Games on Zune? Don't hold your breath, says Allard

by Jason Dobson { Oct 4th 2007 at 7:57PM }

It seems as if everyone wants in on the gaming scene these days: jocks, cheerleaders, your mom. Even Apple wants a slice of the pie. But not Microsoft's J Allard, and in a recent interview the former Xbox zealot and current Zune front man shared his thoughts on why he feels Zune owners shouldn't expect to be playing Bejeweled or Pac-Man on Microsoft's iPod rival anytime soon. Granted he still has a full nine months to change his mind.

Microsoft previously toyed with the idea of releasing games on the portable, though with a new line of Zune devices hitting retail shelves this week, Allard addressed his particular concerns with bringing games to the Zune format, specifically surrounding customer satisfaction and portability of purchased games as hardware advances from one generation to the next. While Microsoft's move into the portable gaming space has been long awaited, we agree that it's good that Allard is voicing these sorts of concerns up front, rather than carelessly jumping into portable gaming sight unseen.

Still, the executive managed to leave the door open for Zune gaming by praising what Microsoft has managed to pull off in getting its XNA development platform to work with a variety of different types of hardware, though, Allard adds, "the Zune isn't playing Halo 3 anytime soon." Good thing, Allard my boy, since the idea of getting teabagged on the commute home is enough to ruin anyone's day.

Tags: allard, apple, ipod, jallard, microsoft, portable, xna, zune

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

phattie @ Oct 4th 2007 8:06PM

Do the Zunes have RRoD issues?

YourSlay3r @ Oct 4th 2007 8:11PM

Actually the new 360's don't have a greatly decreased chance of RROD. This is because the newer 360s have 2 heatsinks for the GPU making overheating not as much of a problem. Also a 60nm CPU has been put in.

You can say good bye to stories of 360s overheating.

blooh (CDF - Ass Ring) @ Oct 4th 2007 8:13PM

slayer, i think you added that "don't" mistakenly...

YourSlay3r @ Oct 4th 2007 8:15PM

Haha I did. My bad. Sorry for any confusion.

Tahiri @ Oct 4th 2007 9:11PM

Um, the new 360s are still just as prone to RRoD

Matt B @ Oct 4th 2007 11:41PM

http://www.n4g.com/xbox360/News-71365.aspx

Ordeith @ Oct 5th 2007 12:55AM

Matt B:

It is easy to fake a RRoD, you just turn on the xbox with the AV cables unplugged.

Pretty sure people out there would seek notarity by faking the RRoD on any 360 they can get their hands on.

reppy @ Oct 5th 2007 2:10AM

If you unplug the AV cable then all 4 of the lights turn on, not just 3.

Zeus the God @ Oct 5th 2007 2:39AM

360s are NOT as prone to RRoD as the old ones. Hell, the old ones aren't either provided you give it ventilation- much like you would a computer.

baby sea tuna @ Oct 5th 2007 10:34AM

That pic is a fake. Read the comments. Quitcher trollin Matt B.

YourSlay3r @ Oct 4th 2007 8:08PM

There is a clear reason why the Zune won't be playing games anytime soon.

The answer is "Wii60".

Wii60 has proven to be such a strong force you will see many 360 players with a DS, thus the reason for a possible Halo DS.

Microsoft is also making games for the DS for example: Age of Empires DS and Viva Pinata DS.

BTW The new Zunes are awesome. Nice job Microsoft.

DemonGSides @ Oct 4th 2007 9:14PM

Its a Goldeneye mod.

Lulz.

kinshadow @ Oct 4th 2007 8:16PM

Zune 2 is actually quite impressive

Ska Oreo @ Oct 4th 2007 8:51PM

mhm I saw it. It now doesn't look as embarrassing as the Zune 1.

Zeus the God @ Oct 5th 2007 2:40AM

Embarrassing? Are you kidding? It would be more embarrassing walking around with a product that you paid 250 dollars to have break once a year.

ill trooper @ Oct 5th 2007 5:00AM

"Embarrassing? Are you kidding? It would be more embarrassing walking around with a product that you paid 250 dollars to have break once a year."

I'm guessing you're talking about the core system 360?

baby sea tuna @ Oct 5th 2007 10:36AM

I think he might have been talking about the iPod. Literally everyone I know who has one (myself included) has had one crap out on them.

And yet...

vidGuy @ Oct 4th 2007 8:28PM

If the iPod does it, the Zune will eventually. So much for innovation...

Lifted 0ne 4l9 (NDF - Fire!) @ Oct 4th 2007 8:39PM

well the Zune does stuff that the iPod doesn't

Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 4th 2007 8:58PM

"well the Zune does stuff that the iPod doesn't"

Like the RRoD,Zing lol.

Thank you,thank you.You are an awful audience and I hate you all.

MV @ Oct 4th 2007 8:39PM

Glad to see he wore his best leisure suit hoodie to the event.

G.G. @ Oct 5th 2007 8:32AM

I agree; the hoodie+blazer combo is a bold new look. I wish I could see how he coordinated his shoes. . . .

JL @ Oct 5th 2007 9:56AM

He looks like a screaming baby fetus.

Fox318 @ Oct 4th 2007 8:52PM

The new Zune looks awesome.

Whats even more awesome is my Zune gets to have that interface.(firmware)

THAT is how you treat your first gen customers.

I'm looking at you apple!