Interview With Xbox's European Manager

[hey69]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=+1] "Blu Ray Reminds us of Betamax"
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Chris Lewis is the Microsoft executive in charge of the European market for the company's Xbox gaming consoles. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, he makes digs at competitor Sony, he laments the trouble his company has had with the Xbox 360 in Japan and discusses the tastes of German gamers.
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[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]SPIEGEL ONLINE: How many Xbox 360s have been sold so far world-wide?[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Chris Lewis: By the end of June we will have sold between 4.5 and 5.5 million units worldwide. We were in 19 countries when we launched, we're already in 30. We'll have 80 high-definition games on the market, including games downloaded from our online marketplace "Arcade," by the end of June. It's great that Europe was right up there with the United States and Japan for launch. Europe is the most critical geography to our worldwide success.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE=-1] [SIZE=-2]BIO BOX[/SIZE]
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Chris Lewis is regional vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Microsoft. He is responsible for the company's Xbox 360 gaming console business in Europe. [/SIZE]
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]SPIEGEL ONLINE: The market you're probably least happy about is Japan. In the first weeks of 2006 more PS2s and Gamecubes were being sold there than Xbox 360s.[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Lewis: It's a tough marketplace for us. It's critical for us to get out there with the right games. We're making steady progress, but it's tough. We are making sure that we have the right content, the right people, the right marketing in Japan.[/SIZE][/FONT]




[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Read the rest here:[/SIZE][/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,411855,00.html
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[Shifty Geezer]

[SIZE=-1]Read the rest here:

Why would anyone want to, when it's obvious that this is nothing more worthless PR chatter. I mean...[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]SPIEGEL ONLINE: How many Xbox 360s have been sold so far world-wide?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Chris Lewis: By the end of June we will have sold between 4.5 and 5.5 million units worldwide.

...is right out of the Ladybird Book of Introductory Politically Interviewing Techniques. How many consoles have you sold? Won't answer your question and instead will say what I want to say no matter how irrelevant that is to you question. A straight question deserves a straight answer, even if 'I don't really know, I don't have the total figures, but it's something like 2.5 to 3 million.' Evasive interviewees should be ridiculed, derided, tarred and feathered and boiled in cheap Tabasco sauce.[/SIZE]

 

[Phil]

I actually found it quite interesting on how direct some of the question were, for example about the missing HDMI interface. It made the evasive answering even more entertaining though and this will be one of things I'd like to see answered at E3.

 

[hey69]

Why would anyone want to, when it's obvious that this is nothing more worthless PR chatter. I mean...

maybe because i say so?

 

[Platon]

Why would anyone want to, when it's obvious that this is nothing more worthless PR chatter. I mean...[/size]
...is right out of the Ladybird Book of Introductory Politically Interviewing Techniques. How many consoles have you sold? Won't answer your question and instead will say what I want to say no matter how irrelevant that is to you question. A straight question deserves a straight answer, even if 'I don't really know, I don't have the total figures, but it's something like 2.5 to 3 million.' Evasive interviewees should be ridiculed, derided, tarred and feathered and boiled in cheap Tabasco sauce.[/size]

Agreed, I couldn't believe that answer . When I saw the answer I had to reread the question to see that I had actually read it right. Nice of him to tell as the future though ...

 

[scooby_dooby]

This was interesting:

"[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Lewis: All I can say to you is -- there are interesting developments in the pipeline. We will make sure that the HD-DVD-peripheral device will meet all the requirements for consumers to enjoy high-definition DVD playback."

So all this talk about no HDMI has been much ado about nothing.
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[rounin]

Agreed, I couldn't believe that answer . When I saw the answer I had to reread the question to see that I had actually read it right. Nice of him to tell as the future though ...

LOL . X 3 Automatically turned me off from reading that article.

 

[expletive]

This was interesting:

"[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Lewis: All I can say to you is -- there are interesting developments in the pipeline. We will make sure that the HD-DVD-peripheral device will meet all the requirements for consumers to enjoy high-definition DVD playback."

So all this talk about no HDMI has been much ado about nothing.
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Still doesnt answer the following:

1. The question of HDMI output WITHOUT the HD-DVD add-on.
2. The question of HDMI output for games WITH the HDDVD add-on. (though i suppose MS wouldnt ask people to maintain 2 connections to their TV for the 360.)

But good to know we'll get more concrete HDMI info at E3.

 

[scooby_dooby]

Still doesnt answer the following:

1. The question of HDMI output WITHOUT the HD-DVD add-on.
2. The question of HDMI output for games WITH the HDDVD add-on. (though i suppose MS wouldnt ask people to maintain 2 connections to their TV for the 360.)

But good to know we'll get more concrete HDMI info at E3.

Do you need really HDMI output for games?

 

[expletive]

Do you need really HDMI output for games?

Nope, i'd just like a final, solid, answer on it. I wouldnt mind it though cause i'm nerdy like that. I have to believe theres no way MS would have an HDMI output for the HD-DVD and component for the 360 itself so if someone really wants HDMI for games theyll probably have to at least buy the HD-DVD drive.

 

[scooby_dooby]

Nope, i'd just like a final, solid, answer on it. I wouldnt mind it though cause i'm nerdy like that. I have to believe theres no way MS would have an HDMI output for the HD-DVD and component for the 360 itself so if someone really wants HDMI for games theyll probably have to at least buy the HD-DVD drive.

No I don't think that's the case. I've never seen MS state that they will support HDMI for games, so I don't know if there's any reason to expect they will.

 

[Tap In]

I wouldn't mind Hdmi for games and MS had said at one time that it would/could be added if warrented by the user base. (in an old interview that we could find referenced on this site somewhere) Although it would have to fight my DVR for access as my tv has only one HDMI input.

as for HD DVD... I can't wait to hear more details at E3.

I'm imagining an HDMI output directly from the add-on reader. I'm sure (based on common sense and the interview above) that MS has worked out a reasonable hardware solution to HDMI.

The only real factor that I see is cost. I would imagine that they will wait for PS3 pricing before announcing that so they can avoid all the "But blu-ray is included" comparisons.

The advantage to this "add on" IMO is the ability for those who will never view or buy a HiDef disc movie to not have to subsidize a HD player for all the other users.

Not to mention that it allowed the release of a Next Gen system a year prior to the other formats being ready for prime time.

 

[expletive]

I wouldn't mind Hdmi for games and MS had said at one time that it would/could be added if warrented by the user base. (in an old interview that we could find referenced on this site somewhere)

Here you go...

ET: What about DVI or HDMI? Those are popular connections on HDTVs these days.

TH: We believe that we have the right set of outputs right now to meet the requirements of people who have HDTV sets today. We're continuing to look at what's going on in the future, and as things change, we've developed a very flexible system, so we can adapt to the different demands that are out there.

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1817074,00.asp

 

[Tap In]

HDMI switchers are danged expensive (for my tastes ) though and with my DVR, X360 and PS3 requesting the use, I may have to buy one.

 

[expletive]

HDMI switchers are danged expensive (for my tastes ) though and with my DVR, X360 and PS3 requesting the use, I may have to buy one.

Well if you have 5.1 sound, you could always take the inordinate amount of money for HDMI switcher and upgrade your receiver to one with HDMi switching...

 

[Tap In]

Well if you have 5.1 sound, you could always take the inordinate amount of money for HDMI switcher and upgrade your receiver to one with HDMi switching...

Ah yes I am about due for an upgrade to my current 5.1

thanks for the idea.

 

[NavNucST3]

I wouldn't mind Hdmi for games and MS had said at one time that it would/could be added if warrented by the user base. (in an old interview that we could find referenced on this site somewhere) Although it would have to fight my DVR for access as my tv has only one HDMI input.

I just bought an HDMI switch (manual, but I don't care) for $60 and two 10' hdmi cables for $22 with 2-day shipping (the shipping cost $10). monoprice.com usually has great prices on cables and hdmi switches. The one I bought was a 2x1 manual switch (2 hdmi and 2 dvi out with analog out for the DVI ports). Supposedly this device will not effect HDCP on my devices, but we will see. So, as long as people don't shop retail, HDMI really isn't more expensive than anything else, shopping retail and its ungodly expensive, I think compusa wanted $100+ for a 6- or 10-foot cable, unbelievable...just checked they wanted $120 for 8'...uh, yeah, no thanks.

So in my household, its 3 hdtvs, 1 26" component and NON-HDCP DVI, 1 26" with hdmi, hdcp-dvi, and component, and 1 30" CRT with component only (also has the best PQ) which is where the 360 is connected, however, all three of my comcast hd dvrs have hdmi on them as well as my samsung upscaling dvd. So component rules on my TVs but HDMI rules on my devices. MSFT, may as well make a digital cable if they can, hopefully its announced at E3. I remember one of the product guys saying that there were 15 accessories intially designed for the 360, we obviously haven't seen them all, so hopefully this is one of them.

BTW, expletive, the wife was just in your neck of the woods...

 

[ElStupido]

bla bla, the truth is that the interest for xbox360 is very little in germany. the price is down all over the country. the standart has become 349€ for premium and around 250 for the core, the core version is now selling even for 100€ less than the introduction price.

http://www.saturn.de/frontend/offer...id=1268501&navi=offer&pool_id=2&outlet_id=214
The cheapest xbox I've seen was priced 66€! (official price: 149€)
The truth is that PC-Gaming is very popular in germany so those ppl wanting to play shooters are upgrading their pcs even less rich ppl do that sonstantly. MS needs to broaden their game-portfolio and stop flooding us (and I'm speaking from a german perspective) with pc-ports (->shooters of any kind).

 

[Qroach]

The truth is that PC-Gaming is very popular in germany so those ppl wanting to play shooters are upgrading their pcs even less rich ppl do that sonstantly. MS needs to broaden their game-portfolio and stop flooding us (and I'm speaking from a german perspective) with pc-ports (->shooters of any kind).

Don't you think those sentences are contradictory? Your saying PC gaming is popular in germany and then you're saying MS needs to broden thier portfolio and stop flooding you with PC ports? If PC gaming is popular that means PC style games are popular.

Anyway I really don't see how people are thinking 360 is "flooded" with PC games unless you are ignoring all the other types of games released. new consoles always get PC ports before all the original titles start showing up. I can remember selling my PSone because for a while at the start there was nothing but PC ports.

The problem with brigning games in general to germany are the laws regarding violence, blood and gore, unless those have changed in the past few years. That was always a problem for certain games.

 

[Jabjabs]

Well you can play Gears of Wars and ummm... ahhh... gears of war!

I won't less PC ports to