Sony’s revealed that while it might be keeping an eye on the competition, it’s more concerned with achieving profitability than trumping Microsoft’s Xbox 360 in the on-going console war.
Speaking with IndustryGamers, Scott McCarthy, PlayStation’s software senior brand manager, commented:
“So do we pass Xbox 360? At the moment, I think we’re trying to just keep up with inventory and trying to move as many units as we can through the channel. It’s also one of those things where, do we notice what Microsoft is doing? Obviously, they are our competition. But is it like we surpass Microsoft or we fail? No.”
“Our goal is to be profitable and we’re going to achieve that this year and do even better next year,” said McCarthy.
Indeed, it seems Sony has taken a leaf out of Nintendo’s book in this respect, with McCarthy stating the console maker would be perfectly chuffed if it were to simply remain profitable. Nonetheless, he conceded that catching up with Xbox 360 would be a nice bonus.
“That’s been Nintendo’s position for years. We have a very aggressive plan this year. And when we’re profitable we’re happy. If we happen to close the gap with Microsoft in the meantime, then that’s good too," he said.
From the look of things PS3 certainly has a shot at closing the gap with its leading rival, with Sony’s flagship console having moved 47.9 million units globally since its launch in November 2006. Meanwhile, Xbox 360 has moved 50 million consoles to date, and launched a year earlier than PS3.