UK Xbox and PlayStation bosses both claim pole position in next-gen battle

The UK bosses of Xbox and PlayStation have both claimed that their brands and hardware are in the driving seat as we head toward the incredibly exciting upcoming Q4.

Xbox fought back during Gamescom having finally nailed down its Xbox One message, and announced a FIFA 14 giveaway in a bid to boost pre-orders.

Yet Sony insists the momentum remains with PlayStation 4, as both platform holders gear up for a November showdown.

Any metric that you care to look at, we have it,” said SCEE boss Jim Ryan. Whether it is the pre-order number, or what the consumers are saying to us. We are not going to be complacent or arrogant about this – we have not sold a single one yet. However, we are in good shape.”

But Xbox Euro boss Chris Lewis insists it is Microsoft that’s in the enviable position, and that the battle between the firms is good for games.

Good, strong, healthy competition creates so much more of a vibrant environment,” he said. It pushes the quality bar up for everything – your marketing, the approach to your consumers, the games themselves. And that’s great for retail.

This Christmas we will be locking horns with PlayStation, of course we will, you’d expect that, but I think the ultimate beneficiary of that will be the consumer. It is a great time. That said, I wouldn’t trade places with anyone. We are in an enviable position.”