Microsoft has Hollywood on its side

If Microsoft‘s own tally is to be believed, the total number of Xbox 360 units sold worldwide are already nearing the 11 million mark. Regardless of the actual numbers, Microsoft had a one year head start and rival companies will need to work doubly hard just to catch up.

Should you ask Corporate VP Peter Moore regarding their unbridled success, he will gladly point to the fans and, interestingly, Hollywood. According to him, the movie industry has done nothing but improve the popularity of their console. After all, it was Bill Gates himself who has always been big on connectivity. Moore explained:

From the launch of Xbox 360, Hollywood studios like Warner Bros., Paramount and Universal all provided us with exclusive windows for their HD movie trailers for films. We’re looking for innovative ways in which to interact with our demographic, which is primarily the 16- to 34-year-old male, which tends to be an elusive demographic for Hollywood right now.

Also, Moore couldn’t help but comment on Sony‘s strategy and his disapproval of it. He maintained that Blu-Ray is indeed a good format (and a worthy opponent if he may add) but it wouldn’t be enough to drive next generation sales. According to the Vice President:

We did not want to burden the box with a high-definition movie format that would not be of interest to a great majority of our consumers early on. We’re finding the DVD-9 format to be quite adequate to delivering game experiences. We have to do that with content that’s applicable to a broader market and interfaces that are less intimidating than the current controller.

Via Reuters

If Microsoft‘s own tally is to be believed, the total number of Xbox 360 units sold worldwide are already nearing the 11 million mark. Regardless of the actual numbers, Microsoft had a one year head start and rival companies will need to work doubly hard just to catch up.

Should you ask Corporate VP Peter Moore regarding their unbridled success, he will gladly point to the fans and, interestingly, Hollywood. According to him, the movie industry has done nothing but improve the popularity of their console. After all, it was Bill Gates himself who has always been big on connectivity. Moore explained:

From the launch of Xbox 360, Hollywood studios like Warner Bros., Paramount and Universal all provided us with exclusive windows for their HD movie trailers for films. We’re looking for innovative ways in which to interact with our demographic, which is primarily the 16- to 34-year-old male, which tends to be an elusive demographic for Hollywood right now.

Also, Moore couldn’t help but comment on Sony‘s strategy and his disapproval of it. He maintained that Blu-Ray is indeed a good format (and a worthy opponent if he may add) but it wouldn’t be enough to drive next generation sales. According to the Vice President:

We did not want to burden the box with a high-definition movie format that would not be of interest to a great majority of our consumers early on. We’re finding the DVD-9 format to be quite adequate to delivering game experiences. We have to do that with content that’s applicable to a broader market and interfaces that are less intimidating than the current controller.

Via Reuters