Former Xbox executive calls Xbox 360 vs. PS3 console war a race to sell 10 million units

The era of console wars seems to have arrived Nearing the endBut one of its key figures, Peter Moore, who led the effort during the launch of the Xbox 360, is sharing memories of his time on the gaming frontline. When it comes to the Xbox 360 competing against the PlayStation 3, Moore said 10 million is the magic number – “You have this flywheel effect… (If) your buddies on campus have one, you better have one too.”

talking european playersMoore explained that getting the Xbox 360 to market before the PS3 was key to its strong performance, saying that sales of the first 10 million units were crucial. “I think it's really important to get it out there first,” Moore said. “Going forward, gaining momentum, targeting 10 million installs, I think that's going to give us an amazing advantage no matter how Sony catches up.”

He explains that having an install base of 10 million creates a network effect where a sense of social pressure can drive sales – “If you don't come to school, or don't go to college the next day, or even come to work and say we played Halo or whatever, you suddenly feel like you don't fit in and you're left out.”

The Xbox 360 did eventually beat the PS3, selling 10 million units, a fact that was celebrated with a celebratory event. Microsoft 2008 press release. While the PS3 ultimately sold just a few million more than the 360 ​​did, many gamers still consider the Xbox 360 to be the winner of this generation — that is, unless you consider the runaway success of the Nintendo Wii.

Moore became one of the key figures in the early days of the console wars after being hired by Microsoft specifically to help the company compete with Sony's dominance of the console space. Moore even Said before He encouraged his team to come up with the idea of ​​a console war, saying it would help foster healthy competition with Sony.

During the interview, Moore also discussed the importance of Microsoft establishing Xbox as a strong independent brand at a time when Microsoft was viewed as a “nerdy” company that belonged in the office rather than the living room. Moore was a key figure in this brand shift, and he was notorious for making game announcements in-game. tattoo on his bodysaid part of his role was “a little disrespectful.”

By 2025, many in the industry believe the console wars are effectively over, as Microsoft finally brings the last of its previously exclusive first-party franchises to PlayStation Halo: Campaign Evolved. this PS5 recently outsold Xbox 360meaning every PlayStation console has officially outsold every Xbox console, but the end of the console wars is still far from clear. Xbox remains a strong gaming brand and looks to continue to dominate the software side of the industry, with a number of industry-leading products largest developer It is now included under its umbrella.