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[ziran]

Eurogamer

extract:

...Eurogamer: Can you be specific on the launch line-up, because it's still kind of ambiguous what games you're going to launch with the console.

J Allard: The ones that are done! The ones that are done!

Eurogamer: Can I press you on that? Can you say with conviction which ones?

J Allard: You can press all you want, but no games are through certification yet so it's hard to say precisely. What I can say is the first party team is wound up and they're going to try to get as many of the titles that they're hoping for on day one.

Eurogamer: What are you hoping for?

J Allard: We're hoping for all three of the first party titles to be there on day one. We're hoping, though. We're not going to sacrifice quality to do it. I mean you saw that with Halo; everyone was disappointed with the press. We moved the Halo 2 date out to November, and people said 'oh, I expected it in April, this is a travesty, it's disastrous!' No, it's the best game that's ever been created, and we were glad that we waited and didn't rush it out. We're going to take the same approach with the first party content. If something's not ready we'll hold it back...

it's an interesting read.

update - Part 2

 

[ziran]

part 1 of [what looks like] 2:

Join us for the second part of our chat with J Allard, as the Xbox bigwig defends the launch line-up, what makes a next generation game, co-operative gameplay, and his thoughts on PlayStation 3...

 

[Rhindle]

Wow, sounds like things are NOT going well for our man J at the moment. This pretty much confirms the earlier stories that they are going to substantially undership. It sounds like yield problems on one or the other of the chips.

 

[john tv]

I like the guy's spirit but I wish he wouldn't say things like "the greatest game that's ever been created," because it just makes him sound pompous. And it's not true anyway.

 

[mrklaw]

We decided we're going to take a little bit of heat on allocations, frankly, in all the territories rather than take a lot of heat in one or two territories. So, we're not saying Europe comes four months later, we're saying Europe comes now, but with that combining it with the physics properties of the silicon means we're going to have some disappointment in terms of what we can provide to retail and ultimately to the consumers this year, but that's okay, because we want to get the market started. We want to get started on a worldwide basis, we want to do the right thing for gamers, for our publishers and for consumers

Translation - Europe is going to get fucked up the ass

 

[Juice]

To be very precise, the most difficult part is actually the silicon

What he really wants to say is:

To be very precise and completely honest, the most difficult part is actually convincing board members that losing another $4 billion is in Microsoft's best interests.

I agree with the general consensus that Allard has spent just about all his "hipster points" already. He can worm and wriggle all he wants, but it's game time and he's got to be willing to deliver launch-time lies of Peter Moore proportion. Shocking they don't send him out more.

 

[mutsu]

the best game that's ever been created

lame... it might have enjoyed huge sales, but.... come on, best game ever created? Imagine playing Halo 2 in 20 years time... would you still find it fun? The almost definite answer is no.

However, Super Mario Bros is still fun after 20 years, and that's what makes it the best game ever created without much argument.

 

[Andy787]

We moved the Halo 2 date out to November, and people said 'oh, I expected it in April, this is a travesty, it's disastrous!' No, it's the best game that's ever been created, and we were glad that we waited and didn't rush it out.

Ho ho ho.

 

[Slurpy]

They still can't tell the quality for games launching in a month? God things must be to the wire.

 

[Juice]

They still can't tell the quality for games launching in a month? God things must be to the wire.

Five years ago, I was under the impression that a game typically went gold about 4-5 weeks prior to sale.

I know it's gotten significantly shorter since then... but how much shorter? I can't believe that at this point developers would have more than 2 weeks to kill bugs.

 

[Katana_Strikes]

We moved the Halo 2 date out to November, and people said 'oh, I expected it in April, this is a travesty, it's disastrous!' No, it's the best game that's ever been created, and we were glad that we waited and didn't rush it out

What a tool, he expects people to believe him after that statement. :lol

 

[robertsan21]

Allard is a prick!

 

[SonnyBoy]

Halo 2 is by far one of the more forgetable games in my collection. Its a decent game and all but the goat? Naw....

 

[Slurpy]

We moved the Halo 2 date out to November, and people said 'oh, I expected it in April, this is a travesty, it's disastrous!' No, it's the best game that's ever been created, and we were glad that we waited and didn't rush it out

Halo 2 wasn't even better than 1. And Halo 1 is nowhere NEAR one of the best games I've played.

But hey, its all subjective. In any case I don't think there's any other company or person who would make such a grandoise and ridiculous statement about a game such as that. In fact, I've never heard of it.

 

[Seth C]

Halo 2 wasn't even better than 1. And Halo 1 is nowhere NEAR one of the best games I've played.

But hey, its all subjective. In any case I don't think there's any other company or person who would make such a grandoise and ridiculous statement about a game such as that. In fact, I've never heard of it.

Well, I'll add my perspective as well. I DO think Halo is one of the greatest games ever. However, I still don't think Halo 2 should be included in that group. The original was far better.

 

[Xellotah]

Can we cut the guy some slack... I can't say I'm a fan of his, but you can tell he was under pressure in that interview, so he may not have worded things very wisely, but at least he was trying to be direct.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Halo 2, the greatest game ever made? Does Allard actually believe what he's saying? Its totally subjective and I dont think its valid to name any ONE game the "greatest". Not even Super Mario Brothers. Personally, FFVII is my favourite videogame but I would never say that its the greatest game ever made.

Having said that, I like the fact that Microsoft is willing to hold back its releases to ensure quality.

 

[Juice]

Halo 2 wasn't even better than 1. And Halo 1 is nowhere NEAR one of the best games I've played.

qft

 

[mrklaw]

Five years ago, I was under the impression that a game typically went gold about 4-5 weeks prior to sale.

I know it's gotten significantly shorter since then... but how much shorter? I can't believe that at this point developers would have more than 2 weeks to kill bugs.

right about now, I imagine the X360 certification document is made of lycra.


And for once, its good that Europe will wait a couple of weeks, as that may make all the difference.

Allard must be pissed that Thanksgiving is such a big retail event.

 

[Amir0x]

Allard is saying what he's supposed to, but man does he pour it on thick. Even if I thought Halo 2 was the best game ever made I'd have a hard time swallowing that statement from the way he passes it off

 

[Juice]

right about now, I imagine the X360 certification document is made of lycra.


And for once, its good that Europe will wait a couple of weeks, as that may make all the difference.

Allard must be pissed that Thanksgiving is such a big retail event.

I think it's really funny that Microsoft sent one of their B-guys out to the gym and hid him from public for a few years by sending him off to skater parties to get crunk with people cooler than him in an effort to manufacture him into the frontman for their imminent hardware launch. Because as such, we all associate everything with this launch with how it'll effect J Allard's feelings. Recall this is a man who has virtually no role outside of (most likely peripheral) management and media perusal.

 

[Excelion]

Allard was at every event since the Xbox unveiling in the Effel Tower. He was the one who demoed Malice in front of journalists IIRC. Why are you trying to write your own version of the console wars history ?

 

[Juice]

Allard was at every event since the Xbox unveiling in the Effel Tower. He was the one who demoed Malice in front of journalists IIRC. Why are you trying to write your own version of the console wars history ?

I was obviously being colorful when I said they hid him from the public, but let's not kid ourselves that the point is that he was definitely on the second tier when it came to the original Xbox's promotion and made a sudden (not gradual) change to the star of the show for this time around.

One can only imagine it's because he's one of the few insider/rebels from the original project still around.

 

[D3VI0US]

Not his best interview, somewhat redundant with his "it's the right thing to do." comments and whatnot. I don't have any faith in the company what so ever to delay titles until they're done properly, it's more like when they don't have bugs that are critical to fix. I think they know as well as everyone else that they'll make more money releasing at launch with unfinished games as opposed to releasing later with complete games when the sales volume won't be there. Not to mention what happens with all the bundles, do they just get shipped out on release then? Even so I can't believe how long games like PDZero and Kameo have been in development for them to still be questionable for day one, especially with PDZero looking so mediocre.

 

[cybamerc]

Juice:

> I was obviously being colorful when I said they hid him from the public, but let's not kid
> ourselves that the point is that he was definitely on the second tier when it came to the
> original Xbox's promotion and made a sudden (not gradual) change to the star of the show
> for this time around.

That's because all of the original Xbox crew is gone (trying to come up with new ways to ruin the industry). That said, Allard was used in the promotion of Xbox 1 quite a lot. I think only Blackley gave more interviews.

 

[The Faceless Master]

J. Allard was there in NYC when i won my Xbox at Xbox Unleashed in 2001!

i remember him being around for as far back as i can remember really...

and i hope that statment on "when they're ready" means PGR3 -> 60fps

 

[Mrbob]

I was obviously being colorful when I said they hid him from the public, but let's not kid ourselves that the point is that he was definitely on the second tier when it came to the original Xbox's promotion and made a sudden (not gradual) change to the star of the show for this time around.

One can only imagine it's because he's one of the few insider/rebels from the original project still around.

Someone had to step up since Ed Fries departure.


They still could use him too.

 

[sonycowboy]

Boy, they are seriously backtracking on the hardware availability promises. And the software launch.

So, are they setting us up for a grand launch, by lowering expectations or is this launch in trouble?

 

[D3VI0US]

I'd say the latter.

 

[Juice]

That's because all of the original Xbox crew is gone (trying to come up with new ways to ruin the industry). That said, Allard was used in the promotion of Xbox 1 quite a lot. I think only Blackley gave more interviews.

I noted that him being the last left of the "'riginal crew" as my reason already.

Are you sure you'd say he gave as many as Robbie Bach? Or Fries? I remember hearing a lot more from those two than Allard back then.

Granted, I knew who he was, but I follow this shit way the fuck too closely.

Seriously. People making fun of how the fucker DRESSES? What, you found him less threatening when he was a fat man with a receeding hairline? Newsflash: you've officially gone too far off the deep end with this fanboy shit.

It's completely valid to make fun of how that fucker dresses. It's actually an amazing story arch for this whole "mainstreamivation" of the gaming market. Sony wants to do it by making games as movie-like as possible. Nintendo wants to do it by changing the input/interface. Microsoft's feeble attempt to do it is to talk about extreme skater girls making skate parks, talking about a billion gamers, throwing money at MTV events, and telling that fucker to lose the weight, shave his head, and start buying his clothes from Express for Men.

I think discussing his little makeover is entirely relevant to any discussion on the gaming market's public face as far as Microsoft represents. You think he's out there, looking the way he is completely of his own volition? Your insistence that it's beyond criticism implies you do. I'm saying that it's entirely likely Microsoft made a concerted effort to shape him into the "mainstream aware" spokesman he tries to come off as.

I just think he's a poser.

And as far as your generalization that people at this board are probably in no place to point fingers over appearance, I for one have no problem presuming that I'm more attractive than a pale bald guy who hasn't filled out yet. Then again, I don't quite fit the gamer / Internet addict stereotype very well.

 

[eshwaaz]

Even so I can't believe how long games like PDZero and Kameo have been in development for them to still be questionable for day one, especially with PDZero looking so mediocre.

So, so true.

 

[Remedy]

if halo 2 is the best game ever made he obviously cant have played HL2. HL2 isnt the best game ever played buts its leagues better then halo 2.

 

[Xellotah]

I noted that him being the last left of the "'riginal crew" as my reason already.

Are you sure you'd say he gave as many as Robbie Bach? Or Fries? I remember hearing a lot more from those two than Allard back then.

Granted, I knew who he was, but I follow this shit way the fuck too closely.



It's completely valid to make fun of how that fucker dresses. It's actually an amazing story arch for this whole "mainstreamivation" of the gaming market. Sony wants to do it by making games as movie-like as possible. Nintendo wants to do it by changing the input/interface. Microsoft's feeble attempt to do it is to talk about extreme skater girls making skate parks, talking about a billion gamers, throwing money at MTV events, and telling that fucker to lose the weight, shave his head, and start buying his clothes from Express for Men.

I think discussing his little makeover is entirely relevant to any discussion on the gaming market's public face as far as Microsoft represents. You think he's out there, looking the way he is completely of his own volition? Your insistence that it's beyond criticism implies you do. I'm saying that it's entirely likely Microsoft made a concerted effort to shape him into the "mainstream aware" spokesman he tries to come off as.

I just think he's a poser.

And as far as your generalization that people at this board are probably in no place to point fingers over appearance, I for one have no problem presuming that I'm more attractive than a pale bald guy who hasn't filled out yet. Then again, I don't quite fit the gamer / Internet addict stereotype very well.

I always thought you looked like the rock...

Are you assuming that J.Allard changed the way he dresses, because some guy at Microsoft Marketing asked him to do so? And J.Allard is hardly the only person to be criticized for his appearance. I remember Gabe Newell, reggie and Perrin Kaplan have all had their fair share.

 

[Kiriku]

That's a load of bull. They're not going to sacrifice quality? They're not pushing game devs to get games finished for the 360 launch, even if the quality is lacking? So they're actually giving Bizarre Creations enough time to get the perfect framerate in PGR3 (didn't they state they would be able to achieve 60 fps with more dev time?)? They sure didn't around when the first PGR was released, which seemed rushed.

 

[johns all like]

didn't sony already do this "uh oh, our chip production is holding us back" routine when ps2 launched? lame.

 

[Version 3.0]

"Best game ever created". Ha.

There's no way we'll all agree on which game is the best ever, but I'll bet we can all agree on a lot of them that are NOT. Halo 2 included, eh?

 

[Pimpwerx]

I was obviously being colorful when I said they hid him from the public, but let's not kid ourselves that the point is that he was definitely on the second tier when it came to the original Xbox's promotion and made a sudden (not gradual) change to the star of the show for this time around.

One can only imagine it's because he's one of the few insider/rebels from the original project still around.

J was always like #2 or #3 frontman. Ed Fry(?) was the main guy. Kinda like The Rock. Then Seamus Blackley was the tech guy I remembered who gave us a pretty straight rundown on the system early on. He was like Benoit. Technically proficient, but a doofus on the mic. So someone had to step in to take over, and that brings in the John Cena of the Xbox division, Cool J. Like Cena, he's not quite as cool or quite as good as the original Ed, but he gets it done, and has his own style. And his makeover actually works FWIW. Better than still being doughboy. PEACE.

 

[Juice]

I always thought you looked like the rock...

Are you assuming that J.Allard changed the way he dresses, because some guy at Microsoft Marketing asked him to do so? And J.Allard is hardly the only person to be criticized for his appearance. I remember Gabe Newell, reggie and Perrin Kaplan have all had their fair share.

You know, I'd never made the connection to my avatar before, but I have had my face/jaw line compared to his before. That's about where the similarities end. I'm much more of an average build without much emphasis on muscle. I tend to be a flexibility range-of-motion trainee, as it happens to be.

And no, I'm not assuming anything about J. Allard's motivation in his makeover, but I am presuming that strategic positioning on Microsoft's part had something to do with it. I mean, hell, after Fries left I'm sure there was some guy that told Allard that he was the only real salesman for the Xbox LEFT and that he'd have to be the one getting on stage for the 360.

I used to be a fat guy, that kind of pressure gets into your head and it stays there. I was in a relatively similar situation in high school, and I managed to shed 70 pounds (roughly a third my body weight) in just six months. I imagine that knowledge really got to the guy, irregardless of whether or not it was ever spoken between he and the marketing team.

As to whether or not the man dresses himself? I'd guess not. =)

And to be fair, he's probably the only Western console salesman that's been able to brand himself as hip and trendy, but sensible as well. He exudes a sort of "in touch" demeanor that comes across as genuine to some people. Of course, now he's genuinely backpedalling, just like with the 2 SKU announcement. Some people aren't responding well.

And yeah, the appearance of other people should be discussed when appropriate. Reggie looks scary, Perrin looks like one of my friend's moms that was always barking about meaningless shit (and ugly), Peter Moore looks like a fucking hitman. I always thought the slickest looking combo was the Howard Lincoln and Arakawa duo. That was just class.

 

[vitaflo]

Hey I didn't think very highly of Halo 2 either, but Allard is a marketing goon, of course he's going to say everything on xbox is the best thing ever. What amazed me was how honest he was about how screwed up their launch seems to be at the moment.

If they still don't have complete games and don't know if any of them are going to be complete in a months time, they're in big trouble. By now you should know if the game will make it or not. I fear we'll get unfinished games.

 

[Kabuki Waq]

didnt gamespot confirm that PDZ and Kameo are for day 1 ?

 

[Rhindle]

Hey Mods: Can we have a sticky topic for: "J ALLARD'S EXISTENCE OFFENDS ME AND I OBJECT TO THE WAY HE DRESSES."

Cause otherwise every thread in which his name is mentioned devolves into the same round of bleating by the same people, and it's getting really, you know, old.

 

[Juice]

didnt gamespot confirm that PDZ and Kameo are for day 1 ?

AllardBot: "You can only confirm something relative to the stage of development. A month ago, we were able to confirm our belief that the games were ready for day 1, but we're committed to not release games until they're ready to be played. Dates are relative, arbitrary. This is the RIGHT thing."

Why is the current Allard reminding me so much of Bush?

 

[DarienA]

Hey Mods: Can we have a sticky topic for: "J ALLARD'S EXISTENCE OFFENDS ME AND I OBJECT TO THE WAY HE DRESSES."

Cause otherwise every thread in which his name is mentioned devolves into the same round of bleating by the same people, and it's getting really, you know, old.

I tend to ignore threads that annoy me... what about you?

 

[Agent Icebeezy]

Hey Mods: Can we have a sticky topic for: "J ALLARD'S EXISTENCE OFFENDS ME AND I OBJECT TO THE WAY HE DRESSES."

Cause otherwise every thread in which his name is mentioned devolves into the same round of bleating by the same people, and it's getting really, you know, old.

THis is so true

 

[123rl]

LMAO - the irony that Halo 2 was delayed to become "the greatest game ever" yet it's an unfinished piece of mediocrity. I'm playing Far Cry Instincts atm and single player is superior to Halo 2's in every single way

I agree with a lot of MS's approach though. Launching simultaneously is a massive achievement so kudos to them for that. I'm glad they're treating each market (roughly) equally instead of flooding the US, ignoring Japan and just raping Europe altogether

 

[hadareud]

I tend to ignore threads that annoy me... what about you?

well, some people like to discuss things they are interested in. Some don't like other people taking it offtopic because they don't like the leather pants of someone.

What about you?

 

[DarienA]

well, some people like to discuss things they are interested in. Some don't like other people taking it offtopic because they don't like the leather pants of someone.

What about you?

...I don't have any leather pants.

 

[jett]

No, it's the best game that's ever been created, and we were glad that we waited and didn't rush it out.

:lol What an arrogant fuck. I don't think I've ever seen someone call his own game "best game ever".

 

[Juice]

well, some people like to discuss things they are interested in. Some don't like other people taking it offtopic because they don't like the leather pants of someone.

What about you?

Sometimes conversations move away from the original topic, because it's been thoroughly discussed already, having become devoid of new and interesting information.

To argue that would be to claim to have had some remarkable insight that hadn't been thrown about already. Judging by the absence of any thought-provoking post of yours in this thread, I can assume you have no such insight. If you've got anything further to bring to the table from this relatively dull interview, by all means enlighten us.

 

[DarienA]

:lol What an arrogant fuck. I don't think I've ever seen someone call his own game "best game ever".

I can think of a few people who might have called their games the best game ever... not sure if they've ever actually gone that route though... I can think of at least one 1st party Nintendo developer, 1 1st party Sony developer and 1 exclusive MS developer who at some point might have made that claim.... as well as a few 3rd party, came from PC developers based simply on their arrogance from time to time...