Speaking to VentureBeat, Microsoft's Shane Kim has applauded Nintendo's direction in this generation and signalled that the 360 manufacturer is in this generation for the long term.

Following an address at the University of California at Berkeley's Haas School of Business, Kim aligns himself behind a similar school of thinking to Nintendo, claiming: "I believe to be the leader in interactive entertainment, we have to expand well beyond gaming".

Kim's respect for Nintendo continues with a description of his love for the Japanese company showing Microsoft what it needs to accomplish, and stating that it never pays to bash Nintendo.

However before Xbox 360 fanatics begin to panic at the thought of no more shooters and balance boards, Kim explains the communication that reverberates around Microsoft whenever Nintendo brings something new to the table.

"I can tell you how that conversation goes at Microsoft. They say, 'I don't think that's a game,'" Kim explains. "But the guy at Nintendo says, 'I don't care. I'm selling a whole bunch of that stuff.'"

Despite pulling out of the last race prematurely with the original Xbox, Kim coyly concedes that things are slightly different this time.  Refusing to show the same love for Sony as his open fondness for Nintendo, Kim proclaims "One day longer than the lifespan of the PlayStation 3," when asked about the Xbox 360 lifepsan.