Microsoft Preparing For a Rough 2009

Coming off a strong Black Friday performance where Microsoft claims the Xbox 360 trounced the PlayStation 3 by a three-to-one sales margin, Microsoft's vice president of strategy and business development, Shane Kim, has told Reuters that Microsoft is "cautiously optimistic" about holiday sales. This comes during a year where the industry is expected to grow 20% according to Kim. But next year is where the real concern lies, as it's impossible to predict what impact the economic recession will have. Regarding 2008's growth, Kim said "people are not projecting that kind of growth" for 2009. "Who knows, maybe flat performance will be considered a remarkable achievement. It's difficult to predict the future." As a result, Kim says that Microsoft is preparing for "tough times," adding, "A big objective for us is to deliver most entertainment value for the dollar." If one thing is for sure, though, it's that there won't be any shortage of big games to keep an eye on in 2009. (link)