MS hints at decline in third-party PS3 support

Believes the Xbox 360's expanding lead in North America and Europe will give third-party benefits.

Speaking to Kotaku Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg, Director of Product Management for Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE, has suggested the Xbox 360 has now gained such a significant lead over the PlayStation 3 that third-parties will no longer feel they need to support the Sony platform.

"I think what we'll see is, as a result of how 2008 shaped up - the fact that we had our biggest year in history and we're now expanding our lead over the PS3 in a global basis - we went into 2008 with a solid lead over PS3 in North America, but Europe was a much closer race. Now, we're really expanding our lead there," said Greenberg. "We've become, by far, the lead global platform for third parties. I think you'll see us getting some benefits from that."

He added: "Historically, third parties would give us great support and lead developed on our platform, but they would say "In Europe, we have to still support the PS3" but now that that has switched, I think you'll see us get some benefits from that."

While Microsoft isn't announcing its 2009 Xbox 360 line-up just yet, Greenberg noted that the company will most definitely be innovating.

"We absolutely have a lot of innovation, we have new first and third-party games coming out this holiday that we have not announced yet. We'll probably wait until later in the year to talk about those," he explained.

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what do you think, could third parties make less games for ps3 in 2009?

i dont agree with that at all, 3rd party support will continue on ps3 in 2009

does anyone know how many 3rd party games were released on each console in 2008, in exclusives?

Greenberg is seriously getting on my nerves now. He's extremely arrogant if he thinks an 8.5 million console lead is going to lead to a decline in third party support for the PS3.

I don't know if that is going to happen, but I do know one thing... Lately, Aaron Greenberg / Microsoft are in full assault mode, trying to paint the image of 360 dominating PS3 in the minds of the public.

This guy has been talking left and right these past few weeks....and an eight million lead isn´t something I´d call a "safety zone" that 3rd parties should completely abandon the PS3.

pfft as if companies would stop making games for ps3 when there is money to be made... thats like saying developers shouldnt make games for a system that has sold nearly 20million lol

More likely Microsoft to abandon x360 than 3rd party to abandon PS3

It's not only adressing the demand side (public) but also the supply-side (developpers). Developpers are also sensitive to such declarations.


New projects are likely to be better invested or even exclusively invested on the 360. Not only the install base is greater but MS's support is incomparable with that of Sony. Plus : the 360 benefits from the segment of customers with the highest willingness to pay.


Hopefully, the recent generalization of multi-plat strategies by developpers might end the natural monopolistic tendency of the video game market. And as the 360 "only" leads by 1/4 in the HD segment, Sony should still have enough support.

yup. Third parties seem to get a lot of revenue coming in from PS3 software sales, or is EA the exception not the rule? Why should they ignore that lovely money at this time of economic crisis?

perhaps Mr. Greendude should just back off a bit before comparisons start being drawn between his arrogance and that of Sony's at the start of this gen.

Microsoft are playing dirty. Honestly, Sony releases ONE chart, and Microsoft basically says the PS3 is a failure that will never sell or get any games.

Im waiting for this one: "We are setting aside X $$$ to help ease the transition of the gaming community in case the PS3 is withdrawn"

Seriously all it requires is moving a few billion from one account to another and labeling it the "PS3 user rescue fund" or something. Its SO dirty, but that doesn't stop me from waiting for them to say it.

Though another way to look at it, reading between the lines is this: "We bough a crapload of exclusives from third parties, but we haven't announced them yet."