Bach talks up 360 advantages

Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division, has praised his company's Xbox 360 console for its accessible price points and Xbox Live online service.

Talking to Investors.com Bach compared the Xbox 360 to the PlayStation 3: "Even though they've lowered prices on their hardware, you still have the basic economics of where their hardware is priced at," he said.

Sales of the PlayStation 3 have picked up significantly since a price drop last year, although recent rumours point to a similar move by Microsoft in the coming months.

Bach went on to state his belief that compared to its rivals, Xbox Live is key to any continuing success of the Xbox 360.

"Xbox Live is a big differentiator for us. That drives a significant amount of energy around what's going on with Xbox," he said. "You don't have the same experience [with other consoles] that you get with Xbox Live - that does drive people to the platform."

Xbox Live has over 10 million users, with a blossoming array of general entertainment media on offer including movies and arcade games, although Sony is due to unveil its Home online platform later this year.

Bach also referred to other products in his division as contributing factors in its overall success: "There are times when we're making investments in one business and hopefully at that time we're reaping things from other parts of the business."

The Entertainment and Devices division covers PC peripherals, including the re-launched Sidewinder range, the Zune players and mobile phone software as well as the Xbox 360.