No. Because opinion on a competitor's price is a buisness opinion, and its a statement that he made on the record. Mind games or not, its has a real effect on Sony. None of this is criminal, asserting that anyone is saying that is a red herring, but it is unethical. Granted, ethics is inherently subjective, but the very fact that Spencer has to talk about PS4's price instead of his own console, shows worry. And from a PR standpoint, its pre-emptive damage in the ongoing PR battle that he is expecting to lose in the holidays.

It might be a shady way of doing things, but shit like this happens all the time.

Anyway Im done with this topic. Even I find this discussion too ridiculous...

So what he said is not unethical. What's the fuss about then? Because he's Phil?
Who ultimately arbitrates the price of PS4 on the market is Sony and they already announced it for Asia. It's innevitable that they will lower the price for holidays in the West.

Damn MS shook about a $300 PS4 lol.

That's assuming people reading Phil's articles don't own a PS4 or X1 already. The bigger audience couldn't care less about what the xbox, nintendo or playstation boss say

Wait a minute, I said ethics are subjective, not that its not unethical. And I add that it is damaging to speculate as a business competitor like that. Doesn't matter how inevitable it might seem. His jumping the gun now puts the impetus on Sony to say something. If Sony, doesn't then it looks bad on them.

It didn't matter if anyone else asked because they are just spectators, they don't have a vested intrested like Spencer does, who directly benefits from it.

The only reason your dismissing it is because its Phil, he gets a free pass right? Its not like he's the boss of a gaming division and should know better.

PR is buisness, money, trying to dimiss it is either naive or disingenous.

I don't think Spencer is being unethical, I just think that the poor guy is completely lost in all the PR crap he is feeding people and really doesn't know what to say anymore.
It could be that the PR advisor that writes his statements is absent or on sick-leave, or that he misplaced a couple of que cards from the marketing department.

Basically, he was supposed to say: "Look, PS4 is more expensive than XOne and is still kicking our ass, outselling us 3:1. That is why we will announce a price cut for XOne this holiday season, we expect them to do so, and we know that unless we are at least $50 cheaper and give free blockbuster games as well we have no chance of competing, and we will get our asses kicked again and again and again. But, Halo! Right, guys, Halo!? HALO?! Please buy Halo, we promise multiplayer will work this time around" Halooooo"
Sadly, he misplaced that page written by his PR staff.

The reason I don't give him the benefit of the doubt, is because I don't believe he became the boss of Xbox being this tactless in what he says. Look at who he replaced.

He didn't have to say anything.

Every single time Spencer says something, many people say oh he's for the gamers or oh he didn't mean that. As goatseye, says he's a gamer, but that isn't something special or whatever, many of the executives running things are gamers too.

He's a buisnessman. By making this statement, he's placing scrutiny on Sony and deflecting the issues with his own crap. Unethical or not, Sony's buisness decisions aren't his jurisdiction, even to speculate on. Had it been Pachter or something, that would've been fine, because that's his job.

I like Phil Spencer, don't think he's doing anything outside his duties.

Even if we assume that Phil is trying to confuse potential PS4 buyers I fail to see what's so evil or unethical about it? It would just be some harmless PR talk.