Xbox 360 is the “better option” for gamers

Microsoft’s Xbox chief has said the company was not surprised by last month’s PS3 price cuts and believes Sony “had to respond” to the console’s high entry point.

Last month Sony announced a raft of PS3 price cuts aimed at helping improve the console’s fortunes in Europe. The standard 60GB model, which is currently being phased out, was reduced from £425 to £349, while a new non-backwards compatible 40GB model was launched for £299.

Some analysts have said that the PS3 has suffered from its high price point at launch and that the new bundles would help Sony’s next-gen console gain ground on its rivals.

However, speaking to Pro-G in an exclusive interview to be published later this week, Chris Lewis, head of Xbox in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said that Sony’s PS3 price cuts would not affect Microsoft’s current strategy in the region and believes the manufacturer has “all the aces in the pack“.

Lewis said: “We’re not surprised that Sony made this move – the entry point was pretty high and I think they had to respond. For me this is more about content – I think we have all the aces in the pack here and I remain very confident!

“This announcement does not change our strategy, which is to offer gamers the best lineup ever in the history of videogames, paired with an amazing value-for-money console that provides amazing entertainment experiences for all gamers.”

Lewis added that he felt that the 360 was still the better value offering following the PS3 price cuts, despite Sony’s console, which comes with a Blu-ray player built in, being available for the same price as an Xbox 360 Elite in the UK.

“We have always given consumers choice – we feel this is always a better option for consumers rather than forcing them to buy something they might not want,” he said.

Check back soon for Pro-G’s exclusive interview with Chris Lewis in full.