Microsoft has said Europe will be the territory it aims to conquer next year, with Sony top of its agenda.

Jeff Bell, head of global marketing at Microsoft, told Reuters: "The biggest challenge is that Sony as a brand has had greater staying power than in other areas. Not just PlayStation 3, but Sony as a brand.

"We will sell more consoles next year than this year, Europe for us is still the swing."

The Xbox 360 chief also added that the firm's next-gen console will gain market share in France and Germany, as well as Japan.