The console is gonna blow people away. Resistance: Fall Of Man looks amazing. And it's a launch title. PS3 is gonna be a blast from the start. There launch titles (which I consider every game coming out before the new year) are all insane in the membrane. Microsoft has always been mostly talk, and Nintendo is holding on the its original fans and is trying to make a big deal about its motion control. Does anyone think they'll actually be able to play hours on edge with motion control, cuz i wouldn't.

  • gamefreak5590

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 5:30 pm PT

    ppl should stop only talking about the 600 price for ps3 just like xbox there are 2 500 and 600 and the lower costing ps3 which has the same price as the higher costing xbox360 (500),ps3 has more/better features...as long as ps3 doesn't have glitches xbox360 is going down wii wont be able to do by itself mainly cause that system has mainly e rated games and for new gamers so its like in another category so ppl will buy wwi and (ps3 or xbox360) for the holidays my guess is wii and ps3 and xbox360 will sit on the shelfs because of the problems it had(wait it still does) so basicly ps3 and xbox360 will compete and like i said as long as it doesn''t have problems like 360 it will sell cause the word will get around the ps3 is better just like the word got around that xbox360 had glitches i remember like the day or two after every1 was talkin about it....neway (ps3) also the games are better sony should realease more playstation only launch titles like final fantasy socom mgs4(which it is already doing)...btw i own a 360 i wish halo woulda been a ps game ..lol... so i woulda have no reason for xbox and its problems.....btw there is no telling halo3 will not have glitches even though they had more time since ps3 was bein ralease later in da year.....its kinda funny that they are going to try to shut ps3 down with halo3...i dunno how that will work since metal gear solid 4 is just as anticipated or more then halo3....will get ps3 n my lil brother will get wii so it'll be like i have it ...lol

    BTw some ppl say 4get about the system its the games that matter.... but the games performance greatly depends on the perfoirmance capability of the system ....some of ppl i don understand ppl where so mad about how long it takes to load now ps3 comes out with the technology n you dont want it ...that makes no sense

  • Jermwarfare

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 5:28 pm PT

    "K1LLSWITCH
    Will Microsoft have the same variety of games as the Playstation brand? Will they ever have a selection of games like Sony? Doubt it. So how will they trip up Sony's PS3 launch, more features? That won't cut it. Sony won't fall that easily as most of you think. "

    what are you talking about?how many exclusives does sony have?is it more than xbox has?the vast majority of 3rd party games will be on both systems.i would guess that well over 90% of games on one system will also be on the other.....nintendo has no exclusives that interest me and sony only has SOCOM and Killzone that i might be interested in.

  • ilikeschool

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 4:50 pm PT

    Mkeegs79, are you serious when you say the PS3 is cheap? Holy hell how much of a fanboy are you? $600 is cheap for you..or I mean your parents. You can get a 360 and a Wii for one PS3, and all the games are gonna be the same just like on PS2, weird Japanese fantasy RPGs. Sorry man not my style. And the graphics don't look any better than any Xbox 360 game, cept maybe Gun.

  • Doeshza

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 3:25 pm PT

    Im a 35 year old old school gamer. I played many game systems from the past that didnt have games with the best graphics(vectrex, intellivision, atari, commodore 64,etc) but gameplay for the games i had made the games fun.i still am a playstation fan, but my friend's xbox made me buy my own xbox. the xbox360 is a good system for the price. you have to have a really high end computer to better the graphics. i have a 480p and a 1080i tv. 3 of my friends/neighbors bought xbox360s when they saw all the games on my tv. I just cant see the ps3 being that dramatically different graphic wise from xbox, sony is lucky they have japan's market. im probably goin to buy a wii, but i probably wont buy a ps3 up front. if i played dvds and video games all on one console, im just overworkin the console. im gonna burn it out faster. i always kept my dvd playin separate from the consoles. God of War is the schitt, but the one game that would make almost want to pay 600 bucks for the ps3 is if they announce Shadow of Colussus 2.

  • Mkeegs79

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 2:55 pm PT

    Microsoft should worry. They are doing horrible in Japan and when Wii and PS3 is released there it will be EVEN worse! Also success in Japan has an impact elsewhere. PS3 is already cheap unless your poor and dont know what quality is. Games of course is what matter and PS3 has enough to hold there own.

    Microsoft your doing better and I like the 360 but there is still is a very long road ahead. I give more credit to Sony's PS3. Yeah, its expensive but new tech costs. Great approach with the Wii but graphics to a point matter.

  • K1LLSWITCH

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 1:27 pm PT

    Will Microsoft have the same variety of games as the Playstation brand? Will they ever have a selection of games like Sony? Doubt it. So how will they trip up Sony's PS3 launch, more features? That won't cut it. Sony won't fall that easily as most of you think.

  • Jermwarfare

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 1:00 pm PT

    im going to skip over all of the "-insert system here-sucks cuz it dont have this game","wii rules cuz its all about the gameplay",and "blu-ray owns cuz it holds more electronic stuff".......

    "As for the MS fanboys, yes your system is out, yes your games look pretty, but not as pretty as the PC equivalents, and they dont PLAY any better than the other console versions, yet you happily pay almost twice as much for your games."

    i dont consider myself an ms fanboy but your way off here.you obviously havent played GRAW or COD2 or many other games out for the 360 and the "current gen" consoles because they are nothing unlike,they dont play the same,look the same,or have the same scope or features.

    play GRAW on xbox and GRAW on 360 and tell me they are anything alike,or COD2 on 360 and big red one on xbox.the only games that seem to be just as good[or better] as far as gameplay on the old systems are some launch titles[for 360] that are basically just ports and some EA sports titles which still look better on the 360[which i already know isnt as important as the gameplay before i start being called a graphics whore].

    you wont see anything close to GRAW[360],Oblivion,PGR3,COD2,Prey,......on any current gen system.

  • vonkemp

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 12:30 pm PT

    PS3 launch titles suck, and the wii is so different it shouldnt be in the same category as the other systems (dont get me wrong it is going to be awesome)
    The fact is i love sony but they are going to lose to microsoft. Almost all the good games for PS3 are going on 360. But as long MGS4 is on PS3 Im buying one

  • Wysper

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 12:18 pm PT

    I dont care who makes the console, just need more "10" rated games. Spiderman, GTA, Gods of War, Star Wars, LoTR, and others great games is what makes us happy in the end.

    I have not bought the Xbox 360 yet because there is not a good selection of games for it yet and I dont see M$ pushing the devs for anymore soon.

  • ilikeschool

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 12:07 pm PT

    Ok IronJihad I have to say this. I am a Microsoft fanboy, but it is because as a 18 year old high school senior and working for minimum wage, I can't afford all of the consoles. I would buy them all if I had the money, but I don't. I plan on getting a Wii at the end of the year, but not a PS3. The reason I like Xbox 360 is because of Live, and the exclusives do suck right now, but Gears of War is coming out, Saints Row, Halo 3, Mass Effect. The only game on PS3 that kind of interests me is MGS4. But that is just my opinion, and hey, if you don't like thats cool man, but don't be saying like I am a fanboy of good games, not good consoles when you can actually afford all three consoles.

  • Volgin_1

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 12:07 pm PT

    Microsoft still have not convinced me that xbox 360 is the way to go. It's going to take more then stupid marketing ploys to get me to buy a mediocre console.

  • JimRune

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 11:32 am PT

    What is with these people saying Blu-ray isn't any better than DVD? Blu-ray has enough space to put an entire game on there UNCOMPRESSED. Know what this means? FASTER LOADING TIMES. Plus, Blu-ray discs are UNSCRATCHABLE. Look up "Durabis" on Wikipedia.

  • Manchildshafes

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 10:26 am PT

    And they say Sony is cocky

  • crills

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 8:38 am PT

    iron jihad your rite the wii is not out but t bet you the games wiil be better ms dont got nothing but galo and ninja gaiden 2 every thing else sucks prey didnt do nothing and i just played the staints row demo its trash gta wanna be all ps3 and x box 360 have to give you is hd man the game plays wack so ill be silent now and wait till the wii comes out real gamers wiil go were the game plays at we dont care about hd blu ray and all that stuff we want good games wat ever happened to turning on your system and playing games now they want it to do every thing i geuss thats why they cost so much they need to focus on fun like back in the play not how many ploygons on screen who cares

  • wenbin09

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 7:43 am PT

    the surprises keep me wondering... looks interesting too..

  • Cardigan1

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 7:15 am PT

    sorry redavuts but the first gaming console was the brown box.

  • Shuzen

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 6:20 am PT

    When thw Wii and PS3 come out XBOX360 is going down

  • Fiskmasen

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 3:55 am PT

    IronJihad... thank you! =D
    I was getting a bit worried that there actually weren't any other sane person on this site. ^^
    Thanks for proving that there atleast is one more! =)

  • IronJihad

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 3:31 am PT

    All the rampant fanboyism here is making me ill, but regardless, sony fanboys and nintendo fanboys have no ground to stand on, as your machines are not available, we have not got our hands on your games, so all you are spewing is unproven garbage, hot air and whatever sony and nintendo want you say. As for the MS fanboys, yes your system is out, yes your games look pretty, but not as pretty as the PC equivalents, and they dont PLAY any better than the other console versions, yet you happily pay almost twice as much for your games. your exclusives at the moment, well, they SUCK. the future may be different, but until then, SILENCE.
    yes your machine is powerful, and it has potential, but the same can be said for the other machines. At the moment the game library is dire, so would all fanboys, please, for the sake of sanity, STFU.

    just so you know, i currently own all available machines, so i'm a fanboy of GOOD GAMES, not the damn system they run on.

  • REDAVUTS

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 2:10 am PT

    Game space is a thing of the past. Procedural synthesis is proof of that . Only true hardcore gamers even know what that is(first system was the Atari 800XL).

  • Dantes_Monkey

    Posted Jul 30, 2006 12:42 am PT

    sony claim to be aiming for 6 million shipped by the beginning of next year...and also everyone will buy them as even the bartender who i didn't thin played games has already pre-ordered one off of pla.com. M$ hasn't made use of the advantage it had and is likely going to have to pay for it.

  • lageasy311

    Posted Jul 29, 2006 11:38 pm PT

    NEver have I seen a board more filled with fanboys trying to shove thier opinions down each other's throats. Would it really matter which one comes in last or first? What kind of bragging rights does this acheive? Unless you actually own stock in any of these comopany's buy what you want and don't care. I'm sure Nintendo fans dont' care one bit that their system sold dead last, so what would it really matter if Sony is last this time around? Nothing will change.......

  • YEPEE00

    Posted Jul 29, 2006 8:28 pm PT

    i hope the ps3, has more then small quantities

  • XtremePhsyco

    Posted Jul 29, 2006 6:22 pm PT

    haha does that mean that if sony and nintendo dont do anything good, 360 people dont get to see th surprises?
    and im hoping its a wii/ps3 like controller is one of the surprises.

  • chikahiro94

    Posted Jul 29, 2006 6:08 pm PT

    @Jermwarfare

    Yeah, the classic graphics/gameplay arguement has a few unwritten rules and understandings to it. Sadly, those insights are usually lost on the "l33t tru g@m3r" crowd and "I was playing games since the Atari 2600" snobs.

    One argument I've been making for a number of years now, and in some ways the DS (and the Wii) is a complete validation of, is that the hardcore gamers aren't as important to the industry like they used to be. Nintendo is banking on two systems with limited (initial) hardcore appeal. They've got old favorites, they're aiming at casual gamers and non-gamers, and more than a few of the hardcore turned their nose up. And that's fine.

    Hardcore gamers (and even fanboys) are good for starting hype, generating excitement, stuff like that. But the average gamer isn't going to care unless Madden is on it (Dreamcast, anyone?). GTA started off on the PC, and the hardcore got all excited by GTA3. But who bought the game in droves? Casual, regular gamers. Final Fantasy VII? Ditto. We're outnumbered by them, pure and simple. Ultima Online and EQ combined with Warcraft eventually lead to World of Warcraft - massive hit with who? Casual gamers. The change here, to me, is that Nintendo is making a system that from the get go is admitting, "Hey, we're here for the non-l33t." Sony and Microsoft won't openly admit it with the PS3 and 360, but they know the casual gamer is where the money is. The next few years will be about getting as much hype on the hardcore side that it affects the decisions of the casual gamers - the PS3 has name recognition there, the 360 has a price advantage. Nintendo is skipping a step and going straight for them.

    Yes, we're being bypassed, but (at our worst) we're fussy gourmets as far as gaming goes - we'll tear a game to pieces over little things, deride peoples tastes if they like something else, and get jaded very quickly. After a new high-water mark is reached we're not pleased by anything less; we'll spit on a perfectly good game because it doesn't match up to our favorite or its "on the wrong system." I'm glad I'm not a developer or a console maker - with an audiance like us, I'd skip us too.

  • brettneo3012

    Posted Jul 29, 2006 5:52 pm PT

    Ok...Everyone just settle down here... lol Do we really care what a bunch of exec think? Most of all do we really care about graphics? Gameplay is the key. Like thats what games are meant for to play. How many people have played a Celecovision? And the graphics it had.. But the gameplay was what it was meant for. So think about it...360 and Ps3 are very focused on the graphics.. Wii is not. Wii is meant for gameplay.. And mostly gameplay... And Prices? Well... If you look at the rising economy, People are going to want something thats not going to be there paycheck for 2 weeks... 360 isnt bad for their price... Ps3 is so wrapped up in graphics.. They really forgot price... Nintendo Wii.... They wanted something cheap enough so regular people could afford it. Also when you really think... When a parent is going to buy their child video game system.. And lets say the childs 10.. There going to go with the Nintendo Wii... Why? Really look at the games.. Would you really like your child playing Halo? Grand Theft Auto? Other very violent games? And yes.. sellers of video games wont sell them that.. But than... You've got a video game system thats going to sit, not played..And for the games it does have... There all going to be beaten.. So its going to sit...But with the Nintendo Wii... Well Nintendo has so many "E" rated games that their system isnt going to sit...

  • brettneo3012

    Posted Jul 29, 2006 5:52 pm PT

    Ok...Everyone just settle down here... lol Do we really care what a bunch of exec think? Most of all do we really care about graphics? Gameplay is the key. Like thats what games are meant for to play. How many people have played a Celecovision? And the graphics it had.. But the gameplay was what it was meant for. So think about it...360 and Ps3 are very focused on the graphics.. Wii is not. Wii is meant for gameplay.. And mostly gameplay... And Prices? Well... If you look at the rising economy, People are going to want something thats not going to be there paycheck for 2 weeks... 360 isnt bad for their price... Ps3 is so wrapped up in graphics.. They really forgot price... Nintendo Wii.... They wanted something cheap enough so regular people could afford it. Also when you really think... When a parent is going to buy their child video game system.. And lets say the childs 10.. There going to go with the Nintendo Wii... Why? Really look at the games.. Would you really like your child playing Halo? Grand Theft Auto? Other very violent games? And yes.. sellers of video games wont sell them that.. But than... You've got a video game system thats going to sit, not played..And for the games it does have... There all going to be beaten.. So its going to sit...But with the Nintendo Wii... Well Nintendo has so many "E" rated games that their system isnt going to sit...

  • killergun

    Posted Jul 29, 2006 4:29 pm PT

    I can't believe anyone buys into this "console war" crap. It's just a way for all the execs to try to get free advertising from the mouths of fanboys. I have a 360 and love it, but I can't afford to spend $600 on a PS3, regardless of whatever disc format it has. And I do agree that Sony overprices a lot of their stuff ($250 for a PSP) and they may have trouble getting a PS3 to sell when the Wii will be so affordable and the 360 has several million units already sold. I'm looking forward to seeing how Sony fares without the head start they had last generation, but don't let fanboys and executive trash talk influence your decision of which system to buy.

  • Limonadi

    Posted Jul 29, 2006 3:42 pm PT

    thats awesome!

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