Engadget Interviews Bill Gates (Kutaragi sent Bill a PSP)

[Brimstone]

Thanks for taking the time to meet with me today. First off I wanted to ask you about the next Xbox console, which is arguably going to be the biggest Microsoft launch of the year. Why launch the console on MTV as opposed to E3? Do you risk alienating the original Xbox’s audience of hardcore gamers by going mass market from day one?



I’m going to call it Xenon, that’s the codename for the thing; Xenon is good enough that we’ll have no problem. Hardcore gamers are going to love Xenon because of the applications that are on Xenon. And it’s not just the technical specs. It’s the partnership we have with the game creators and we’re going to have this next generation machine out so that it’s going to be timed with high definition becoming very mainstream.


We’ve learned a lot from Xbox 1. In Xbox 1 we let ourselves sort of be second in and to not have the momentum. We had to learn a lot about building the partnerships. We’re new to the industry so people naturally didn’t know if we were hardcore committed to the thing. We’ve really gotten over that now and so it’s been a lot easier this time around, but we want to broaden video gaming, and without giving up any of the hardcore players we want more women, older people [to be playing games]. We’re going to have games that are more sociable, more approachable, particularly by taking this idea of Xbox Live and bringing in contests and spectators and ratings and talking to your friends and various new things there we think we can make it much bigger category than it’s ever been to date. That is important for us.

...


Have you had a chance to play with the PlayStation portable?

Actually yeah. Because we both work with Sony and compete with Sony, Kutaragi and Idei were here some months ago, and they sent me one even before it was in the marketplace. We’re not in that segment of the business. I don’t know if he would have done the same with the PS3, but so he sent a PSP and that was very nice.

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000440041962/

They gotta send Ken Kutaragi a XB-360.

 

[AlNom]

hm....is Mr. Gates going to be at E3?

 

[blakjedi]

If this interview is real... it shows that all of the competitive industries that everyone gets so twisted up over (S vs MS vs N) or (ATI vs Nvidia) really are about Money. As long as there is a beneficial moneymaking relationship to be had...

 

[gurgi]

That PSP really is a secret Sony SPYBOTâ„¢. BE CAREFULE MR GATES!

=P

 

[Qroach]

really are about Money.

Of course

 

[BOOMEXPLODE]

really are about Money.

Of course

No! These industries are about a holy crusade to spread the gospel of the One True videogame platform to all the heathen masses! The false platforms will crumble under its infallable divine light!

















...or maybe it's only about money...

 

[trinibwoy]

If this interview is real... it shows that all of the competitive industries that everyone gets so twisted up over (S vs MS vs N) or (ATI vs Nvidia) really are about Money. As long as there is a beneficial moneymaking relationship to be had...

I just had the biggest duh!! moment in a long while.... All of those companies exist for one purpose - to sell a product and turn a profit - of course it's about money.

 

[Phil]

it's funny, despite what ever people think about the giant that is Microsoft, you have to hand it to them that they are very capable of listening what people want and what they'll do to make what they're doing a successful under going. They lost millions on Xbox, but they're showing that they are doing what's necessary to make this business a success.

They've done this with the Windows CE and they're doing it again here with the Xbox. If they'll succeed of course it yet to be established, but they're taking the steps necessary. Kudos!

This is something IMO Nintendo still has to work on. Basically stand there and say "we made some mistakes, we learned a lot and now we're changing them". "We might fail again by making other mistakes, but we'll learn that as well and we'll be back until it we succeed".

IMO Nintendo doesn't see themselves as doing something wrong - or at least Yamauchi didn't and outrighly criticized the market (in relation to GTA at the time) which certainly isn't going to help them gain more marketshare again.

Anyway, Sorry if this was somewhat offtopic - just something I noticed when I read the above quotes by B. Gates.