Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg chatted with Destructoid recently, and one of the things they discussed is the polarization Greenberg’s words cause between fanboys. Greenberg is known to make bold statements that are usually the source of much rage in the industry, so it’s interesting to get his perspective on it.
“I realize this candor may at times spark emotions and of course I like it better when the emotions are positive ones, but even when they aren’t, it’s great to be part of the dialog,” explained Greenberg. “This industry is full of people who feel passionately about gaming, and being part of that conversation is one of the more interesting parts of my job.”
“To me it is just like the passion people have for the favorite sports team, whether you are a fan of the Cowboys or Steelers or ManU or Chelsea, your loyalty runs deep,” he continues. “I would also say that I am a competitive person and work for a competitive company, so while I recognize that different people will root for different teams, I would love to win as many games as possible and win over as many Xbox fans as possible.
That said, Greenberg believes that fanboyism can be beneficial to them because it drives them to be better. Without competition, there wouldn’t be any strong motivator.
“I think this competitive nature is reflected in our products, it is what drove us to push for things like the New Xbox Experience, ‘Project Natal’ and even securing franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear and Final Fantasy. At the end of the day, I see this constant focus on always being the best we can and giving our owners new experiences as a positive thing in the long-term.”