Microsoft: PlayStation business is heading south

Microsoft mouthpiece Aaron Greenberg has taken another opportunity to attack Sony's PlayStation 3 business, suggesting the console is "haemorrhaging" at retail.

Speaking to Gamasutra, Greenberg said that PlayStation 2 owners are graduating to the Xbox 360 rather than adopting the new PlayStation 3.

"You can't underestimate that we're half the price of the PS3 at a time when consumers were looking for great value," said Greenberg following the latest NPD sales results for February.

"The PS3 was down in February two per cent even with the launch of Killzone 2 - that's months of year-over-year declines," he claimed. "Xbox continues to head north while the PS3 is heading south. We're gaining share."

"What we're finding in our research is that a large portion of the volume we're driving with Xbox 360 purchasers is actually PS2 owners choosing Xbox for the next generation. We're switching people from the PlayStation brand over to the Xbox brand."

Part of the attraction, says Greenberg, is the migration of franchises previously associated with Sony to Microsoft's format.

"Not only is [Resident Evil 5] selling more, but we did a limited edition Elite bundle with that as well - so we've obviously benefited from having this deep partnership with Capcom, and we're excited to have the Resident Evil franchise for the first time ever on our platform.

"That follows in the steps of Grand Theft Auto - and we all know Final Fantasy is coming - that have been historically associated with PlayStation."