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[sonycowboy]

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1217&Itemid=2

Xbox boss Robbie Bach has dampened hopes for a Halo 3 launch against the coming of PS3.

The interview, from news service IDG, covers most of the big ticket issues facing Xbox 360's launch. Here are the main topics…

On Xbox's $4 billion 'investment'

"I'm not going to contest that we have invested billions of dollars in Xbox. It's an investment that has built some amazing assets. We're the number two videogame company in the world. That's a pretty amazing achievement in less than four years."

On the battle with PS3

"If you just look at the hardware, they’re about the same as us. In some places we’re faster, in other places, they’re faster. But by the time PS3 ships we'll be working on second generation games. In the end this business is about games and we’re going to have a spectacular line-up."

On Xbox Live targets

"Today we have 10% paid subscribers. We want 50% of customers of the next generation to be connected to the live service. In the next generation we have two levels of service: What we want to do is to get people on the [free] Silver service and that’s where the 50 percent number comes up. The logic is you get people connected, they get a gamer tag, they start experiencing what it is, it's a great trial and that should help us convert people to the [paid] Gold service."

On Halo 3's launch against the PS3 launch
(Bill Gates has previously indicated it would launch against PS3).

"Philosophically the point Bill was trying to make is that we’re not just going to ship and not have great stuff coming up. We don't know when Sony will ship PS3. They’ve said spring ... What we do know is that the way our portfolio lines up we’re going to have great exclusive content. Halo is something we’ll ship when it’s ready."

On supporting the original Xbox

"Microsoft will not [develop new games] but our third-party publishers will. Our lineup for 2005 is pretty spectacular. I think there are a little over 200 titles in development. Third-party publishers are going to do a lot of cross-platform work. They’ll continue to do PS2 development. It’s trivial to do Xbox development and there are 20 million plus Xbox customers. The reason why Microsoft won’t do those titles is because as the first party it’s our job to drive innovation on new platforms. It’s up to us to take the most risk, push our resources and blaze a trail."

On Japan

"We learned a lot from our rather humbling experience with Xbox. We were two years behind Sony getting into the market and we didn't have the right content. We've spent a lot of time and effort to make sure we’re in the market in a timely fashion. We’ve signed up some of the leading Japanese creators to do development for us... We're cautiously optimistic."

 

[AB 101]

Did Bach just put the smackdown on his boss (Gates)? :lol


Edit:

Posted before reading.

Not a total smackdown I guess.

 

[123rl]

Interesting. It's good to hear that they'll ship it when it's ready, not when it'll go against the PS3 (and tbh Halo vs PS3 = a fart in a jacuzzi for Sony :lol )

"Today we have 10% paid subscribers. We want 50% of customers of the next generation to be connected to the live service. In the next generation we have two levels of service: What we want to do is to get people on the [free] Silver service and that’s where the 50 percent number comes up. The logic is you get people connected, they get a gamer tag, they start experiencing what it is, it's a great trial and that should help us convert people to the [paid] Gold service."

lol :lol So their 50% subscription figure will be coming from Xbox Live Silver - people who can't actually play games online?? :lol MS's spin is hilarious...it cracks me up

 

[siamesedreamer]

I thought Silver had free weekends?

 

[123rl]

Some free weekends though. It's not every weekend. Even if it was every weekend I wouldn't say it counts. Would you say you have broadband internet if you could only use it at the weekend?

 

[Optimistic]

Would you say you have broadband internet if you could only use it at the weekend?

Uh, yes. :lol

 

[GhaleonEB]

Interesting. It's good to hear that they'll ship it when it's ready, not when it'll go against the PS3 (and tbh Halo vs PS3 = a fart in a jacuzzi for Sony :lol )



lol :lol So their 50% subscription figure will be coming from Xbox Live Silver - people who can't actually play games online?? :lol MS's spin is hilarious...it cracks me up

But won't those people on Silver have access to MICROTRANSACTIONS? That's all that matters.

 

[SyNapSe]

:lol MS's spin is hilarious...it cracks me up

How is that quote spin? :lol

 

[Aruarian Reflection]

That's not spin is it? I think what he's saying is that Live will reach 50% subscribers because people test out Silver and are intrigued to upgrade. Otherwise, Live would be 100% of the userbase because everybody has Silver

 

[DarienA]

That's not spin is it? I think what he's saying is that Live will reach 50% subscribers because people test out Silver and are intrigued to upgrade. Otherwise, Live would be 100% of the userbase because everybody has Silver

Technically Live even with Silver could never be 100% because not all users will take their 360's online.

 

[123rl]

Uh, yes. :lol

Fair enough, but I wouldn't.

But won't those people on Silver have access to MICROTRANSACTIONS? That's all that matters.

lol, you're probably right :lol Microtransactions and premium content = Xbox Live, apparently :lol

How is that quote spin? :lol

Because Nintendo expect up to 90% of users to PLAY online. Nintendo = quoting estimates of people who actually play games; MS = quoting estimates of people who spent 5 minutes to register a username. If MS were to place estimates on how many people they think will pay for XBox Live Gold, then that figure will be a LOT lower than 50%

My comment was more about how MS bring out ridiculous spin to cover up their weaknesses...Moore saying the Tard Pack is a good idea people don't want to save their games, for example :lol

And before the comments come pouring in, I've been using Xbox Live for 18 months and I'll be playing my Xbox 360 on Xbox Live on day one.

 

[WarLox]

So, should Sony tab. it's online base.... since its a Free service ?



"spin"

 

[Razoric]

So, should Sony tab. it's online base.... since its a Free service ?



"spin"

An online game console service should 'tab' how many players are PLAYING games online. Free or not.

 

[ziran]

it's taken from an interview with bach at IDG

it's a good read.

...IDGNS: Why do you think Xbox 360 will be better than PS3?

Bach: First, we have some amazing exclusive franchises. We'll have probably the best launch line-up ever. By the time PS3 ships we'll be working on second generation games. In the end this business is about games and we’re going to have a spectacular line-up. Plus, we have a more powerful platform. We can all debate the merits of their hardware approach and our hardware approach. If you just look at hardware they’re about the same. In some places we’re faster, in other places, they’re faster. The platform isn’t just about that. It includes software design that goes into it and the service design that goes into it. Software developers are finding it incredibly easy to use it to design great games. On the Xbox live we're years ahead. The platform is going to be better, the games are going to be better and the on-line services are going to be better...

 

[Lord Error]

I think this interview is couple of months old.

 

[Bob White]

Bach: First, we have some amazing exclusive franchises. We'll have probably the best launch line-up ever. By the time PS3 ships we'll be working on second generation games. In the end this business is about games and we’re going to have a spectacular line-up. Plus, we have a more powerful platform. We can all debate the merits of their hardware approach and our hardware approach. If you just look at hardware they’re about the same. In some places we’re faster, in other places, they’re faster. The platform isn’t just about that. It includes software design that goes into it and the service design that goes into it. Software developers are finding it incredibly easy to use it to design great games. On the Xbox live we're years ahead. The platform is going to be better, the games are going to be better and the on-line services are going to be better...

And all that goes away if Rockstar releases GTA 4 and goes crazy with those blu-ray disks leaving 360 with a crippled version.

Thank God for the non rush job on halo 3. Now Kojima, do the same!

 

[open_mouth_]

Microsoft is proving to be a good competitor with the Xbox 360. It IS a very viable platform.

But Sony has an incredibly strong foothold and the Playstation brand is just a behemoth.

 

[Cathcart]

Shocker.

 

[Duckhuntdog]

Well considering production on Halo 3 started in September that's a big no duh.

 

[svenuce]

I think this interview is couple of months old.

If by a couple months old, you mean happening yesterday at X05, then yes, it is.

 

[Lord Error]

If by a couple months old, you mean happening yesterday at X05, then yes, it is.

I could swear I read this same thing quote for quote, a few months ago. Including the exact wording about the X360 vs PS3, and "Halo 3 will launch when it's ready"