Jack Tretton runs Sony Computer Entertainment America. Jack Tretton wants Activision CEO Bobby Kotick to know this fact, and has made it clear in an interview with the San Jose Mercury News.
Recently, Kotick said of the Playstation 3 and the XBox 360, "In the next 24 months they all will need to be at that $199 price point…" in order to be competitive in the hardware market.
Tretton has responded to that comment directly; here’s a snippet from the interview in question:
Q: And what did you think of Bobby Kotick’s comments at this conference, where he said that Microsoft and Sony really ought to get on board with the lower price and maybe by next year go down to $199 if they really want to compete with the Wii.
A: Well, I think from an unrealistic standpoint, I’m never surprised by that, because a software manufacturer may not be concerned whether a hardware manufacturer is successful or whether they’re profitable. But I think they should be, because without the hardware manufacturer, the software manufacturer has nothing to publish on. But, you know, I’m surprised by it, because I would never venture to suggest what software publishers should price their software at. So I don’t think it’s appropriate for them to suggest what hardware should be priced at.
Q: I guess what he’s calling for is maybe a more nimble reaction to the Wii’s success.
A: I don’t know, maybe he should design a platform.
You tell him, Jack.
