Which is the best value next-gen console this Xmas? The £300 PS3 with it’s high-end functionalities and whisper-quiet performance? Or maybe the Wii which boasts a library of family-friendly games and an idiot-proof interface? Nah, it’s the Xbox 360, isn’t it - not the most technically whizzy or the cheapest but certainly the best on a price-per-value basis. At least that’s the story according to one high-flying games exec. Damn right he works for Microsoft!

His name is Don Mattrick and he’s returned after an 18 month sabbatical to fill the large, mouth-shaped hole left by Peter Moore. He’s doing a splendid job too , talking the 360 up a storm, in true Moore stylee. Try this for starters:

“On a price-per-value basis, I think we win… relative to Sony and Nintendo. Of course, I’m biased, given the role that I’m in, but if I really think about it using my consumer instincts and the experience that I’ve had, this is the best blend of performance, price, online and games – by far.”

Good start, fella - brash, aggressive even… Elsewhere in his interview with MSNBC.com, aside from saying what a fabulously silky purse his company has made of the potential sow’s ear of the red ring of death/360 warranty situation, Mattrick highlights the percentage of highly rated games on the console - more titles have scored over 85% on 360 than on its rivals - and that a collection of platform exclusives and third-party hits will make 2008 as good as this year. Grand Theft Auto IV, in particular, will play a big part in the 360’s success next year, he says, encouragingly.

Finally, in answer to questions about Microsoft’s longer-term plans Mattrick says that the 360 “definitely has the potential to have a similar shelf-life” to the PS2 - i.e. roughly ten years - and that his company intends to build upon the “great fundamentals” it has worked hard to establish and will continue to “over-deliver value and satisfaction to consumers.” Blimey, it’s like Peter Moore never left!

So there it is - a confident, at least partially reassuring statement of intent from a guy who’s paid to say such things. If only he’d provide a bit more detail about what’s in store for Xbox 360 next year, though - aside from GTAIV and Alan Wake we’re not sure what else is in the line-up.