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(Interview) Focus: Microsoft's Robbie Bach at X05 (Part 1)

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=12071

Lots of stuff in there...

I found this to be interesting...

How many of those 200 titles are going to be exclusive to Xbox 360?

Well, it depends on when they ship. Everything we ship right now is next-generation exclusive, and so part of that depends on when they're going to ship. Certainly, all the first party stuff which you've seen - Mass Effect, Too Human, Gears of War, and obviously the three launch titles, Kameo, Perfect Dark Zero and PGR3, the things we're doing in Japan... Those are all going to be exclusive.

We've also announced some titles where we're very specifically exclusive - Call of Duty is very specifically exclusive, DOA is exclusive to us, Oblivion is exclusive. Saints Row is exclusive, Condemned is exclusive, Full Auto is exclusive... There's a pretty rich set of titles, at least to the window we can see out to in the future. We'll see as we move forward into the latter half of 2006.

Regarding product shipments
One thing I'd like to point out is that there is an important process difference between us and how Sony and Nintendo do this, and I think you saw this with the PSP launch. When Sony and Nintendo traditionally launch, they pick a certain number of units - X thousands of units - and then they put it in the marketplace, and then they don't ship anything for six weeks. The retailers don't know when the next shipment is even coming!

Our process is actually quite different - when we're talking with retailers, what we will say is, "this is your day one quantity, this is how many units you're going to get week one, how many units you're going to get week two, how many units you're going to get week three, week four..." It goes on and on. Our process is to continually supply the channel.

What that does for the retailers is it gives them predictability. They can continue to advertise because they know they have new product coming up. It gives consumers some predictability because they can keep coming back to the store, and it gives people who do pre-sales some predictability because even if they don't have enough product for day one, they can say, "hey, I can take a reservation for day 27", and the person can know they're going to get the product at that point.
 
So much for a PS3 version. I'm a little surprised to be honest.

Maybe next gen won't be port city after all? Good.
 
Well, it depends on when they ship. Everything we ship right now is next-generation exclusive,

Holy Wonky Bullshit, Batman!

Since when could you call a game "exclusive" when it was also being released on PC? Or when it was slated to be released on another console later, due to the fact the platform wasn't out yet? Moreover, where do you get off assuming that "exclusive" implies "next-gen exclusive." Does that mean you're going to tout Madden as an xbox 360 exclusive, simply because the version being released on your platform is the only one released in the "next gen," despite 8 other versions floating around current platforms?

Boo on that smarmy definition of exclusive.

And how does Too Human possibly qualify as a first party game? (Edit: apparently, who ever transcribed this interview doesn't know that a hyphen is actually an elaborative syntactical tool and not a listing one. There's no way Bach actually meant Gears of War was first party as well, he had to be listing them. But we get a hypen. What the fuck. This writer sucks.)
 
SteveMeister said:
He's only talking about consoles.

I realize that, I was just referencing the PS3 vs 360 competition. Thanks for clarifying though, this was the first confirmation I've read.

Xrenity said:
Oblivion and CoD2 are console exclusive, right?
(as they are coming to PC)

Yeah, I think that's all MS cares about. You see them talking about Halo and Fable as 'exclusives' when they are on PC.
 
"Our process is actually quite different - when we're talking with retailers, what we will say is, "this is your day one quantity, this is how many units you're going to get week one, how many units you're going to get week two, how many units you're going to get week three, week four..." It goes on and on. Our process is to continually supply the channel.

What that does for the retailers is it gives them predictability. They can continue to advertise because they know they have new product coming up. It gives consumers some predictability because they can keep coming back to the store, and it gives people who do pre-sales some predictability because even if they don't have enough product for day one, they can say, "hey, I can take a reservation for day 27", and the person can know they're going to get the product at that point."


Bravo. Considering a lot of retailers are laying out their weekly ads for Thanksgiving and beyond, this is a huge vote of confidence.
 
Juice said:
And how does Too Human possibly qualify as a first party game? (Edit: apparently, who ever transcribed this interview doesn't know that a hyphen is actually an elaborative syntactical tool and not a listing one. There's no way Bach actually meant Gears of War was first party as well, he had to be listing them. But we get a hypen. What the fuck.

Five seconds of research reveals..

Gears of war:
Published by: Microsoft
http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/747/747891.html

Too human:
Published by: Microsoft
http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/748/748783.html


This writer sucks.)

MORE LIKE U SUX
 
HomerSimpson-Man said:
Well, I assume it would be much easier to get console exclusives if the competition won't come out for another year, it might be old hat by then.

Im sure COD is a timed exlcusive. ;) Ill be playing the PC version online.
 
Excelion said:
The PS3 version of Condemned was also "cancelled", ie it was planned but not anymore.


There's a hilarious thread on TXB about all the implications of Condemned being cancelled for the PS3. i.e. devs are jumping ship, the PS3 is too weak, it takes tens of millions to create a game on PS3, there's no PS3 cause it's vapor-ware, etc. It's good for a laugh to be sure.
 
Kangu said:
There's a hilarious thread on TXB about all the implications of Condemned being cancelled for the PS3. i.e. devs are jumping ship, the PS3 is too weak, it takes tens of millions to create a game on PS3, there's no PS3 cause it's vapor-ware, etc. It's good for a laugh to be sure.

Ah yes, nothing better than a cancelled project to get the fanboy juices flowing!
 
Interesting comment on development:

More fundamentally, a really cool trend for us is that people are doing their next-generation content on Xbox 360. Now, they may end up porting some of that to PS3, but Xbox 360 is becoming the reference platform for them to work with, because we have development kits. We have real tools that they can actually do real work on. So what that's going to mean is that the games end up being optimised for the platform they're created for. That's going to lead to some great content.
 
Juice said:
Holy Wonky Bullshit, Batman!

Since when could you call a game "exclusive" when it was also being released on PC? Or when it was slated to be released on another console later, due to the fact the platform wasn't out yet? Moreover, where do you get off assuming that "exclusive" implies "next-gen exclusive." Does that mean you're going to tout Madden as an xbox 360 exclusive, simply because the version being released on your platform is the only one released in the "next gen," despite 8 other versions floating around current platforms?

QFT. What the hell does that mean? "Well, it depends on when they ship. Everything we ship right now is next-generation exclusive, and so part of that depends on when they're going to ship." Does "next-gen" end when the PS3 is launched? Is it magically "next-next-gen" at that point?

I can understand calling a game exclusive if it's still being released for the PC; I'll forgive them that definition. But what the hell does "depends on when they ship" have to do with being exclusive?
 
Wolffen said:
QFT. What the hell does that mean? "Well, it depends on when they ship. Everything we ship right now is next-generation exclusive, and so part of that depends on when they're going to ship." Does "next-gen" end when the PS3 is launched? Is it magically "next-next-gen" at that point?

I can understand calling a game exclusive if it's still being released for the PC; I'll forgive them that definition. But what the hell does "depends on when they ship" have to do with being exclusive?

I thought his comment is pretty clear.

He said anything they ship right now is exclusive. Big duh yeah I know.

Then he goes on to specifically state after certain games which will stay XBox 360 exclusive.
 
Mrbob said:
I thought his comment is pretty clear.

He said anything they ship right now is exclusive. Big duh yeah I know.

Then he goes on to specifically state after certain games which will stay XBox 360 exclusive.

But we like to debate semantics here.
 
I think its pretty clear by the way he frames his response (it depends on when they ship?) that by "exclusive" he means the other definition of exclusive... as in... its exclusive until the PS3 version comes out. We already know that Saint's Row is in development for PS3. One of the devs let that slip just last week or the week before.

Oblivion will probably come out for the PS3 also. If it was a true exclusive you would have probably seen SteveMeister and Vark shoot down the possibility that it would ever come out on the PS3 a long time ago. Why? Because they wouldn't want to have so many people not buy their game because they are waiting for a version that will never ship. They'd be like "buy it for Xbox the PS3 version isn't happening". They haven't done that. Every time anyone even mentions a PS3 version they don't even respond to it. Its like they can neither confirm nor deny its existence. I'd love to hear a definitive answer, either way, on where Bethesda stands on a PS3 port or upgraded GOTY-type version of the game.
 
Baron Aloha said:
Oblivion will probably come out for the PS3 also. If it was a true exclusive you would have probably seen SteveMeister and Vark shoot down the possibility that it would ever come out on the PS3 a long time ago.

SteveMeister said:
He's only talking about consoles.

See the 3rd post in this thread. I think that's solid confirmation that the game is coming for PC and XBox 360, only.
 
GhaleonEB said:
See the 3rd post in this thread. I think that's solid confirmation that the game is coming for PC and XBox 360, only.

Again, it depends on what definition of exclusive he's using. If its not ever coming out for the PS3 then I'd like to see him post. "Oblivion is not currently being developed for the PS3 nor is a PS3 version even planned." Something like that would be a heck of a lot more convincing.

I'm getting the game this year. The only reason I'm even making a big deal out of it is because I'm sick of seeing people tip-toe around the exclusivity issue.

Bach says the game is "specifically" exclusive. That in and of itself can have 2 meanings.

1. This specific 3rd party game is a true exclusive.

or

2. This 3rd party game is exclusive...specifically until the PS3 comes out.
 
Baron Aloha said:
Again, it depends on what definition of exclusive he's using. If its not ever coming out for the PS3 then I'd like to see him post. "Oblivion is not currently being developed for the PS3 nor is a PS3 version even planned." Something like that would be a heck of a lot more convincing.

I'm getting the game this year. The only reason I'm even making a big deal out of it is because I'm sick of seeing people tip-toe around the exclusivity issue.

Bach says the game is "specifically" exclusive. That in and of itself can have 2 meanings.

1. This specific 3rd party game is a true exclusive.

or

2. This 3rd party game is exclusive...specifically until the PS3 comes out.

Robbie Bach said:
Oblivion is exclusive.

SteveMeister said:
He's only talking about consoles.

I do not find any ambiguity in this exchange.
 
GhaleonEB said:
I do not find any ambiguity in this exchange.

The ambiguity comes from Bach's meaning of the word exclusive. SteveMeister clarified that he's talking about consoles but that in and of itself does not eliminate the possibility of a PS3 version. If Bach's comment meant "its exclusive until the PS3 version comes out" saying "he's talking about consoles" doesn't eliminate the PS3 from the equation. Its saying "Oblivion is exclusive (on consoles) until the PS3 version comes out".

Again, if its a true exclusive I'd like SteveMeister or Vark to quote the following:

"Oblivion, or some version of Oblivion, is not currently in development for the PS3 nor is any version of Oblivion planned for the PS3."

It that simple. If a PS3 version isn't in development or it isn't planned then it doesn't make any sense for SteveMeister or Vark or anyone else from Bethesda to string along the people who believe it is coming. One more person who waits for a PS3 version that is never coming is one less person they can sell a 360 or PC version of Oblivion to.
 
Baron Aloha said:
The ambiguity comes from Bach's meaning of the word exclusive. SteveMeister clarified that he's talking about consoles but that in and of itself does not eliminate the possibility of a PS3 version. If Bach's comment meant "its exclusive until the PS3 version comes out" saying "he's talking about consoles" doesn't eliminate the PS3 from the equation. Its saying "Oblivion is exclusive (on consoles) until the PS3 version comes out".

Again, if its a true exclusive I'd like SteveMeister or Vark to quote the following:

"Oblivion, or some version of Oblivion, is not currently in development for the PS3 nor is any version of Oblivion planned for the PS3."

It that simple. If a PS3 version isn't in development or it isn't planned then it doesn't make any sense for SteveMeister or Vark or anyone else from Bethesda to string along the people who believe it is coming. One more person who waits for a PS3 version that is never coming is one less person they can sell a 360 or PC version of Oblivion to.

You are hilarious.
 
Haven't we all learned by now? There's really no such thing as an exclusive unless it's being published by one of the big three.

I'm sure a year down the road the PS3 will get Oblivion: The Mega Oblivious Edition, but that's a year down the road. Who really cares?
 
Baron Aloha said:
The ambiguity comes from Bach's meaning of the word exclusive. SteveMeister clarified that he's talking about consoles but that in and of itself does not eliminate the possibility of a PS3 version. If Bach's comment meant "its exclusive until the PS3 version comes out" saying "he's talking about consoles" doesn't eliminate the PS3 from the equation. Its saying "Oblivion is exclusive (on consoles) until the PS3 version comes out".

Again, if its a true exclusive I'd like SteveMeister or Vark to quote the following:

"Oblivion, or some version of Oblivion, is not currently in development for the PS3 nor is any version of Oblivion planned for the PS3."

It that simple. If a PS3 version isn't in development or it isn't planned then it doesn't make any sense for SteveMeister or Vark or anyone else from Bethesda to string along the people who believe it is coming. One more person who waits for a PS3 version that is never coming is one less person they can sell a 360 or PC version of Oblivion to.

Have you ever thought that maybe it's not in SteveMeister's or Vark's place to officially announce who's exclusive to what on the gaming-age message board? Most of the time all of that shit is left 100% to the PR department.

From what he has said, though not directly, in response to Bach's phrase basically means if you want a console version of Oblivion just buy 360 version.
 
Baron Aloha said:
The ambiguity comes from Bach's meaning of the word exclusive. SteveMeister clarified that he's talking about consoles but that in and of itself does not eliminate the possibility of a PS3 version. If Bach's comment meant "its exclusive until the PS3 version comes out" saying "he's talking about consoles" doesn't eliminate the PS3 from the equation. Its saying "Oblivion is exclusive (on consoles) until the PS3 version comes out".

Again, if its a true exclusive I'd like SteveMeister or Vark to quote the following:

"Oblivion, or some version of Oblivion, is not currently in development for the PS3 nor is any version of Oblivion planned for the PS3."

It that simple. If a PS3 version isn't in development or it isn't planned then it doesn't make any sense for SteveMeister or Vark or anyone else from Bethesda to string along the people who believe it is coming. One more person who waits for a PS3 version that is never coming is one less person they can sell a 360 or PC version of Oblivion to.


grasping_at_straws.png


Until you hear otherwise, its exclusive. Deal.
 
GhaleonEB said:
You are hilarious.

Good. I can asure you that I find the fact that you concluded "he's talking about consoles" means that it isn't ever coming out for the PS3 when we know that the word "exclusive" doesn't mean anything anymore (especially when it comes from someone like Bach who uses the two meanings of the word inter-changably) equally hilarious.

I guess we'll see in six months if your assumption about Steve's comment was correct. Oblivion may very well be a 360 console-exclusive in the true meaning of the word. I honestly don't care at this point because I've decided to buy the game (for the 360) in November. Oblivion is probably my most anticipated game at the moment. More than Zelda, and more than anything officially announced for the PS3. The only thing that might come close for me is FFXII.

I was just pointing out how the alleged PS3 version hasn't been flatly denied by anyone at Bethesda and the only reason I did that is because after 4-5 years (basically ever since the word exclusive got two meanings) I've grown sick and tired of people like Bach, Reggie, etc throwing around the word in a deliberate attempt to mislead people. That's all.
 
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