Xbox 360 will outperform PS3 in software for years - Mattrick

By Tom Bramwell Published 24 July, 2008

He jokes Sony must've been on holiday.

Xbox 360 software will outperform PS3 software in the next three years and beyond, according to Microsoft's Don Mattrick.

"I think we're going to outperform them," Mattrick told Eurogamer in an interview published today when we asked whether the Xbox 360 business could stand up to Sony's threat to dominate in the next few years of the PS3 lifecycle.

When we asked to clarify if he meant Xbox 360's next three or four years of software will outperform PS3's, and that PS3 will be unable to make up the ground, he replied: "That's what I said."

Mattrick famously hung the Microsoft's E3 press conference on the claim that Xbox 360 will defeat PS3 worldwide in this generation of consoles and told Eurogamer that he came out and said it because he was fed up of being asked about it.

"I did the math, I did the math a different way, I did the math...there was no equation that I came to where I got a different answer, and I went, 'You know what? This is getting boring,'" he said. "Like, instead of everyone standing on the sidelines trying to hedge, I'm just going to say it."

"We're the first box in this generation to pass 10 million units, we've passed so many thresholds in terms of quality titles," he explained.

"You look at aggregated reviews from around the world - you go onto Metacritic - and count the number of 90-rated titles on our platform, compare that to Wii, compare that to PlayStation 3: there is no comparison."

Microsoft's conference was fast-paced and heavier in terms of news and product demonstrations than its Sony and Nintendo counterparts, and Mattrick praised his team for being able to reveal so much.

"I think our team showed up for work every day, had more than 12 months of productivity, and it kind of feels like the competition took an extended holiday and didn't get as much done as a result," he said.

"I hope the other guys got some great pictures when they were away on vacation," he added a couple of questions later.

See elsewhere on Eurogamer for the full E3 2008 Don Mattrick interview.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (43) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Widge #1 4 years ago

    oh christ, console executive day on EG!

  • Laika #2 4 years ago

    Really, really couldn't care less about console wars.

  • spammage #3 4 years ago

    Bothered.

  • knocker #4 4 years ago

    He sounds like the whiniest cock ever.

  • chris_ace #5 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 11:55:13 13-12-2011

  • CannonAnBall #6 4 years ago

    zzzzzzzz

  • thats_all_folks #7 4 years ago

    XBOX MAN THINKS XBOX IS BEST!

  • skillian #8 4 years ago

    One day everyone will be sick of all this. I wonder how far away that day is.

  • MKorkia #9 4 years ago

    Xbox-man speaks to Microsoft shareholders. PS3-man speaks to Sony shareholders. Nintendo-man doesn't have to speak at all.

    These little announcements about "our console being best" are not for us gamers but for money men.

  • TheNinkyNonk #10 4 years ago

    I agree with him about the quality of software: Xbox IS biggest and best. But this argument is OLD!

  • Hughes. #11 4 years ago

    The cherry picking of stats to find upsides is getting pretty desperate.

  • MaxiSleep #12 4 years ago

    The cherry picking of stats to find upsides is getting pretty desperate.

    For sony :)

  • MORZTAN #13 4 years ago

    Oh, so now they are competing with Wii again?

    Until we start talking about hardware sales...

    My God I like the smell of bullshit in the afternoon.

  • Doctor_What #14 4 years ago

    Let's lock them all in a room with hungry badgers. When we open the door a week later, we will know who the true victor is. This must be done, if only for the sake of shutting these guys the hell up.

  • Beek4257 #15 4 years ago

    @blig_merk
    "Matter of fact, the Wii was the first to pass 10 million in the US, not the 360.

    So OMFG MICROSOFT AM DEH LIARZ!!!LOLOLOLOLOL"

    Just to keep it fair, Mattrick didn't say 10 million in the US.

    Doesn't make it any of this less blegh, tough
    Edited by 2 at 24/07/08 @ 12:19

  • skillian #16 4 years ago

    When we open the door a week later, we will know who the true victor is.

    The badgers? We can but hope.

  • Mr_Brown #17 4 years ago

    PSpwn3d

  • Ghost_Dog #18 4 years ago

    I cant believe this! Xbox man didn't say his product was worse than the Sony mans product. What next...?

    The chances of passing 10 million quicker than your competition is greater when your console has been on the market longer.

  • UltimateWarrior #19 4 years ago

    Fair play to the guy. I'm sick of people sitting on the fence about stuff nowadays. You might not agree with him but at least he's actually saying something. The one I hate the most is when some football pundit comments on a brilliant player or the best goal of the season and says that's as good as any goal I've seen this year. What the fuck does that say. Nothing. Too many people are too scared to say anything of note nowadays.

  • Moonprince #20 4 years ago

    Dudes fking ugly

  • nuffmon #21 4 years ago

    I can really see these comments coming back to haunt him.

  • knocker #22 4 years ago

    Surely it's possible to say "something of note" without it coming across as a hysterical hyperactive stream of shit.

  • Rash' #23 4 years ago

    ""I think our team showed up for work every day, had more than 12 months of productivity, and it kind of feels like the competition took an extended holiday and didn't get as much done as a result," he said.

    "I hope the other guys got some great pictures when they were away on vacation," he added a couple of questions later"

    An absolute, utterly disrespectful prick.

  • spekkeh #24 4 years ago

    I very much doubt it. 360 sales are seriously stalling. Microsoft is still winning from PS3 because of the greater installbase. Personally, I'm more interested in buying the PS3 right now, because the really great games a newcomer would of missed are multiplatform (GTA, Bioshock), the Playstation has MGS4, and you won't buy a console that's being replaced in one and a half year or so.
    I didn't expect this a year ago, but in the long run the PS3 might catch up with the 360.

  • SeesThroughAll #25 4 years ago

    @ Rash' :

    That arrogant attitude (along with actual faulty products) is what led me into boycotting MS for the last couple of years.

  • polar #26 4 years ago

    @ bling_merk

    You're completely ignoring the fact that Microsoft as a whole has made enourmous profits over the years. They're stillmaking Billions in profit every year and so can easily absorb further price cuts if they want. The 360 is only a small part of their overall business.

    Sony on the other hand are much more reliant on their games business, because unlike Microsoft their core business (consumer electronics remember) has seen a huge downturn in profits in recent years.

    That MS exec is a cock though - it's a pity Peter Moore left as he was the only videogame exec who seems to talk sense.

  • Beek4257 #27 4 years ago

    Oy, again with the salesfigures.

    Don Mattrick is spreading across these posts like a T-virus.

  • Teamallstar #28 4 years ago

    Who cares about who wins...

    All I care about is that the 360 is better in just about every way. I own a PS3 and find it to be frustrating and not as user friendly. Sick and tired of the installs and loading of updates.

    Sony really dropped the ball this generation. It is amazing how many PS3 fanboys just don't realise how good the 360 actually is. Nevermind.

  • Rash' #29 4 years ago

    SeesThroughAll, Agreed. I did want to get it at first but held out for PS3 because I "fell for Sony's lies". Can't say I'm disappointed other than the fact that online MS, by default, offer the better service. But then in the three year's that 360's been out most of it's consumers will have spent the £425 I spent on PS3 for 360 and it's online features, so it even's itself out. And of course how many of those Xbox's have multiple accounts? Each account is another £30-40 odd in MS's pocket through online subscriptions. Then we have the grey area of extortionate charge for add ons... some necessary and some that didn't have to be.
    Edited by 1 at 24/07/08 @ 14:06

  • SeesThroughAll #30 4 years ago

    Well, farticusmaximus. It's true, they're BOTH arrogant. No damage control here.

    I won't deny shite. In fact, feel free to look back and you'll find me being critical of Sony's exec speak. I was really disappointed when they decided to drop BC. But hey, since my hardware still has it, it doesn't affect me that much in the end.

    Though losing market share is finally talking some sense into Sony execs thick skulls, I'll tell you that.

    As for the company as a whole, most other products I find myself not caring that much about. Stuff such CD-R and DVD-R I tried theirs and found them not so good. Same with Memory Sticks, the best manufacturer of those is SanDisk. TVs? I'm not likely to invest on a new Sony TV in a while (my old Black Trinitron here still works fine though, I'll give you that).

    What I find bloody rich is going to the extent of insulting the competition's employees like this cunt here did in the interview. It's fucking disrespectful. It doesn't surprise me that much though, it's on par with filth that came out of Ballmer's mouth over the years.

  • actionfitz #31 4 years ago

    i couldn't give two fucks about all this sabre ratling tbh.
    If I could manage it I'd own all the consoles anyway - as much as I like its concept and its gimmicky games, I rarely ever have my Wii turned on...
    PS3 is too expensive for me with a rather lacklustre software line up (in my own personal view - not trying to bait the trolls here)...
    I dont like microsoft much as a company, but right now their Box suits my needs and tastes.
    If in the next year Sonys kit meets my requirements more then I'll happily splurge out for one.

    to the freaks that evangelise over their loyalty to company brands - wise the fuck up...

    The rest of us are Fans of great games regardless of platforms.

  • Beek4257 #32 4 years ago

    Dudes..., really ...

  • Darren #33 4 years ago

    I'm a 360 owner but, by God, Don Mattrick really does get on my nerves. Mind you I say the same for Sony too. It really is tedious all this willy waving both companies do week in, week out. Like anyone really cares, all we really care about are that there are games to play on both platforms, anything else is irrelevant.

  • SeesThroughAll #34 4 years ago

    @ Darren: Amen.

  • Chonk #35 4 years ago

    The Atari Jaguar did the math, look what happened to that...

  • cyber_nicco #36 4 years ago

    You know, it's Eurogamer that's doing this to all of us. They pit us against each other in these console wars and reap the benefits with their precious page hits...

    The revolution starts... NOW!

  • messiahtj #37 4 years ago

    "Xbox 360 will outperform PS3 in software for years".........yeah, 2008 for example.....360 will have Gears of War 2 and...and...mult...multi...multiplatform games......and......errr.......MICROSOFT WILL OUTPERFORM PS3 IN SOFTWARE FOR YEARS!!!!

  • darc #38 4 years ago

    Oy the armchair business analysis amazes me. The amount of thought some of us put into the business plans of companies we have no stake in... you're likely working harder than the people that get paid to think about these things.

    Never mind all that - does anybody else thinks it's weird that EG posts a news item to report that they've posted the same news item a few inches to the left??
    Edited by 2 at 24/07/08 @ 18:25

  • drumbaby #39 4 years ago

    And people slag off Reeves. This mattrick (small 'm') guy seems a babbling toilet hound, and a petulant one at that.

  • stallion185 #40 4 years ago

    All the exec's can say whatever they like as far as I am concerned as it doesn't really affect me as a gamer in the slightest. Sure it might be annoying to read but hey, my job is annoying and I still live with that.

    But when one of them actually insults the staff of the competition, that is just ridiculous. Its petty and insanely immature. I still can't beleive he actually said it.

  • dave.k #41 4 years ago

    Great, he did the math. Now he should publish the math; put it up for peer review.

    I personally think that it's unpredictable. It only takes a few slip-ups, and suddenly the competition is on top of you. That's a great thing. It means they have to concentrate hard on doing quality work. It means we all benefit from better software.

    Now if only Sony will release Home already. There is such a thing as trying to be too perfect.

  • ODB_Mongoose #42 4 years ago

    Eurogamer should stop publishing this utter nonsense unjournalistic articles...
    The very fact we're reacting to this article means it keeps on being worth publishing them.
    So in a sense, our own fault.
    Unless you have difficulties getting some news on the homepage...please stop this shite.

    Just like the Xbox and PS3 pic shootouts every week...jezus man, pleeeaase give us some journalism and dont treat us like kids...

  • djcool3005 #43 4 years ago

    What grades did he get in maths?? I think the PS3 will start to outperform the 360 in software. Once the true potential of the PS3 hardware is reached, the software for the ps3 will dick all over the 360. As much as I like my 360 I really do think the PS3's better hardware will shine through and leave the 360 in the dark.