Microsoft exec Shane Kim loves Nintendo, thinks PS3 Blu-ray player is a handicap

Microsoft corporate VP Shane Kim loves Nintendo. Sony, on the other hand, seems to be a different matter altogether. Read more from Shane Kim after the jump.

Microsoft corporate VP Shane Kim loves Nintendo. Sony, on the other hand, seems to be a different matter altogether.

During the recent Play conference at the University of California at BerkeleyÂ’s Haas School of Business, Kim said that it never pays to bash the big N as it has managed to broaden the gaming audience with games like Wii Fit.

“I can tell you how that conversation goes at Microsoft. They say, ‘I donÂ’t think thatÂ’s a game,'” he said. “But the guy at Nintendo says, ‘I donÂ’t care. IÂ’m selling a whole bunch of that stuff.'”

Kim also said that Nintendo is showing Microsoft what it needs to do. I guess one thing Microsoft learned is that avatars can be a big hit. That’s one of the new features that the New Xbox Experience will bring to Xbox 360 owners on launch day, November 19. His take on the NXE? “God willing, it will work.”

As for Sony, Kim said that the costs of the PS3’s Blu-ray player has given Sony a handicap in the console wars. Digital downloading of movies to the Xbox 360 would likely prove more important than Blu-ray in the long run, he added.

The spirit of oneupmanship also came to the fore at one point. Asked how long Microsoft plans to keep making Xbox 360s, Shane said, “One day longer than the lifespan of the PlayStation 3.” So, ten years and a day then?

• New Xbox Experience speed tests: HDD vs DVD
• Blu-ray format still the loser this holiday because of economy

Via VentureBeat