GTA exclusivity won't help X360 beat PS3, says Sony exec

SCEA executive Jack Tretton has declared that the PS3 will come out on top in the next-gen console battle - despite the fact that GTA4 is coming to Xbox 360 too.

In an interview with TheStreet.com, Tretton said: "I don't think the battle would be any different with or without Grand Theft Auto.

"If you look at our first-party library and the franchises that we've brought to market over the course of PlayStation 2, we have a very formidable first-party library of exclusive software that will help define us."

Tretton also believes that PS3 sales won't be affected by the Xbox 360's 12 month head start, stating: "At the end of the day, what you do in the first year, and whether you do 6 or 10 million units, does not determine whether you're successful or not.

"We've never been first to market in any generation. We weren't first when we debuted the original PlayStation. We weren't first with PlayStation 2. It ultimately came down to the system and what consumers preferred."

Tretton reckons they'll end up selling more than 50 million PS3s in North America, and more than 100 million worldwide. However, he admitted that Sony is still working on "reaching out to the consumers to try to explain what our platform's all about and why you're going to want one."