Microsoft had one goal in mind for the European Playstation 3 launch ... be annoying. The Xbox marketing team did everything in their power to humiliate, taunt, and make fun of Sony's launch, all with a smile and a devilish whit. We mentioned France's love boat and the Foster's beer delivery, but there were a few more incidents we didn't acknowledge.
- During the PS3 launch in France, the Xbox team sent out text messages to anyone who'd accept them wishing everyone great night.
- More beer was delivered.
- If you were a waiting in line for a PS3 in the UK, the Xbox team handed out chairs to sit on with a URL on the back. The website, toolate, taunts the PS3 by saying "Xbox welcomes PS3 to the next generation. Sony ... you're late! Let the games begin."
- There were also reports that Microsoft employees were standing on nearby rooftops blowing whistles to drown out Sony's press conference talk.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-24-2007 @ 10:59AM
zourskittles said...
i think if the whistles part is true, that is the funniest thing i have ever heard. Imagine Bill Gates and Major Nelson streaking past a PS3 Press Conference.
Microsoft, you've done it again!
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 10:59AM
Gemini Ace said...
Can't we all get along? It's not a console quilting bee, it's a console war.
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 11:06AM
a ham sandwich said...
i think its awesome. id do it to if i were in ms's position!
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 11:06AM
HEADsoldier07 said...
GO MICROSOFT! they should have used fog horns though...
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 11:35AM
I Like Corn said...
If the whistle part is true, THAT was just immature. But the rest is too genius to not laugh at. =P
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 11:40AM
jimhuf said...
if there wasnt any rivalry then we would all be screwed. games would be on single platform so say for halo you have to buy xbox the gears of war on ps3 and so on. console prices wouldnt drop and probably most importantly fan boys heads wouldnt be able to cope with the thought of two equals and their brains would explode and they would be limited to play with a nintendo wii
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 12:00PM
daniel said...
i love my 360, and will never get a PS3, but i think this stuff is lame. it reminds me of those smarmy apple, get a mac commercials, and i think that ultimately it will backfire.
i mean, MS is the largest company in the world and they're pulling stuff like this? what ever happened to honor in competition?
sports analogy: if you score a goal/home-run/touchdown, act like you've been there before, and you were supposed to do it in the first place. celebrate your victories as a team, and get back to work.
i definitely think it appeals to gamer culture, however. the 360 was supposed to be designed after Bruce Lee... well, what would Bruce Lee do?
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 12:13PM
Miguel said...
this the funniest and coolest thing microsoft has done! i love them!
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 12:14PM
A0 said...
#7
If Bruce Lee got dirt thrown in his face (Sony telling lies at E3 saying 360 was an inferior product). Then he would kick some ass...
No questions asked. Plus it's not like this is the first time this has happened. Xbox 360 marketing has been buying PS3 ad space and putting ads for top selling games in their official magazines. It's annoying it's just good marketing.
What Apple does with Macs is dumb because they're telling half truths...
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 12:18PM
Joe said...
LOL, MS = Evil Genius
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 12:40PM
Hello said...
haha, Microsoft is awesome
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 12:48PM
Aaron said...
The mighty SONY ship sinks even more!
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 2:04PM
jsn said...
the whistles were a little childish, but had there actually been people out there trying to buy ps3's, it wouldn't have been as noticed as it was. Microsoft is outworking Sony on every front and I'm glad for them. MS catches a lot of flak, but they've done well with the 360 and should be commended. It's not a perfect product, but such a thing doesn't exist. From their easy to use development tools to their online network to their media center fuctions, Microsoft innovated and expanded the market. Sony on the other hand, entered the market as if it were the same one they ruled before and most definitely is not.
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 2:50PM
ChiTownRuler23 said...
better late then ever
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 2:57PM
Ashley said...
Micro-crap.........I am officaly replacing the "crap" with "soft"
You will now be called Microsoft by me, finaly, after all these years - you are great again!
Vista = RULEZ!
Xbox 360 = RULEZ!
Bill Gates = Kinda RULEZ in his own geeky way!
Xbox team = SUPER RULEZ!!!!!!!!!
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 3:25PM
evil_eddie said...
I dont like Microsoft for different reasons (thats another story), but with the Xbox they did _everything_ right. Unless you are a diehard Sony fanboy with lots of zits in your face you can do nothing but love the Xbox team for dissing Sony in a mean but very humoristic way.
After all, they are not making fun of their customers by telling them lies like Sony did.
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 3:56PM
Brent said...
This is sad and truly shows the immaturity of most gamers. I play video games for fun and enjoyment, it seems most people feed off of bashing another system, you people are pathetic and prove that fanboy's are retards.
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 4:34PM
Bill Gates IV said...
.. lame ... and by the way Vista sucks !
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 6:07PM
stewis said...
I think MS wasted some money there as every store in the town i live in has tonnes of PS3's and they are advertising in the windows we have them in stock...
Seems like PS3's are too expensive and Sony are doing a pretty good job of making sure they dont sell...
Maybe MS should have spent there money they wasted on this to give me one of those 120gb hard drives that are supposed to be released soon.
BTW i am from Leamington Spa in the UK.
Reply
3-24-2007 @ 6:50PM
sracer said...
Lame. Lame on all fronts. Rather than take childish potshots at Sony (which does absolutely nothing for us current 360 owners) they should be keeping the pressure on.
Keep the pressure on by producing larger harddrives. More games that take advantage of the vision camera. Loosen their grip a bit with what a/v codecs are supported.
Poking fun at Sony is easy... and it's cheap.
I'd rather see MS push the envelope.
Reply