There’s nothing like some fighting words to kick off your Monday. Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division, shot some words at Sony about how superior Xbox Live is in comparison to the PlayStation Network.
In the LA Times interview, Bach was asked if he’s worried about Sony’s upcoming revamp of its PlayStation Network and if it’ll affect Xbox Live’s user base. Bach flat-out replied that Microsoft has no competition.
"It’s fair to say that Xbox Live is clearly head and shoulders above anything anyone else has tried to do. We don’t have competition. Sony has done some things online, but nothing that can be called a service. We have a big advantage and we’re going to keep pressing that advantage."
Bach also touted the success and popularity of Xbox Live over the PlayStation Network; Xbox Live has over 8 million subscribers while PlayStation Network only has around 3 million subscribers.
"Perhaps the most important thing we have is over 8 million passionate members who create and define what Xbox Live is. It’s a tough thing to create, and we’re going to continue to nurture it."
In the end folks, if you have a successful product, you’re entitled to flaunt it.
But the situation of the "tortise and the hare" scenario should cause Microsoft to be more wary of its bluster. It was not so long ago that Microsoft wrote off Nintendo as even being a serious contender in the console competition.
And as we all know now, the tables have been completely turned around. So is the PlayStation Network really a threat to Xbox Live? No…not yet.
[additional reporting by Frank Ling]
