Sony to MS: Stop Copying Us

Kaz Hirai says he'd like to see Microsoft try something of its own design at some point.

Sony and Microsoft have been positioning their new game consoles to directly compete for the game time of the same people. Both systems concentrate on bringing previously impossible graphical quality (in theory anyway) to the masses, which inevitably leads to some overlap. Ask Kaz Hirai, the head of PlayStation in America, and he'll tell you exactly how he feels about the situation.

Kaz Hirai enjoying something original at E3

"We seem to [be taking the exact same path]," Hirai told US magazine PSM, via QJ.net. "Every time we go down a path, we look behind and they're right there - we just can't shake these guys."

"I wish that they would come up with some strategies of their own, but they seem to be going down the path of everything we do. If you look at their strategy in other business areas as well, they tend to do that."

The catty remarks didn't stop there. Hirai also had a few shots to take at Microsoft's handling of high-definition DVDs.

While Sony is ramming a Blu-ray drive into every PlayStation 3 (and passing the cost along to you in the process), Microsoft is being more cautious, giving you the option of picking up an external drive that plays movies in the HD DVD flavour - the other competing format.

"And the other thing is," Hirai told PSM, "you take a look at, for example, the fact that we incorporate the Blu-ray drive from day one. You're not going to be asking me, 'So, talk to me about this Blu-ray add-on that you have. Does it work for games? Is it just for movies?' That's exactly the kind of pitfall you fall into if you launch something that's too early, too premature."

Sony and Microsoft have been baiting each other in the press ever since last month's Electronic Entertainment Expo, where Sony dropped its bombshell pricing strategy for the PlayStation 3.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games