It’s now widely known that the Xbox One is lagging behind the Playstation 4, and one of Xbox’s biggest names had weighed in on just why he thinks there’s a 3 million consoles gap in sales.
Is the Xbox 360 so good that people just don’t want to make the jump to Xbox One?
In an interview with Forbes, Yusuf Mehdi, Xbox’s chief marketing and strategy officer, has given a number of possible reasons for the Xbox One sales difficulties.
Undoubtedly the most controversial is Mehdi’s suggestion that the PS4 is selling better because PS3 owners just aren’t as happy with their console.
“People have been more satisfied with the Xbox 360 than the PS3, so in that respect people have less of a need to upgrade in the short term due to regular updates for the Xbox 360,”
Whether or not this is the case can be debated, but it’s surely a bold statement and one that’s likely to leave many fans in uproar.
More Conventional Explanations
Mehdi did offer some more conventional reasons why the Xbox One might be suffering, including the reduced number of territories with access to the Xbox One:
“[Sony are] in many more markets right now than we are. They’re in 40+ markets, we’re in 13.”
With the Xbox One set to launch in Japan and more European countries this September, this could change the console’s fortunes, though Japan has always been more receptive to Nintendo and Sony, and a tougher market for Microsoft.
One of the most continuous claims has been that the Xbox One is simply too expensive. Microsoft’s recent announcement that a Kinect-less Xbox One will be launching in June for $399 or £349 depending on your territory, will hopefully satisfy some fans unhappy with the price.
Medhi felt that this move will be hugely successful for Microsoft:
“I do think we’re going to get people now who move over, and then buy the Kinect later. So I do think the [price point] broadens the appeal and hopefully brings more people to Xbox One sooner.”
What do you think of Medhi’s suggestions? Is the Xbox 360 so superior that owners just don’t feel the need to upgrade, or is one of the other factors more significant in keeping the Xbox One behind? Let us know in the comments below!
