XBL’s Greenberg: PS3 online is “yet another knockoff”

During a Gamers’ Day press event in San Francisco, Sony finally showed the public a few features that their PlayStation Network will have; video streaming from PS3 to PSP, downloading games directly to the PS3’s hard drive, etc.

Naturally, this drew a huge crowd, and we think it’s safe to say that Microsoft engineers were probably part of this crowd and tuned in too. So, after the whole PS Network shindig, Gamespot thought it would be interesting to hear what Xbox Live’s group marketing manager Aaron Greenberg had to say about Sony’s PlayStation Network and its features.

The interview also touches on what Greenberg thinks this could mean for Xbox Live, now that Sony’s PlayStation Network looks like it’s shaping up to be a really worthy adversary of Microsoft’s XBL. First, Gamespot asked Greenberg what his impressions were of Sony’s online initiative, and here’s the console-wars-inducing reply: “We’re proud that we’ve created a smash hit service that has prevailed over four years by growing to 4 million members during that time. And we’re flattered that we’ve created a service that is breeding yet another knockoff.”

Tsk tsk tsk. But before fanboys start swarming our site, Greenberg pulls back a bit by saying that it’s still too early to comment on what the PS Network has to offer because there are still a lot of questions left unanswered like (and we quote): “Is this a fully connected service with one identity across your entire gameplay experience? Is every game online with voice chat integration? Do they have Achievements and Gamerscore? How are they handling safety, security, hacking, viruses, and parental controls?”

In addition, Greenberg said that they welcome competition but at this point, they’re sure that XBL will continue to thrive and the fact that they have a four-year AND four-million member subscription headstart keeps them confident in the continuing success of XBL. Gamespot also fished for info on the fall update, whether there are plans for a bigger hard drive, as well as backward-compatibility updates for XBL.

Oh, and here’s another kicker, when asked how Microsoft will justify charging their users for games when the PlayStation Network will offer FREE downloads, here’s what Greenberg had to say: “There is so much more for gamers to experience on Xbox Live and so little new news in Sony’s online announcements. Heck, do they have exclusive titles that can compete with Halo 3, Gears of War, Geometry Wars, Next Splinter Cell, Halo Wars, and exclusive episodic content for Grand Theft Auto IV that you won’t be playing on the PS3?”

Also, Gamespot prods Greenberg on whether there are plans for integrating Web browsing functionality into XBL since the PlayStation Network will have this and Nintendo seems to be moving in the same direction with the Wii. The interview tackles a whole lot more, so if you’re interested in reading all about it (as we know you guys are), simply click on the read link below to see the full interview. We’ll keep you posted for more.

During a Gamers’ Day press event in San Francisco, Sony finally showed the public a few features that their PlayStation Network will have; video streaming from PS3 to PSP, downloading games directly to the PS3’s hard drive, etc.

Naturally, this drew a huge crowd, and we think it’s safe to say that Microsoft engineers were probably part of this crowd and tuned in too. So, after the whole PS Network shindig, Gamespot thought it would be interesting to hear what Xbox Live’s group marketing manager Aaron Greenberg had to say about Sony’s PlayStation Network and its features.

The interview also touches on what Greenberg thinks this could mean for Xbox Live, now that Sony’s PlayStation Network looks like it’s shaping up to be a really worthy adversary of Microsoft’s XBL. First, Gamespot asked Greenberg what his impressions were of Sony’s online initiative, and here’s the console-wars-inducing reply: “We’re proud that we’ve created a smash hit service that has prevailed over four years by growing to 4 million members during that time. And we’re flattered that we’ve created a service that is breeding yet another knockoff.”

Tsk tsk tsk. But before fanboys start swarming our site, Greenberg pulls back a bit by saying that it’s still too early to comment on what the PS Network has to offer because there are still a lot of questions left unanswered like (and we quote): “Is this a fully connected service with one identity across your entire gameplay experience? Is every game online with voice chat integration? Do they have Achievements and Gamerscore? How are they handling safety, security, hacking, viruses, and parental controls?”

In addition, Greenberg said that they welcome competition but at this point, they’re sure that XBL will continue to thrive and the fact that they have a four-year AND four-million member subscription headstart keeps them confident in the continuing success of XBL. Gamespot also fished for info on the fall update, whether there are plans for a bigger hard drive, as well as backward-compatibility updates for XBL.

Oh, and here’s another kicker, when asked how Microsoft will justify charging their users for games when the PlayStation Network will offer FREE downloads, here’s what Greenberg had to say: “There is so much more for gamers to experience on Xbox Live and so little new news in Sony’s online announcements. Heck, do they have exclusive titles that can compete with Halo 3, Gears of War, Geometry Wars, Next Splinter Cell, Halo Wars, and exclusive episodic content for Grand Theft Auto IV that you won’t be playing on the PS3?”

Also, Gamespot prods Greenberg on whether there are plans for integrating Web browsing functionality into XBL since the PlayStation Network will have this and Nintendo seems to be moving in the same direction with the Wii. The interview tackles a whole lot more, so if you’re interested in reading all about it (as we know you guys are), simply click on the read link below to see the full interview. We’ll keep you posted for more.