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blackiee2002
04-07-2004, 01:56 PM
Peter Moore interview
We’ve spoken with the head of Microsoft’s Xbox game department about the future of the Xbox, the battle against Sony and much more.


Peter Moore is in charge of global game production and marketing at Microsoft.
Peter Moore has recently been appointed manager of Microsoft’s global production and marketing of games for the Xbox and the PC. This makes him a pivotal force in the software giant’s console war against Sony, which is already well under way, even though we won’t see either the Xbox 2 or the PlayStation 3 for another two or three years in Europe.

Boomtown has been lucky enough to get a rare interview with Moore and we got some interesting tidbits on Sony, the next Xbox and Microsoft’s struggle in Japan, among other things.


Xbox 2 not backwards compatible?
One of the very interesting questions about the Xbox 2 is that of backwards compatibility. The rumours tell us that there are major hardware changes underway, in the CPU, GPU and hard drive areas. This alone leaves out the possibility for anything other than software emulation and Peter Moore’s responses to our questions indicate that backwards compatibility is not prioritised very highly by Microsoft:

- I think that backwards compatibility is mainly a PR problem. In the case of the PS2, it was only important for the first sixty days, until there were good PS2 titles on the shelves. After this, there wasn’t much interest in playing old PlayStation games , Moore concludes, and continues with a smile, It’s mostly a message to the parents, assuring them that they didn’t throw their money out of the window buying games for their kids.


Why do we need XNA?


Microsoft XNA is a new unified development system for PC and Xbox games, among other things.
The announcement of XNA on the Games Developer Conference came as a disappointment to those who had expected the revelation of the Xbox 2. But Microsoft know that their talent lies in the development of software – they’ve proven it with Windows (*cough* Windows ME *cough* – ed.) and not least DirectX in connection with gaming. Conversely, Sony are strong on the hardware front, based on their monumental experience with consumer electronics. This is why Moore wants to make it clear that XNA is a central step towards the Xbox 2 and towards challenging Sony’s leading position, because:

- XNA is obviously focused on the next generation of consoles. Expenses are constantly rising for developers, while consumers are expecting more and more. We reckon that about 70 percent of all games result in deficits. The XNA software will reverse this for the better, because it means that developers need not spend so much time making tools, and it gives them freedom to design good games instead, Moore says.

In other words: XNA is supposed to make it cheaper and more attractive to make Xbox and PC games, than Sony and Nintendo games. According to Microsoft, the average game costs $5-10 million to develop in 2004, while the price in 1994 was only $1 million and Pac-Man cost $100.000 in 1982. If Microsoft manages to break this exponential curve, they will obviously have a great advantage on their hands.


Get ready, Sony


Sony's presence at the Game Developer Conference was extremely limited in comparison with that of Microsoft.
The guys at Sony must steel themselves, because Peter Moore is ready with a declaration of war. He stresses the fact that Microsoft have established a network of very strong third party developers now, and that they had to overcome some challenges. Microsoft hired 2000 people in connection with the Xbox project and they had to learn the business first. Furthermore, Sony had an 18-month lead over the Xbox. But Sony won’t have these advantages in the next-generation console war.

- Think of these factors, and you’ll know that the game will be different this time. Microsoft and Sony will fight a deciding battle for the living-room supremacy and Nintendo will have to settle for the kids’ rooms. Then we can take over the kids at age 12, he states.

There is one market that Microsoft doesn’t want to go into yet: handhelds.

- We’re not considering that at the moment. We have enough on our hands with the Xbox, Xbox 2 and XNA, Peter Moore says.


The next generation is all about experiences


One of the XNA teasers (or would that be 'teases'?) from GDC.
Moore is a man with a vision of the future of gaming and he is sure that the next-generation console war won’t be won purely by means of the best graphics, but by delivering the best experience to customers. Among other things, he commends Sony for the launch of the EyeToy.

- Consumers will seek new kinds of gaming experiences. The Eye Toy is a brilliant example of that, and one that even expands the demographic reach of games. Games often deter non-gamers, but the Eye Toy conquers this barrier. At Microsoft, we’re also looking at different forms of gameplay, the Xbox boss reveals, thus indicating that we might see some new interesting hardware along the lines of the EyeToy for the Xbox/Xbox 2.


Peter Moore also hints that Microsoft have learned much from the marketing of the Xbox. He thinks that Microsoft were too slow in changing the focus from hardcore gamers to the mass-market. This will not happen this time, although he underlines the importance of not alienating the hardcore gamer segment, which is the key customer group

- But we’ve also learned other things. For instance, making a black console was enough to deter casual gamers, he adds, without telling us which colour the Xbox 2 will be... (erm, is it just me, or is the PS2 black as well? – ed.)

He also underlines the need to have games that appeal to the mass-market, drawing a comparison with the movies: each time a niche movie for connoisseurs is made, there has to be the hit Adam Sandler movie to draw in cash at the box office.

- That is why Rare (a developer, Microsoft bought – ed.) are so important for us. They really have the abilities to expand the existing market with their games, thinks Moore.


Source: Boomtown DK
English version by: Jonatan A. Allin (neonwolf)

jabrre
04-07-2004, 08:10 PM
Personally, BC isnt important for me. I only play XBOX games and have only one system (giving up on Nintendo and Sony) hooked up to my telly. My XBOX will be around for years to come, so having another Microsoft system hooked up to the same telly as the XBOX is a must for me.

RudedogX
04-08-2004, 08:04 AM
For the love of god...please, please, please don't make an Eyetoy for the XBOX!:bang:

blackiee2002
04-08-2004, 04:10 PM
For the love of god...please, please, please don't make an Eyetoy for the XBOX!:bang:

and why not.

that could save the xbox
in terms of sales that is