Microsoft's motives for getting into the gaming business...(GREAT READ)

[jae_hoon_MOTW]

Salon.com, just updated with an excerpt from Dean Takahashi's new book, "Opening the Xbox: Inside Microsoft's Plan to Unleash an Entertainment Revolution." It's definetly a recommended reading (*Jae eyeing brotherman/EThugg...^_^) since it provides the reader with Microsoft's motives for entering the gaming business (i.e. Playstation 2 as one underlying factor). The excerpt also illustrates first-hand accounts of the presentation introducing the XB to Bill Gates...

[jae_hoon_MOTW]

I quoted some of my favorite references from the book, (to stir interest)...


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Gamers.com: "And there's plenty of reason for Microsoft not to like the book. "Any of the insidery stuff they just really didn't want to get out," Takahashi told Salon. "The fact that the initial code name was Project Midway -- they don't want the Japanese people to know that because it will hurt their feelings." The article explains that the Battle of Midway in 1942 was the turning point of the Pacific War. And this is in direct reference to the fact that before the launch of the Xbox, all of the console game makers--Sony, Nintendo, and Sega--were Japanese companies."


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Salon.com: "The initial cost (of the XB) estimate was for a machine with a bill of materials (engineering talk for cost) of $303. That machine would debut in the fall of 2000 and use a $20 microprocessor running at 350 megahertz from Advanced Micro Devices. The machine would also have a $55 hard disk drive with two gigabytes of storage, a $27 DVD drive to play movies, a $35 graphics chip, $25 worth of memory chips, and a collection of other standard parts like a motherboard, and power supply. Over time, these prices would decline. The WebTV crew weighed in again with their objections. They said the hard disk drive was unnecessary and too expensive. Brown said hard disk drive prices were falling and that he had seen one priced as low as $35. But Chris Phillips remembers thinking, "Oh great, you found a cheap hard disk on eBay and now you think that's what they cost."

[Freeter]

Originally posted by jae_hoon_MOTW
"The fact that the initial code name was Project Midway -- they don't want the Japanese people to know that because it will hurt their feelings."

They didn't want them to know that because they'd immediately think of Mortal Kombat and mock 'em

[dog$]

Originally posted by jae_hoon_MOTW
before the launch of the Xbox, all of the console game makers--Sony, Nintendo, and Sega--were Japanese companies."

Atari?

I'll have to pick the book up if I see it.`

[Brotherman]

Good article. Besides the specific details though I have talked about the reasons that Microsoft came into the game industry in the past. These reasons also double as reasons why they aren't just going to run away.

Microsoft always had plans for a set top box for the home but Sony's plans for PS2 cause Microsoft to accellerate their plans. Add to that the fact that they teamed up with one of Microsofts closest rivals (AOL) to help with their online and Microsoft had to act.

As I've said before, I'll probably say it again. It may not seem like it as first, but general tech issues that aren't directly related to games do affect the game industry.

This has the potential to be a really good topic, and if anyone wants, I can go into more detail.

[jae_hoon_MOTW]

Preach on Brotherman...

[Brotherman]

*other things to consider about the time that the X Box was being planned (note it's been awhile since I've read all the stuff on this so some things might be off. If so, let me know.)*

During the time sales of Microsoft's software products were slipping.

The PC Boom was about to end, but had not ended yet, and there were no signs of it ending.

XP was announced, but many companies and individuals planned to boycott the software at the time because of Microsoft's new piracy protection plan.

Vendors weren't accepting of XP at the time. PCs were selling fine. Why add the new OS now when people are sceptical about it. Even some of the deals Microsoft offered to early adopters wasn't working.

Industry situation started to look similar to the IBM/Microsoft situation except is was Microsoft/AOL. The only difference was unlike IBM, Microsoft saw the threat comming and began to take steps (such as giving ComCast or AT&T Time Warner a 5 Billion dollar reprieve on debts owed to Microsoft just so the deal would be successful and AOL wouldn't buy them) to keep themselves from suffering the same fate.

PS2 is it's full form, as well as PS3, would be come the ultimate combination. It would be a set top box that allowed you to download movies and other content using Sony's hardware and AOL's products (this situation only became more urgent with the AOL/Time Warner merger). The only thing holding this back is broadband popularity.

Also, these would double as PCs. The PS2 would become the competitor to the stardard PC and the Mac. The difference is since it was snuck in as a console all Sony had to do was say buy a few add-ons and you PS2 and do what a PC does. Surf the web. Do word processing and such. The big key here is this would be without a single Microsoft app. Just the Linux OS and apps. from many of Microsoft's most heated competitors. There was one good thing that would come of this for the game dev. community though (only if Sony kept their word). If things went that far, the PS brand would become an open environment like the PC.

[Kinopio]

VERY interesting read. it certainly does show just how interested microsoft is in the actual videogames, which is very little.

[RedTerrier]

dang brotherman, you know your stuff...good posts....

[StriderKyo]

Originally posted by dog$


Atari?

I'll have to pick the book up if I see it.`

Atari's American, through and through. They just chose a Japanese name to sound like they knew electronics. Seriously.

As for that "Project Midway" thing...classy, guys. Real classy. Somehow I doubt the Dreamcast was internally codenamed project Pearl Harbour.