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Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Worldwide Studios, has stated that he would like to see Microsoft's Xbox 360 succeed in Japan.

With the Nintendo Wii and DS dominating Japanese markets, Yoshida wants both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 to do better in order to push concepts of hi-def gaming to consumers.  He expresses his dismay over Japan's slow acceptance of "more sophisticated" gaming in an interview with Eurogamer:

"I like to see people here in Japan showing interest in high-definition gaming and more sophisticated gaming experiences. In terms of realistic-looking graphics and smarter AI, they haven't really shown the appetite for what this generation of gaming can offer. I'd really like to see both PS3 and 360 succeed here.

...I'm saying what Microsoft is offering and what we are offering are closer, compared to what other platforms are offering. Because of that commonality, the new games coming out on 360 and PS3 help to get consumers more interested in this generation of gaming."

Yoshida attribute's the Xbox 360's recent boost in Japan to its exclusive RPGs.  However, the 360's sales spike doesn't mean that Japanese consumers are buying into next-gen gaming:

"...RPGs are very important for this market. But quite honestly, the real number being sold - we haven't seen real acceptance of the platform here in the Japanese market. The Nintendo Wii is still by far the biggest platform in Japan."

Basically, Yoshida believes that success for the Xbox 360 could lead to greater success for their console as well.  He still claims that the PlayStation 3 has more to offer than its rival, but did admit that he prefers Microsoft's Xbox Avatars to Nintendo's Miis:

"Well, they're a little bit older-looking. Personally, Microsoft's work is closer to my personal preference. The Miis are very nice, but everybody looks cute, like Japanese-style characters."

Yoshida was reluctant to say much concerning the PS3's 2009 line-up, but Eurogamer assures us that he has "a lovely smile."