Former Microsoft exec. says it launched Xbox "to stop Sony"

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The original Xbox console was released in 2001, but it is hasn't been known why Microsoft wanted to join in on the games industry in the first place, until now. A former Microsoft executive who recently wrote a book that slammed Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer, says in a recent interview that the main reason they went into the game console industry was to "take down" their rival, Sony.

Sources report that during an interview with former Microsoft VP Joachim Kempin, he stated: "The main reason was to stop Sony. You see, Sony and Microsoft... they never had a very friendly relationship, okay?"

Although Microsoft apparently wanted to partner up with Sony, Sony always seemed to keep Microsoft at arm's length. When Sony launched the first Playstation, Joachim said that "Microsoft just looked at that and said 'well, we have to beat them, so let’s do our own.'"

He also claims that while he worked at Microsoft, he went to its PC OEM partners and asked them to make the first Xbox. He said "The guys were smart enough not to bite, because they studied the Sony model and saw that Sony could not make money on that hardware model, ever." Microsoft didn't want to to copy Sony's business model for the Xbox; make the hardware themselves, sell it at a loss and make it up with game royalties.


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"Former Microsoft exec. says it launched Xbox "to stop Sony"" :: Login/Create an Account :: 115 comments

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SOGPosted:

HaloUK
Mucus Microsoft is winning the great console war


They sure are :)


At the moment, wait till the next-gen releases.

HaloUKPosted:

Mucus Microsoft is winning the great console war


They sure are :)

ChugJugPosted:

Compliance
Mucus Microsoft is winning the great console war


yeah, they are.


I like Sony tvs tho

PGAPosted:

Zwrq
Compliance That's funny, they launched it to stop Sony and now they are gaming console competitors.


I think MS is winning...


Yeah, that is what i think, IMO.

PGAPosted:

Mucus Microsoft is winning the great console war


yeah, they are.

ChugJugPosted:

Microsoft is winning the great console war

imgurPosted:

Compliance That's funny, they launched it to stop Sony and now they are gaming console competitors.


I think MS is winning...

imgurPosted:

NGT Fight fight fight .......


That's what it seems like.

ChugJugPosted:

Fight fight fight .......

PGAPosted:

That's funny, they launched it to stop Sony and now they are gaming console competitors.