I'm guessing he's only thought about it as far as "i like xbox".

I'm sure if it was that big of a deal then there would probably be a law against it, but since there isn't I can only assume that it isn't that big of a deal. I mean why does it matter if one company pokes fun about another? As long as it isn't malicious that is. 

Because as a consumer it gives you choices.

It is malicious, that's the point. Companies know no boundries as profits are all that matter. The law is here to regulate in such situations.

The lack of a law against in the US does not mean it's no big deal. It means your law makers are weak against the almighty lobbyists. I'm glad the EU is much more in balance.

Thanks for the response. Being a capitalistic American I might disagree with you , but talking politics online isn't really for me.

Well, laws don't tell the whole story on whether anything is a bid deal, it's illegal to be gay in a few African countries and here in Sweden, you're allowed to have sex with animals. Some countries or states allow the death penalty etc, in many nations you are allowed to sell your children into marriage.

Just because there isn't a specific national law prohibiting something, doesn't mean it's a healthy practice for you and me or in general. And you still failed to answer my actual question; how is cynical advertising a good thing for consumers like you and me?

Don't get me wrong; the actual ad isn't the issue for me here, I just find it to be an interesting point of view, reminds me of the whole ethics section in the UNITY thread (advertisement aimed at children is illegal in most of Europe but no one in the US seems to care that it happens). Regional differences are a fact, no doubt, I just wonder why people consider these good things or non-issues.

I'm just wondering what MS could possibly do with the PS3s afterwards? Do they keep em to play, do they destroy them, reverse engineer them. Let them rot? Sell them on the black market.

Re-read the bolded and then read your response again. Huge conglomerates dominating a market yields a very specific and observable lack of choice for the consumer, this is more or less markets and trade 101.

The provider(s) of goods and/or services decide(s) your choices, fewer acting competitors in any given market = less choice for the consumer. You're going to have to expand on your reasoning here because I really can't follow your logic here at all.

What's malicious about MS saying trade in your PS3 for 100 credit towards a Xbox One? Also I agree our lawmakers are spinless pigs, but I could probably guess a good amount of the lawmakers in the EU are the same way. 

..Simmer that ass down