Report: New lead designer, brander working on next Xbox

by Jessica Conditt on Dec 16th 2011 2:20PM

Don Coyner, lead designer and marketing man for the original Xbox and the Xbox 360, will not be in charge of the new Xbox design team, Cnet reports. Coyner will be replaced with Emma Williams, who helped launch the recent Xbox Live interface revamp, one of Cnet's sources says.

Coyner joined Microsoft from Nintendo in 1995, and became marketing director for the original Xbox in 1999. Coyner designed the user experience and branding for the Xbox 360, and his most recent title at Microsoft is General Manager of Design. Williams joined Microsoft in 2003 and is currently General Manager of Xbox Experiences, leading last week's Xbox Live interface update that introduced more social, content-specific hubs to the 360.

With the next Xbox rumored for release in 2013, the Live update could be a massive trial period for features to include in the new model, or it could be a secret government study monitoring the effects of cloud storage on adolescent violence. Could be.

Via: Gamasutra
Source: Cnet

Tags: design, Don-Coyner, Emma-Williams, kinect, microsoft, xbox, xbox-720

Reader Comments (75)

Nexbox?

@Zoot Suit Jedi Grammar Hammer En

I'd have to say that could see it being called Xbox Next or something similar.

@Rondogg
There were the same rumored names moving from the Xbox to the Xbox 360 before it came out. The problems with those names is what happens when the 4th iteration comes out? The "NextNextBox"? We keep hearing "Xbox 720" as the given placeholder name, but I am expecting the Xbox Timothy. "Xbox Timothy, play Azurik 2."

@Ebok007

Xbox 720 is as likely a candidate as "Nintendo 128" was for the Gamecube, or "Ultra Nintendo" for the Nintendo 64.

I hope no one *really* thinks 720 will be it's name, because that would be horrible.

@Electrium

Given Microsoft's history of naming products, I completely believe that it could in fact be named the Xbox 720.

Personally I'm rooting for the Xbox 711 and it includes a collectable Slurpee cup, cause I like Slurpees.

@Zoot Suit Jedi Grammar Hammer En

SeXBoX? (Sequel of XBOX)
That system might be like pure sex anyway =P

@Zoot Suit Jedi Grammar Hammer En

I vote to call it Xbox 362

@Electrium
Hence why I said "given placeholder," I don't think anyone really thinks that will be the name.

That image just made me get so nostalgic.

@CaptainProtonX I wanna hug it.

@Miranda Lawson

I tried.. my chest hit the eject button and it pushed me away with it's DVD tray.

I cried.

@Shockwave
I'd say shoot it for treating you like crap, but it would ricochet off of its nigh-bulletproof shell. ;D

@Shockwave

You're such a girly man.

If an image of an original Xbox with the Rev-B controller makes you nostalgic, then what does this image do for you?...

http://images.wikia.com/nintendo/en/images/0/00/NESActionSet.jpg

@CaptainProtonX

I still have one

@CaptainProtonX I loved the original xbox design. It was just so un-slick and un-modern, the bizarro-Apple. I dug it for whatever reason.

@EIranzer
Nothing. Too busy daydreaming about Morrowind.

@CaptainProtonX Nostalgic for that?! It's practically still new! This is what happens when you get old, when the console after the next one comes out, people will be nostalgic for the 360 and you'll be thinking 'but wasn't I just playing that yesterday?' but no, it will have been 10 years ago.

So the next xbox is going to be covered in stickers for various companies?

"... who helped launch the recent Xbox Live interface revamp..." DO NOT WANT.

@Fuzunga My thoughts exactly.

@Fuzunga I know, just get the old dashboard and put TV and you tube on it.

@Fuzunga Was going to comment on that myself. Because when we had blades I wanted more ads. So they gave us NXE, not enough ads. They updated it again, not enough ads. Finally we get this one and I still think they could stick a few more in here and there.

@Rabite You know what? I miss those ads! Some fool went ahead and this this to my router:
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/09/how-to-block-ads-on-the-xbox-360-dashboard/
and now I can't see any... :'(

I just need to know when to place my $50 down so hopefully I can have it paid off before Launch Day

My guess is it's going to be a box. Simple straight lines and hard angles.

@Lordd G pink logo yeah right I really doubt that and why the need to call her bitch anger much?

@Lordd G
Yep, since the man designed the white/green look we all know was inspired by his infected ejaculate.

@Mmmmz lol @ "infected ejaculate"

@Lordd G Perpetuating two stereotypes at once...

@(Unverified) I probably could have perpetuated some more if I really thought about it....

@Lordd G can't even think of anything witty to say to something awful like this. Hope you become a better person one day

@TheDarkWayne was it the b-word or the PMS-word that got you???

@Lordd G
You're a prime example of why game players get such a bad rep. Good work, you misogynistic neanderthal.

@BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam - I am glad you guys were roused by my comment... seriously tho, no pink!!

Make it bigger.

@Deaths Hand thats what she said!

@geniuswithagun

Speaking as someone in the design business, there are more women than men when it comes to industrial and interface design. So maybe, just maybe, that means they are more in touch with aesthetics than men are. How is that a bad thing?

@geniuswithagun

... Sexist. Like @Shockwave said, Women are amazing at the asthetics. They create the design which gets pushed to the Guys to program and create.

Kinda looks like the old one

being sarcastic

@30yearGamer 0_o

A woman... :/

@DarrylKensley

'OMG SHE HAS A VAGINA SHE MUST BE DEFECIENT IN SOME WAY...'

- Gamers, doing their part to keep sexism alive and strong.

@Draugdraugr Yes well done, you are correct.

She will be deficient in creating something that I, as a man want to buy.

@DarrylKensley

You're just so uninformed I don't even know how to reply without writing you a book, which I have no interest in doing.

Needless to say, women are far more involved than you think, and there would be more women involved if it weren't for people like you.

And I don't want to ruin the surprise, but just because you have a penis and someone else has a vagina doesn't mean you won't like the same things, or it won't appeal to you. If you ever get a girlfriend, or cecome friends with a woman, you'll figure that out.
They know who their target demographics are, and they'll plan accordingly, welcome to the world of business.

@Draugdraugr Well she IS lacking a penis...

Bah, that was a reply to Draugdraugr

@Draugdraugr Well done, you can put together a nice looking sentence ;)

Just because I lack faith in the ability of a female to be the lead designer for a new hardware does not make me a sexist. :/

I just think a MAN making a machine to be used primarily by MEN. Even a female making a manly console wont be manly enough,

@Draugdraugr PS - 7 year anniversary today. Im not your average internet goer and gaming board troll ;)

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=524011872

Why dont you get to know me before you start acting like an asshole because of a view I have? I doubt it though because you are probably just another keyboard warrior.

@DarrylKensley

I dislike you're view that you have because it's bigoted, not because I'm not informed as to who you are as a person. That much should be clear.

The fact that you think someone is disqualified from a position by virtue of being a woman is the problem I have, because there are plenty of evidence that prove contrary to how you feel.
Some of the best franchises in gaming (Kings Quest, Assassins creed, Christina Norman handled the weapon design in ME2, how could that be!? Only men know stuff about guns!) had women at their heads/Heavily involved with design, and people still loved those games, even though they were designed primarily for men, women were in charge and handled it just fine.
Just as men can design products for women, women can design products for men.

On a side note, I don't have a facebook account so whatever it was you wanted to show me, I can't see. I don't see how it would change my stance on your opinion though. You could be king of the gaming industry and you'd still be a bigot.

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Report: New lead designer, brander working on next Xbox

Reader Comments (75)

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 2:23PM Zoot Suit Jedi Grammar Hammer En said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:13PM Rondogg said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 4:04PM Ebok007 said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 4:29PM Electrium said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 4:57PM Courtney said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 6:16PM BlazeKing said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 7:22PM Cletus VanDamme said

Posted: Dec 18th 2011 12:06PM Ebok007 said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 2:23PM CaptainProtonX said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 2:37PM Miranda Lawson said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:01PM Shockwave said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:06PM foxhound said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:13PM Captain Planet Planeteer Power said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:15PM EIranzer said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:40PM IAmTheBabyJeezus said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 4:02PM Panic said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 4:08PM Ebok007 said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 5:12PM Dick Socrates said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 2:23PM eat it said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 2:26PM Fuzunga said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:17PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 4:07PM byaboy said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 4:53PM Rabite said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 8:46PM BatteryLife said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 2:28PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 2:29PM nimzy said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 2:35PM nightripper said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 2:36PM Mmmmz said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:20PM Lordd G said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 2:39PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:21PM Lordd G said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 2:39PM TheDarkWayne said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:22PM Lordd G said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:02PM BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:14PM Lordd G said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:03PM Deaths Hand said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:18PM Faris Hilton said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:03PM Shockwave said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:11PM killer rin said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:12PM 30yearGamer said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 4:28PM Virus one said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:14PM DarrylKensley said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:41PM Draugdraugr said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 3:59PM DarrylKensley said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 4:53PM Draugdraugr said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 6:06PM Fuzunga said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 6:07PM Fuzunga said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 6:47PM DarrylKensley said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 6:49PM DarrylKensley said

Posted: Dec 16th 2011 9:58PM Draugdraugr said

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