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Microsoft: We understand European loyalty to Sony

GamesIndustryBiz writes: "In a short period that has seen Microsoft trumpet record sales figures in the UK and Europe, the company has told GamesIndustry.biz that it will continue to cater to the European market with regional specific content.

Head of Microsoft Game Studios Phil Spencer has even said that he understands the loyalty that European consumers have traditionally held for Sony products, and his team is working hard to create games that appeal to niche demands."

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Rowland - contributor
Published: 448 days 15 hours ago | Article | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 | Industry News

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blynx182 - 448 days 15 hours ago

1 - Great.

Now they're gonna have to say the same about the japanese.

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Kigmal - 448 days 8 hours ago

1.1 -

lol yet the Wii and the DS are outselling everything Sony makes in Japan. Nice ...

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RoidRage - 448 days 5 hours ago

1.2 -

Microsoft is doing a very good job with the cultural diversity of the 360's library. The Wii and PS3 libraries are Asian heavy, which is understandable considering they both are Japanese consoles. I think the 360 has a better cultural balance of good quality games regardless of your tastes. I'm so burnt out on Japanese games after 15 years of a Japanese dominant console market, the 360 feels like a breathe of fresh air.

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juuken - 448 days ago

1.3 - Kigmal

And Nintendo is beating both companies.

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titntin - 447 days 22 hours ago

1.4 - @ Kigmal

"@lol yet the Wii and the DS are outselling everything Sony makes in Japan. Nice ..."

Actually year to date figures show the psp as the top selling item in Japan this year... to date. I fully expect that to change when the DSi comes out, but at the moment, psp is Japans top dog..

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butterfinger - 448 days 14 hours ago

2 - Microsoft...

has done wonderfully in Europe, all things considered. It's a nice time to be an XBOX360 owner, because MS will do anything they can to beat out Sony, and this tends to lead to lower prices, better exclusives, and more special events on LIVE.

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DrWan - 448 days 13 hours ago

2.1 -

u guys always say exclusive and stuff, i just dont understand that. There is only a handful of games that's exclusive to the xbox360, the PS3 seems like it still has more exclusive.

When x360 take exclusive from PS3 it is still multiplatform so that really doesn't count, very confuse. Need to correct that mentality there. Sony to date, still has way more exclusive than X360 mainly due to first party studios of 1500 employees

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gano - 448 days 13 hours ago

2.2 -

Sad part is your willing to back a company willing to do anything,
and almost anything to beat another company instead of focusing on
making things work and perform better. You can't turn a whore into
housewife, but you can share with friends if you want to.

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STFUAJPG - 448 days 8 hours ago

2.3 -

@DrWan ._.

@Gano ._.

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RememberThe357 - 448 days 6 hours ago

2.4 - @gano

Well put. Bubbles my friend.

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RoidRage - 448 days 5 hours ago

2.5 -

You don't have to give him a bubble, he's doing a good job at giving them to himself.

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Sitdown - 447 days 22 hours ago

2.6 - @Gano

Ummm, correct me if I am wrong.....but if Microsoft is "willing to do anything and almost anything to beat another company"......would those efforts not also include "making things work and perform better"...so that you can change the perception of people and beat another company? So your statement is odd within itself, that is like saying a company is willing to do anything to win, but they are not going to do everything to win. And so what you are telling me is that a individual who was abused as a child and turned to whoring can never receive healing and learn to be a "house wife"? Yeah cliches sound good, but they are not always true....they can do some, by "focusing on making things work and perform better"?

@Dr Wan
I would like tto see the list of exclusivity.....and I am talking about games that are currently out, not future games.

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Serg - 447 days 22 hours ago

2.7 -

Microsofts primary goal has always been beating a company on a business level, that doesn't include customers, they don't care if you are happy with their product or not they just want you to buy it. The more elegant way would be offering more than the competition, MS just tries to shut down the competition leaving the customers no choice but to buy their product if they want to play on a console, in this case at least.

They have admitted so many times that the companys goal is making money above everything else, means if something doesn't make money, they will not offer it. Sonys free PSN, Home, that MusicVid thingy prove that Sony cares for their customers.

They have dropped the first Xbox because it stopped making money.

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Chuck Norris - 448 days 13 hours ago

3 -

"Investment in studios, investment in people on the ground creating games is critical to us succeeding in this market."

MS has lost some studios and will close another one next year. There was also a report saying that the Xbox division will stop hiring employees.

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STFUAJPG - 448 days 8 hours ago

3.1 -

They do invest a lot of money in third-party studios.
MS has never really focused on their own studios since it is cheaper to pay other studios to make games for them.

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Ogrekiller - 448 days 8 hours ago

4 - Good

Now destroy that loyalty. MUAHAAHAHAHAHAHAH

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That_Whore - 448 days 8 hours ago

5 - In other words..........

Start the DOOMS DAY MACHINE!.

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rebirthofcaos - 448 days 8 hours ago

6 -

to:STFUAJPG
Im trying to start a war. But I have basis.

yea right it is cheaper so let others create your games,well look at gears of war 1.2 that explaim with there is no upgrade on the graphics, ohhh yea and 50 million for the GTA 4 content. XD XD XD

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STFUAJPG - 448 days 7 hours ago

6.1 -

Gears 2 does look slightly better then Gears 1. At least that is what EPIC said. I don't understand what this has to do with my comment.
Yes MS did pay alot of the DLC for GTA IV. But they are pretty much guaranteed to make a profit on it.
IMO I would rather pay studios with experience making good games and/or have existing franchises that sell well and being pretty much guaranteed to make a profit on them.
I would not want to start a new studio were you could get delays that you have to pay for and you might not even know if your new IP will sell well. If it doesn't sell well you will lose a bunch of money.
Sorry for my bad English.

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TeeJay - 448 days 2 hours ago

6.2 -

I hate to break it to you "rebirth", but PS3 isn't putting out games that look any better than 360 games. I don't need a fanboy or suspect gaming media to tell me what I see everyday with my own two eyes.

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juuken - 448 days ago

6.3 -

I strongly disagree TeeJay.

The upcoming exclusives all say hi.

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7 rosebowl23 | 448 days 7 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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RememberThe357 - 448 days 6 hours ago

7.1 - oooooo

burn

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Sprud - 448 days 2 hours ago

7.2 -

If anything, it's Americans being loyal to the 360 (an American product). Europeans are impartial.

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MAGNUM-RAM - 448 days 7 hours ago

8 - exclusive studios & longevity creates loyalty.

being a multiplatform haven & only existing for 3 years. Being cheap &
imitating the trend setters. UnReliability & expensive necessary add-ons.
pay to play online & microsoft points.

All this adds up to a console that greedy, outdated & broken.
a scam. With the history of the first xbox its untrustworthy & very
temporary.

Gamers have had tradition with the pc, nintendo & playstation.
xbox360 has a identity crisis.
gamers only keep xbox360 alive because it makes the playstation work faster
& compete to outperform & lower its prices.
Its just a bargaining chip & good store credit.

Eventually when most people have a high definition lifestyle
which is this holiday season, people will want hd movies &
playstation back into thier lives since the machine is future
proof & rocksteady. All we want is the games not cross game
chat for a monthly bill.

Sorry if I hurt your feelings but xbox360 won't even have the usual 5 year console
switch. 2 more years of DVD? I don't think so. Im not buying another console for
another 8 years & I'm very happy with my hd lifestyle & the games I play on bluray
& psn.

Btw
you guys hear about the punisher game coming out on psn?
I'm looking for more news on the subject. Thanks.

P.s. If I made you feel like having a xbox360 is the dumbest thing you could
have then I apologize because I thought you all had a great tv & surround sound.
I know slot of you guys don't have the money to have the best yet so don't take this a$$
whooping personally.

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P4KY B - 448 days 5 hours ago

8.1 - "Im not buying another console for another 8 years "?

In 8 years mobile phones will have the power of a PS3.

The iphone is more powerful than a PS1!

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rukusa - 448 days 4 hours ago

9 -

I dont like the way he formulated that comment. It sounds as if he's either damage controlling or just trying to say that europeans are ignorant consumers.

Either way, Europe is looking to back the PS3 in the end.

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finley - 448 days 4 hours ago

10 -

Im from Germany and i think the biggest problem in my country is that the name Microsoft in Germany not very popular because microsoft windows (BlueScreen etc). Through the Ring of Death problems and a terrible noise throughout the course was not conducive for the image. On the other hand, Sony has just a very strong brand name with the Playstation. It stands for quality and future technology... and in the past for the best GameLineUp.

Im myself one of the biggest MS Fans, and the concept of the Xbox 360 is definitely one of the best. But the hardware quality is simply bad.

Furthermore, Microsoft does too little advertising!

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Captain Tuttle - 448 days 2 hours ago

11 - I don't understand the loyalty...

Sony treats Europe like crap in my opinion.

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Sprud - 448 days 1 hour ago

11.1 -

Why must it be loyalty when a product is selling more than another? Is it inconceivable that one of the products actually is the better deal for most people?

The only people having any reason to be loyal are the Americans to the 360, it being an american product and all. But that is totally out of the question right?

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Captain Tuttle - 448 days ago

11.2 -

All I'm saying is that Europe is Sony's #1 market and you guys get late releases, a gimped store and got a toned down console on release when compared to Asia and North America. You guys get less than consumers in other regions and you STILL buy the console in droves. I don't get it. I'm not saying that the 360 or Wii is a viable alternative either. As long as Europe keeps buying PS3's Sony has no reason to treat it's customers there any better. It seems the worst they treat Europe the more consoles they sell there.

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Patchstation 3 - 447 days 22 hours ago

11.3 -

I Agree

Sony has not take care the europeans...Sony is thriving on the sucess of the PS2 over there.

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PirateThom - 448 days 1 hour ago

12 -

The 360 might do better in Europe if all its best games weren't on PC.

That's just fact.

Too many PC gamers in Europe for the 360 to ever be considered a viable console. It might work in US to have PC/360 releases, but not Europe, where people will only buy consoles for games they can't get on PC. If the US had the same PC fanbase as Europe, the 360 would be dead.

Believe what you want:

Halo 3 will come to PC
BioShock came to PC the same day
Mass Effect came to PC
Gears of War came to PC
Gears of War 2 will come to PC
Fable 2 will come to PC.

Microsoft have no interest in console gaming, not when they canabalise their own market to just to shift more units. Europeans know that the games will come, which is why they can buy a PS3 knowing few of the first party games (outside of SOE) will come to PC.

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Jason Borg - 448 days ago

12.1 -

You don't know enough about the 360's game library to be making any kind of intelligient argument.

Kameo
Chromehounds
Dead Rising
Blue Dragon
Lost Odyssey
Crackdown
DOA
Ninja Gaiden
Infinite Undiscovery
Tales of Vespiria
Ace Combat: Fires of Liberation

And for the games that are also on PC. Why in the fvck would anyone spend $800+ on an unstable gaming platform like a PC, when 9 times out of 10, a better quality experience can be had for $200 laying on the couch playing on the 360? I think I know your answer, because you aren't a Mictosoft fan and you will look for any shred of an excuse to avoid enjoying one of their products. You comments are as stale as moldy bread.

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juuken - 448 days ago

12.2 - Jason

Try saying that to people who spend good money on their PC's to run a game like Crysis. I don't recall hearing about *anyone* spending $800 dollars for a PC.

If you can spend your money wisely for a PC and save up for those games, then I don't see why you would need a 360 in the first place. Most of those games on the 360 can't be called exclusives because most of them are on the PC.

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PirateThom - 447 days 20 hours ago

12.3 -

Jason, how many of those games are highly rated or system sellers?

None?

Maybe the RPGs in Japan?

But we're talking about Europe, people are already playing on PCs so you can pass it off as "WHO WANTS TO SPEND X AMOUNT ON A PC?", but they are spending x amount on PCs and PS3s! It's not about a better experience, it's that Microsoft don't offer any experience worth buying a 360 over a PS3 for, if you already have a PC.

And, for your information:

http://i38.tinypic.com/16k3...

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Jason Borg - 447 days 16 hours ago

12.4 - Whatever

You and Jukken both are wrong. I've heard all these same regurgitated excuses from PC and PS3 gamers for awhile now. The PS3 doesn't have any more non-PC exclusives than 360 does, so please stop lieing.

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PirateThom - 447 days 16 hours ago

12.5 -

Why would I have to make an excuse for Microsoft's sub-par sales in Europe? I think you have completely misunderstood what I'm saying here. I know I'm pro-Sony, I've never said I'm not, but I'm telling you why Europe does have a loyalty to Sony, it's because there's no other way to play Sony's games.

Look at Microsoft's big titles against Sony's, almost every single system seller for the 360 is on PC. None of Sony's system sellers are. This is free advice to Microsoft, if you want a viable console in Europe, you cannot have all your biggest games (the ones like Halo and Gears that are supposed to move systems, not games like Kameo and Ninja Gaiden that people would only buy because they have the console) on PC because of the huge PC userbase.

PlayStation is synonymous with console gaming in Europe and it's going to take more than a console with it's major "exclusive" titles on PC to change that.

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aggh im on fire - 448 days 1 hour ago

13 -

Sony treats Europe like crap but they buy into the name not the product. Europeans arnt so likely to look around for the best deal unlike americans and would rather buy into a brand than a product.
i live in the Uk and you only have to see all the chavs in there Nike and von dutch gear to realise there's a lot of sheep around.
Not saying the ps3 isnt a great product.. it is but even if a console which was better and cheaper and more reliable than a Sony machine appeared a lot of people still wouldn't buy it because it wouldn't have the name.

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juuken - 448 days 1 hour ago

14 -

If you truly understand the loyalty Microsoft, then you would fix your hardware problems and go beyond third party titles because I'm not sure if Europeans are fond of you...after Windows and other things as well.

My comments couldn't be further from the truth.

You can hit the disagree buttons for all I care because nothing can change what I said here.

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mariusmal - 447 days 23 hours ago

15 -

yeah and i dont understand how. sony juts craps all over us. ps2 emulation by software, ps store.... more expensive titles.

dont get me wrong i love ps3 and xbox 360, damn i even own both. but european consumers need to make sony feel that we need some love and that we aren't already won by psx and ps2 past

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titntin - 447 days 22 hours ago

15.1 -

People hated the trick MS pulled when they dropped the Xbox the moment they had a new machine to sell. Compare that to the fantatsic support the PS2 still receives.
Hardware issues are also a serious turn off for the consumer, and both these issues will ahve a huge effect for more casual consumers, though I understand its hard for core gamers that hang around on forums like these to understand that!

But MS are working hard to overturn that, and good luck to 'em! Certainly coming in at the price points they have, is an incredibly good first step, and getting the improved releiablity will also help.

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NickIni - 447 days 18 hours ago

16 -

I live in the UK, and the majority of the people I know own 360s, but that is changing. A lot of these people have bought a PS3 as well (myself included), and several people have owned PS3s from the beginning, partly because of the outstanding success of the PS2 over here. Sony are slowly, but surely, taking over the UK market.

It will be interesting to see what MS pull out of the bag to counter Sony, the price cuts are a bit desperate in my opinion, and don't really encourage 'veteran' 360 owners too stick with the Xbox. They need to pull something great out of the bag, that will keep their existing customers loyal.

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nizza - 447 days 17 hours ago

17 -

Ok, So europe is a Niche market now then? :/

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Xi - 447 days 17 hours ago

18 - Wrong post

my bad

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DavidMacDougall - 448 days 15 hours ago

1 - We understand European loyalty to Sony

BUT WE WILL GIVE YOU MONEY AND A T-SHIRT!!!

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Lord Shuhei Yoshida - 448 days 14 hours ago

1.1 -

Along with a toaster and a ham sandwich.

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That_Whore - 448 days 8 hours ago

1.2 - ....................

SOLD!!!!!!

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1.3 zimbo007 | 448 days 8 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

2 enjoi187 | 448 days 8 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

2.1 zimbo007 | 448 days 8 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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STFUAJPG - 448 days 8 hours ago

2.2 -

I don't think it will sell over 60m worldwide. I don't see how it sell over 100m. But I do think it might outsell the 360. It depends on how many consoles LBP will sell and how long the price cut will affect the 360.

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Ariexv - 448 days 8 hours ago

3 -

Poor Sony, and Poor zimbo007

Sony continues to get destroyed worldwide by the absolute devastating line-up of the 360, AAA exclusives like Gears of War, Left 4 Dead, Banjo, and Fable II that will become instant classics that will be played for years are about to release, meanwhile Poor PS3 owners are stuck w/ LBP a 2D platformer that belongs on the NES, Resistance a Mediocre FPS that was destroyed by Gears 1 and will be destroyed again by Gears 2.

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MAGNUM-RAM - 448 days 8 hours ago

4 - that's sensible.

people will say in the future, remember how good the xbox360 used to be?
yeah they had a good 2007 but then they phucked it up. They thought they could
just get cheap but all they ever had was gears & halo. They was charging people to rent
The console & WTF is a microsoftpoint?!

At least playstation took all the good parts about it & started the real - next - gen
games. The freaking bluray player is awesome too. Xbox never had that & they never got
better graphics than gears 1. Gears 2 sucked bad. Can you believe it?

Alright man peace out! There are some new psn games coming out today & I got plenty
room for them on my 500 terabyte hardrive. Sixaxix rocks! Who new it would make games
more fun & skillful? Anyhow, are you still up for the command & conquer mmo tonight?
500 vs. 500 players is crazy right?! I'm totally playing my role with my tanks. Okay see ya later!

PS3 robot jox
undisputed champion of the world

Xbox360 will not survive the nuclear winter.
Recalls, repairs, replacements & expired warranties.
Though xbox360 colors are a bit more vibrant for
multiplats who gives a rats a$$ about that?
These hd TVs have awesome settings that can make
any game your style with the push of a button.

I own you little biotches.

(waits as conversation shifts)

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STFUAJPG - 448 days 8 hours ago

4.1 -

lol. I love when people joke around like this.

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jerethdagryphon - 448 days 1 hour ago

4.2 - terabyte

i tihnk you mean 500 gigabyte as 500 terra bye would require a massive raid array

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4.3 GameDev | 447 days 20 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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