The problem with interviewing smart higher-ups like Shane Kim is they will always say exactly what they mean to say, and you’re never going to pull one over on them, as you might with someone lower down the ladder — like a loose-lipped coder. While he did say a lot of words, Kim essentially refused to comment on everything the interviewer brought up: differential console success, any future hardware or software, and difficulties with XBLA development.

The biggest thing that could really be taken away was his comment that once one of the big three was “well on their way to 100 million units” then it might be possible to declare a “winner.” I think declaring a winner in such a huge market is a bit pointless, but if you have to, I think waiting for the 100m mark silly — like waiting until the post-game show to call who won the Super Bowl.