Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Don Mattrick now more official-sounding Xbox boss]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/01/don-mattrick-now-more-official-sounding-xbox-boss/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/01/don-mattrick-now-more-official-sounding-xbox-boss/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/01/don-mattrick-now-more-official-sounding-xbox-boss/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Microsoft has promoted executive Don Mattrick to "president" of its Interactive Entertainment Business, which includes the company's Xbox business, as well as its PC and mobile gaming efforts. Previously, Mattrick was labeled a "senior vice president," though his responsibilities have not appeared to change in quite some time. He has led the Interactive Entertainment segment since July 2007.

In May, Microsoft announced the pending retirement of Xbox head Robbie Bach from his position as president of the Entertainment & Devices Division (under which Mattrick's Interactive Entertainment Business is filed). Since that time, the company has seemingly done away with Bach's position (just what was he doing, anyway?), since Mattrick and colleague Andy Lees, now president of the Mobile Communications Business, where already overseeing the E&D Division's two main businesses. Both executives report directly to CEO Steve Ballmer.

JoystiqDon Mattrick now more official-sounding Xbox boss originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>corporatedon-mattrickentertainment-and-devicesinteractive-entertainment-businessjobsmicrosoftpromotionrobbie-bachxboxFri, 01 Oct 2010 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[J Allard and Robbie Bach officially exit Microsoft]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/25/j-allard-and-robbie-bach-officially-exit-microsoft/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/25/j-allard-and-robbie-bach-officially-exit-microsoft/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/25/j-allard-and-robbie-bach-officially-exit-microsoft/#comments Xbox department head Robbie Bach and "Chief Experience Officer" J Allard (considered by some to be the father of the Xbox) will be ending employment with Microsoft this fall, according to an internal memo sent from company head Steve Ballmer and acquired by TechFlash. Allard will stay on in some form, serving as an "advisor" to Ballmer, though Bach will be outright leaving after nearly 22 years with Microsoft.

"For the past 22 years, Robbie has personified creativity, innovation and drive. With this spirit, he has led a division passionately devoted to making Microsoft successful in interactive entertainment and mobility," Ballmer said of Bach's departure in the company's official release. And Bach expanded on his departure, saying, "I'm at the time in my life where I want to dedicate more time to my family and my nonprofit work, including my work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America."

The shakeup additionally sees current senior VP of Interactive Entertainment Don Mattrick and senior VP of Mobile Communication Andy Lees taking new positions, reporting directly to Ballmer himself, while David Treadwell will now head the core technology group inside the Interactive Entertainment division at Microsoft. Oh, and as you might expect, no mention was made of the Courier in any of this.

[Via Engadget]

JoystiqJ Allard and Robbie Bach officially exit Microsoft originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 May 2010 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>andy-leesdavid-treadwelldon-mattrickj-allardmicrosoftrobbie-bachsteve-ballmerXbox-360Tue, 25 May 2010 12:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Bach: 70-80% of publishers working on Natal-based games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/bach-70-80-of-publishers-working-on-natal-based-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/bach-70-80-of-publishers-working-on-natal-based-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/bach-70-80-of-publishers-working-on-natal-based-games/#comments In an interview with Financial Post, Microsoft president of entertainment and devices Robbie Bach said "something like 70% or 80% of the publishers in the world" are already working on Natal-based games. The interview followed Microsoft's CES 2010 keynote during which Bach announced the hands-free controller for the Xbox 360 would launch during the 2010 holiday season. Bach also respectfully outlined what he believes is the major difference between Microsoft and Nintendo's respective business models: third-party success. "Our model is certainly about third-party publishers making money. We design our system for third-party publishers," he told the Canadian news outlet. "[Nintendo makes] most of their money through first-party games that Nintendo produces. That's absolutely their business model. And it's a great business model, it's just different, but it makes it hard for third-party publishers."

As for upcoming Natal-based games, Bach said Microsoft's first-party developers are focused on the hardware to help lead other developers down an "innovative" path. "We want to have a few titles from Microsoft that show the way and then we want the breadth and power of the ecosystem from our partners to bring lots of new ideas, new innovations, new concepts to the marketplace."

Microsoft's Project Natal appears to be a direct response to a mainstream audience that has turned to Nintendo's hardware when spending disposable income. Considering the Xbox 360 and PS3 have effectively cracked the third-party code, Microsoft's focus continues to be set on capturing a demographic that may feel intimidated by the hardware and its core (read: jerkface) players.

JoystiqBach: 70-80% of publishers working on Natal-based games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>financial-postMicrosoftnatalproject-natalrobbie-bachthird-partyXbox-360Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Alan Wake will stay up late with post-launch DLC 'episodes']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/06/alan-wake-will-stay-up-late-with-post-launch-dlc-episodes/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/06/alan-wake-will-stay-up-late-with-post-launch-dlc-episodes/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/06/alan-wake-will-stay-up-late-with-post-launch-dlc-episodes/#comments Remedy's Xbox 360-exclusive Alan Wake, described as "the TV show Lost, as written by Stephen King, and filmed by David Lynch," by Microsoft Entertainment & Devices head Robbie Bach will -- much like Fable II -- be expanded upon via additional downloadable episodes. Bach made the announcement concerning the long-in-development title during the company's CES 2010 keynote this evening, saying, "story-driven like a TV series, Alan Wake will be told in episodes with even more episodes available on Xbox Live after its launch this year."

Let's just hope Remedy isn't taking cues from The Sopranos when deciding how long it will be between the release of the game's episodes.

JoystiqAlan Wake will stay up late with post-launch DLC 'episodes' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alan-wakeces-2010dlcmicrosoftmicrosoft-game-studiosRemedyRobbie-BachXbox-360Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:28:00 EST<![CDATA['Xbox Game Room' and 2010 Project Natal launch leaked in CES interview]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/06/rumor-xbox-game-room-and-2010-project-natal-launch-leaked-in/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/06/rumor-xbox-game-room-and-2010-project-natal-launch-leaked-in/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/06/rumor-xbox-game-room-and-2010-project-natal-launch-leaked-in/#comments [Update, 5:30pm: And off comes the rumor tag! Microsoft may have pulled the post but the original video is still live on its own servers, which you can find right here! We'll scrub through it for more information. Update, 5:47pm: Full transcript after the break.]

Microsoft's Channel 9 developer community site accidentally posted a video interview with Robbie Bach, President of the Entertainment & Devices Division, several hours before the company's annual CES press conference. Initially tweeted by @ch9, the video was pulled, as evidenced by this tweet from none other than @microsoft: "Sorry, spoke too soon, or, tweeted too soon. This video later tonight."

Vigilant tipster Iced_Eagle wrote us just after the video was pulled, giving us a quick breakdown. "Go to the 11:53 mark in the video to hear them start discussing Game Room," our tipster writes. "They aren't totally concrete on the details, but they talk about how this is supposed to bring back that retro fun to gaming." That sounds an awful lot like that consumer survey we spotted in October for a virtual Avatar arcade, one of the potential titles of which was "Game Room." You don't say ...

Iced_Eagle also unsurprisingly reports, "In the video they confirm Natal is on for this year." Considering everyone from Ubisoft's Yves Guillemot to Microsoft's own Steve Ballmer have alluded to a 2010 release, we're not the least bit surprised. But if they're still calling it Project Natal in this video, that means we're probably looking to E3 for an official reveal, with branding and all.

Microsoft's CES keynote begins at 9:30pm Eastern and we'll be delivering all the news straight from Las Vegas.

[Thanks for the great tip, Iced_Eagle!]

Continue reading 'Xbox Game Room' and 2010 Project Natal launch leaked in CES interview

Joystiq'Xbox Game Room' and 2010 Project Natal launch leaked in CES interview originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arcadeces-2010game-roomMicrosoftProject-NatalretroRobbie-BachXbox-360xbox-360-game-roomXbox-Game-RoomWed, 06 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft discusses Wii-esque Project Natal branding strategy]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-discusses-wii-esque-project-natal-branding-strategy/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-discusses-wii-esque-project-natal-branding-strategy/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-discusses-wii-esque-project-natal-branding-strategy/#comments While we may be nervous about Microsoft's Project Natal branding strategy -- remember, that's just a codename -- the suits in Redmond share no such concern. That's because the Natal project is following Nintendo's lead in more ways than just easy-to-play, motion-based technology. It's also following Nintendo's branding strategy.

On May 11, 2004 Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced the "Nintendo Revolution" to the E3 audience and, while he didn't show off the motion-based controller (we wouldn't see that for another sixteen months, at TGS 2005), he did promise "an unprecedented gameplay experience." The Revolution would offer "something no other machine has delivered before." The following May, over two years after first announcing the "Revolution," Nintendo revealed the product's final name just before E3: Wii.

When we asked Microsoft's Robbie Bach, "When can we stop calling it Natal?" at a recent Open House event, the exec wasn't shy about comparing the company's strategy to Nintendo's. "When Nintendo came out with the name 'Wii,' people sort of said 'Oh gosh, that's kind of a goofy, weird name.' I haven't heard a comment about it being a goofy name since the week after they announced the name," Bach said. "And suddenly, people just called it the 'Wii' and moved on." And, specifically, they've moved on to buying them en masse.

Continue reading Microsoft discusses Wii-esque Project Natal branding strategy

JoystiqMicrosoft discusses Wii-esque Project Natal branding strategy originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Albert-PenellobrandingMicrosoftnamingnatalProject-NatalRobbie-BachXbox-360Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Robbie Bach unsure about the future of handheld gaming for Microsoft]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/robbie-bach-unsure-about-the-future-of-handheld-gaming-for-micro/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/robbie-bach-unsure-about-the-future-of-handheld-gaming-for-micro/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/robbie-bach-unsure-about-the-future-of-handheld-gaming-for-micro/#comments
When questioned about the possibility of a dedicated gaming handheld vs a phone with multimedia functionality, Microsoft's Robbie Bach expressed his hesitation to enter either market to attendees of yesterday's.First Annual Microsoft Open House. The Entertainment and Devices division prez said, "The portable market's an interesting market ... you have to decide which direction the market is going." Rather than pursue the phone with gaming/media functionality route that Apple has taken, Bach thinks current technology simply isn't good enough yet.
"You have to decide if the dedicated devices in the portable market are going to continue to grow, or whether the phone that you get is going to get powerful enough and battery power management is going to get good enough that people are going to look at it and say 'No, I just want one device that's going to have some games on it, some music on it, some video on it.' I'm probably more biased to think that's the direction where the market is going."
Though he didn't mention an iPhone competitor or a dedicated gaming device, Bach hinted at the possibility, saying the Xbox and Zune are integrating at "a steady drumbeat." That steady drumbeat likely won't lead to much in the coming months though, as he noted, "There is a CES two years from now where people will look back and say 'Wow! Look at everything they did.'" At that point we'll only be four years from flying cars and hoverboards, so let's hope that Microsoft has some serious future stuff up its sleeves.

JoystiqRobbie Bach unsure about the future of handheld gaming for Microsoft originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>convergencefirst-annual-microsoft-open-househandheldmicrosoftrobbie-bachXbox-360zunezune-hdWed, 07 Oct 2009 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Project Natal price to launch with room to drop]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/project-natal-price-to-launch-with-room-to-drop/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/project-natal-price-to-launch-with-room-to-drop/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/project-natal-price-to-launch-with-room-to-drop/#comments Speaking at the First Annual Microsoft Open House in Manhattan yesterday, E&D Division prez Robbie Bach danced around the issue of pricing the company's upcoming motion tech for Xbox 360. "Relative to Natal, we'll see how the pricing/costs work out," Bach said. "But I think people should expect it to be like other things: We work through the price curve, just like we have with other products."

Though muddled, Bach's comment does not suggest that Natal will hit retail costing an arm and a leg (geddit?), but rather the device's launch price will be set high enough for significant discounts to go into effect over time. Using Wii as the bad example, Bach emphasized that Nintendo's launch price and its new discounted price aren't notably different. "When you start at $249, I don't know that a [price drop to] $199 -- I don't know how much difference that's going to make in the marketplace," Bach observed. "We'll see."

JoystiqProject Natal price to launch with room to drop originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>first-annual-microsoft-open-housemicrosoftpricingproject-natalrobbie-bachXbox-360Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft: Avatar clothing changed 150 million times]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/06/microsoft-avatar-clothing-changed-150-million-times/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/06/microsoft-avatar-clothing-changed-150-million-times/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/06/microsoft-avatar-clothing-changed-150-million-times/#comments Speaking at the First Annual Microsoft Open House in NYC, Robbie Bach, president of the company's entertainment and devices division, was touting the strength of the 360 platform. Along with the impressive news that the results of 425 million games had been crunched for matchmaking, Bach also said that Avatar clothing had been changed more than 150 million times. When you divide that by the 20 million Xbox Live users the company's claiming, that's ... more than 7 changes each. We're a bit worried about some of you.

Gang, please, keep your dignity intact: Set it once -- walk away. It's the only sane thing to do. Of course, Bach also said that 200,000 games of 1 vs. 100 were being played every weekend, so maybe you guys are just trying to get spiffed up for Chris Cashman. We hope it was worth it.

JoystiqMicrosoft: Avatar clothing changed 150 million times originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1-vs-100avatarsMicrosoftrobbie-bachXbox-360xbox-liveTue, 06 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Robbie Bach on casual gaming: 60 million songs downloaded from Live]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/robbie-bach-on-casual-gaming-60-million-songs-dowloaded-from-li/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/robbie-bach-on-casual-gaming-60-million-songs-dowloaded-from-li/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/robbie-bach-on-casual-gaming-60-million-songs-dowloaded-from-li/#commentsFiled under:

Speaking to Variety, Microsoft's Robbie Bach discussed Microsoft's performance during 2008, specifically on how the company plans to woo casual gamers. Bach said that "people are still buying consoles" despite the poor state of the global economy, though they may buy "a little bit fewer games." Bach stated that customers "want to be entertained even when the economy is not entertaining."

Bach also discussed how Microsoft is expanding its casual audience. Bach noted that the biggest drivers of the casual market for Microsoft are music gamee, such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and the new Netflix streaming application in the New Xbox Experience, which Bach says is expanding the Xbox market beyond "traditional gamers." Concerning music titles, Bach says that 60 million songs have been downloaded from Xbox Live, though we have to wonder how many of those purchases were made by casual gamers.

Other subjects touched upon in the interview include Xbox Live as a business, Kodu, and the Zune. Head over to Variety for the full interview.

JoystiqRobbie Bach on casual gaming: 60 million songs downloaded from Live originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessconsole-warsrobbie-bachMon, 12 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox 360 life cycle to be a 'little longer than previous generations']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/xbox-360-life-cycle-to-be-a-little-longer-than-previous-generat/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/xbox-360-life-cycle-to-be-a-little-longer-than-previous-generat/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/xbox-360-life-cycle-to-be-a-little-longer-than-previous-generat/#commentsFiled under:


Talking with Mercury News, Microsoft's Robbie Bach quelled our fanboy fears (or hopes) of a new Xbox console releasing anytime soon, admitted that they're in no hurry to release the 360's successor anytime soon.

"The life cycle for this generation of consoles - and I'm not just talking about Xbox, I'd include Wii and PS3 as well - is probably going to be a little longer than previous generations," admitted Bach. "Just coming up with something that's faster and prettier isn't going to be sufficient." Well said.

So, if our math skills are up to par, we'd say a new Xbox revision should be headed down the pipeline sometime in 2011. Yeah, about then, give or take a year.

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

JoystiqXbox 360 life cycle to be a 'little longer than previous generations' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>life-cyclemicrosoftrobbie-bachx3f-twitterxbox-360Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft says current gen will be 'little longer' than previous]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/microsoft-says-current-gen-will-be-little-longer-than-previous/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/microsoft-says-current-gen-will-be-little-longer-than-previous/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/microsoft-says-current-gen-will-be-little-longer-than-previous/#commentsFiled under: , ,


In order to release Xbox 360 before its competitors, Microsoft killed the original Xbox at just four years old. November 2009 marks the four year anniversary of Xbox 360, but don't expect the system to become obsolete just yet. Microsoft's Robbie Bach told the San Jose Mercury News that the current generation will last longer than before. "The life cycle for this generation of consoles -- and I'm not just talking about Xbox, I'd include Wii and PS3 as well -- is probably going to be a little longer than previous generations."

The weakening economy will most likely delay the arrival of a new generation even further. "When you look at consumers, they are going to be more value-conscious," Bach said. A next-generation console released any time soon would be prohibitively expensive and no company wants to repeat the same mistake Sony made.Perhaps the "ten year" mantra won't necessarily be a PlayStation-exclusive PR bullet point.

The surprising success of Wii will undoubtedly make Microsoft refocus their next-gen efforts. Nintendo managed to claim the top spot of the console wars, in spite of having significantly less powerful tech. "Just coming up with something that's faster and prettier isn't going to be sufficient," Bach adds.

[Via Edge]

JoystiqMicrosoft says current gen will be 'little longer' than previous originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftrobbie-bachxboxxbox-360Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:48:00 EST<![CDATA[Bach: Nope, still no Blu-ray Xbox 360 planned]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/09/bach-nope-still-no-blu-ray-xbox-360-planned/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/09/bach-nope-still-no-blu-ray-xbox-360-planned/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/09/bach-nope-still-no-blu-ray-xbox-360-planned/#commentsFiled under: ,


Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices Division (you know, Xbox), has reiterated for the ... well, we've lost track of the amount of times he's said Blu-ray isn't coming to the Xbox 360. Just for the sake of tradition, TechFlash asked the question again and Bach balked saying, "We have no plan to do that."

When pressed, Bach, having spiritually gone to his happy place, explained it's not a feature they get "a ton" of requests for. From a technical perspective it doesn't help the Xbox and it would raise the cost of the product. Bach emphasizes that HD content is available through Netflix and the Live Marketplace. Maybe Robbie will get lucky and the Blu-ray questions will end ... yeah, no chance.

[Via CVG]

JoystiqBach: Nope, still no Blu-ray Xbox 360 planned originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bachblu-rayblu-ray-xboxmicrosoftrobbie-bachXbox-360Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:37:00 EST<![CDATA[Seen @ CES 2009: Robbie Bach can't start his Xbox 360 controller]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/seen-ces-2009-robbie-back-cant-start-his-360-controller/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/seen-ces-2009-robbie-back-cant-start-his-360-controller/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/seen-ces-2009-robbie-back-cant-start-his-360-controller/#commentsFiled under: ,

We thought Robbie Bach did a pretty good job with his portion of the CES Microsoft keynote, with the notable exception of his inability to activate his 360 controller. Maybe it was the nerves, but we could tell from the audience that he just wasn't pushing the Guide button long enough. We can't fault him too much for inexperience starting his controller -- after all, we're sure he has people for that.

Oh, a few minutes later he was beaten in a game by a little girl. Just saying.

JoystiqSeen @ CES 2009: Robbie Bach can't start his Xbox 360 controller originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CESces-2009microsoftrobbie-bachXbox-360Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:44:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft wants to go first (again) with next Xbox]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/18/microsoft-wants-to-go-first-again-with-next-xbox/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/18/microsoft-wants-to-go-first-again-with-next-xbox/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/18/microsoft-wants-to-go-first-again-with-next-xbox/#commentsFiled under: ,

The house Bill Gates built received its share of quizzical looks when it launched Xbox 360 a year earlier than Sony was tipped to ship PS3. Fast forward to today. If you ask MS, it's a move it'll never regret ... and intends to repeat.

Speaking with Venture Beat (which, despite its name, is not a Venture Bros. fan site), Xboss Robbie Bach cited the console's year-long lead as helping it "get a leg up with game developers" - which certainly can't be argued. The head-start also "gave a leg up" to Xbox Live, Bach says, allowing MS to grow the service considerably prior to the launch of its competitors' offerings. But the biggie: "If you asked if we'd want to be first again, I'd say yes." He's the boss, folks. Just don't ask if MS will be going with a "Mauve Ring of Death" next time 'round. We're pretty sure he'd get a leg up on you, if you catch our drift.

[Via X3F]

JoystiqMicrosoft wants to go first (again) with next Xbox originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftrobbie-bachventurebrothersxbox-360xbox-liveWed, 18 Jun 2008 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MS wants to be first out of the gate with Xbox 720]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/16/ms-wants-to-be-first-out-of-the-gate-with-xbox-720/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/16/ms-wants-to-be-first-out-of-the-gate-with-xbox-720/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/16/ms-wants-to-be-first-out-of-the-gate-with-xbox-720/#commentsFiled under: ,

Talking with VentureBeat, Xbox 360 boss Robbie Bach chatted about where the Xbox brand is headed next generation, reconfirming their plan to be the first out of the console release gate once again. "If you take the question of whether it was the right thing to try to be first [with Xbox 360], the answer to that is definitely yes" Bach told VentureBeat, "it has given us a leg up with game developers. It has given us a leg up from an economics perspective. It helped us expand Xbox Live quickly. At a strategy level, if you asked if we wanted to be first again, I would say yes." Plain and simple. Then again, trying to beat the PS4 to market won't be all that hard for Microsoft seeing that Sony has publicly announced their plans to make it a ten year console. Right? Xbox 720 in 2011, bring it on!

[Via CVG]

JoystiqMS wants to be first out of the gate with Xbox 720 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftrobbie-bachxbox-360Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft's Zune may learn from PSP 'cautionary tales']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/microsofts-zune-may-learn-from-psp-cautionary-tales/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/microsofts-zune-may-learn-from-psp-cautionary-tales/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/microsofts-zune-may-learn-from-psp-cautionary-tales/#commentsFiled under:


Microsoft is not yet ready to unveil a handheld gaming device, and it may not for quite some time looking at the performance of the PSP. While Sony has met moderate success with the PSP, it has struggled against Nintendo in the sector, and in spite of better hardware, has been unable to beat the Nintendo juggernaut.

Zune, Microsoft's current music player, can play both music and video -- but will it ever play games? Perhaps. Microsoft's Robbie Bach spoke with Dean Takahashi on VentureBeat, and had a few things to say about what they're learning from the PSP. "The PSP is a reasonably successful product at the profit-and-loss level. But as a product concept, there are cautionary tales to learn from it. While it is good at producing audio, it's not a good music player because it doesn't have local storage (except for flash memory slots). You can't keep your music there. It has a beautiful screen, but you can only get the video under the Universal Media Disc format. That format hasn't been successful. On a game level, it has done well. But even there, it is mostly PlayStation 2 ports. There isn't much original content."

Bach's comments ring of some truth, but they seem to based on the image set by Sony during the PSP launch. Since then, PSP can run full-resolution video off Memory Stick (although there are still a number of arbitrary restrictions on video playback). PSP has gained a number of original non-ported games, but it must still fend off the image that it doesn't have original content. "When you do these devices, they can't be pretty good at a lot of things. They need to be great at what they do. Zune is a great music player. We have local storage, a marketplace, the social network. We didn't do video right out of the gate because you want to do those things in a high-quality way. Same thing in the gaming space. It is technically possible to do games on there. But you aren't going to see a broad gaming effort from us until we sort that through and have it figured out."

[Via GameDaily]

JoystiqMicrosoft's Zune may learn from PSP 'cautionary tales' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dean-takahashimicrosoftrobbie-bachzuneFri, 13 Jun 2008 14:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Robbie Bach: broken Xbox 360s did not affect brand preference]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/robbie-bach-broken-xbox-360s-did-not-affect-brand-preference/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/robbie-bach-broken-xbox-360s-did-not-affect-brand-preference/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/robbie-bach-broken-xbox-360s-did-not-affect-brand-preference/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Fun fact: the Xbox 360 hardware issues did not affect customers' overall view of the console. Robbie Bach, head of Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices Group, told a group of reporters, "The amazing part of that whole situation is that when we look at brand preference, customer satisfaction, willingness to recommend, none of that data has moved through that whole process" (via VentureBeat).

In case you think you misread that, Bach continues. "It speaks to the fact that they love their games and Xbox Live. Does it frustrate them? Yes. On the other hand, they know we're taking care of them," he said. Bach, who was not part of yesterday's executive reshuffle, covered quite a few topics (and managed to dodge most of them): the next Xbox console, Japan failures, a hinted Wii remote, "Wii 360" and the loss of Bizarre Creations.

JoystiqRobbie Bach: broken Xbox 360s did not affect brand preference originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftrobbie-bachrrodxboxxbox-360Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Bach denies Blu-ray Xbox 360 yet again]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/bach-denies-blu-ray-xbox-360-yet-again/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/bach-denies-blu-ray-xbox-360-yet-again/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/bach-denies-blu-ray-xbox-360-yet-again/#commentsFiled under:

9:00AM pacific has come and gone and guess what kids? We still do not have a Blu-ray equipped Xbox 360 to announce, because it isn't real. So, that CrunchGear rumor was a total bust, who would have guessed? But we really didn't have to wait until this morning to be disappointed, because Microsoft's own Robbie Bach already dispelled (for the 39th time) any Blu-ray / Xbox 360 integration yesterday during an interview with SFGate. Again, Bach pretty much reiterated the fact that the Blu-ray format isn't something Microsoft is interested in adding to the 360 and doesn't think consumers really see value in it. Oh, and if you were excited about a Zune Phone (and really, who isn't?) don't hold your breath. Bach squashed that rumor too.

[Via Engadget]

JoystiqBach denies Blu-ray Xbox 360 yet again originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bachblu-rayrobbie-bachxbox-360Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft's Bach tamps down Blu-ray Xbox rumors]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/microsofts-bach-tamps-down-blu-ray-xbox-rumors/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/microsofts-bach-tamps-down-blu-ray-xbox-rumors/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/microsofts-bach-tamps-down-blu-ray-xbox-rumors/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Well, it's tomorrow, and despite yesterday's rumor that Microsoft would be announcing a Blu-ray equipped Xbox 360 today (that's yesterday's tomorrow, for those of you confused by that first clause), so far we've so far heard bupkis. In fact, we've heard less than bupkis if you take into account the San Francisco Chronicle interview with Robbie Bach, in which the Microsoft Entertainment & Devices president downplays disc-based movie formats and stresses Microsoft's HD video downloads.

"Xbox 360 has a great ability to deliver [high-definition experience] through the Xbox Live (online download) service," Bach said. "It's a great way to get the high-definition concept because it's right there. There's no additional media. There is nothing you need to purchase ... You have to look at how fundamentally compelling the difference is between a progressive scan DVD player and the picture that it can produce and what you get on a high-definition player. The reality is there is some difference, but most people look at it and say, 'I am not going to pay extra for that.'"

The full interview also includes Bach's thoughts on in-game ads, the next-next-gen Xbox, and motion-sensitive controllers. Check it out.

JoystiqMicrosoft's Bach tamps down Blu-ray Xbox rumors originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blu-raybreakingnewshd-dvdhigh-defmicrosoftrobbie-bachrumorXbox-360xbox360Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft's Bach sees no competition for Xbox Live]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/microsofts-bach-sees-no-competition-for-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/microsofts-bach-sees-no-competition-for-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/microsofts-bach-sees-no-competition-for-xbox-live/#commentsFiled under: ,


Speaking to the Los Angeles Times (registration required), Xbox chief Robbie Bach has concisely explained just what he thinks about the ostensible Xbox Live competitor, PlayStation Network. That is to say, not much. In fact, it seems we were getting carried away by even calling it a competitor, as Bach believes that particular category remains unoccupied. "It's fair to say that Xbox Live is clearly head and shoulders above anything anyone else has tried to do," says Bach. "We don't have competition."

Surely, being an online service offering downloads and multiplayer puts it in the same league? "Sony has done some things online, but nothing that can be called a service. We have a big advantage and we're going to keep pressing that advantage." Bach is right in stressing the Xbox 360's cohesive and consistent online integration as a strength, but to outright dismiss the folks that have one highly alluring advantage (hint: free) smacks of overconfident ship captains sailing through arctic waters. The PSN is currently beleaguered with PS3 interface issues and flaky developer support, but none of these are impossible to resolve. After all, Microsoft should know more than anyone that the right content (and the right game) can be just the thing to kick-start online en masse.

Read -- GamesIndustry.biz
Read -- LA Times (registration required)

JoystiqMicrosoft's Bach sees no competition for Xbox Live originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>PS3PSNRobbie-BachSmacktalkXBLAXbox-360Xbox-LiveXboxLiveMon, 19 Nov 2007 16:05:00 EST