Microsoft “completely discounted Nintendo” when releasing the Xbox 360 due to GameCube’s performance
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in GameCube, News, Wii | 103 Comments
The latest episode of IGN’s Podcast Unlocked features an interview with former Microsoft executive Peter Moore and Xbox boss Phil Spencer. At one point of the podcast, they reflected on the launch of the Xbox 360. Moore noted that Microsoft “completely discounted Nintendo” when bringing out the console due to the performance of the GameCube.
Here’s a roundup of everything that was mentioned:
“I also then remember the E3 when, God bless, Kaz Hirai and Jack Tretton announced $599, and we were all back stage like ‘Woohoo!’ We knew then we had an opportunity to get ahead, drive ahead, get our games out quickly and get that lead. And I always said that the first to 10 million wins.” – Moore
“It was one of the greatest times of my career. You had to build a team, because we were growing then. We had prematurely put the Xbox to sleep, we needed to get ready for this and we knew what we needed to do. We had a three-day meeting at the Sheraton in Bellevue where we wargamed the scenario, and I actually played Ken Kutaragi. And we brought in a consultancy, it was a lot of fun. And the one thing we’d forgotten about, I don’t know if you remember this Phil [Spencer], we completely discounted Nintendo. Because they came off the GameCube and it was a disaster.” – Moore
“…and they destroyed both of us!” – Spencer
“Yes, with the Wii. But we wargamed for three days, what are you going to do, what do the launch titles look like, what are the marketing budgets, what is the positioning? And it was a fascinating experience which I’ll never forget. And this is a decade ago. And I actually played Ken, and my job was to destroy the launch of the Xbox 360.” – Moore
Of course, you can’t really bank on anything these days! Although the GameCube was far from Nintendo’s most-successful console, we all know what happened with Wii.
More: interview, Microsoft, Peter Moore, Phil Spencer
Microsoft thought about acquiring Nintendo while planning the first Xbox
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 21 Comments
Microsoft considered several ideas for the Xbox well before the first console launched in 2001. One possibility could have been an acquisition of Nintendo, based on a new report from GamesIndustry.
GamesIndustry spoke with Seamus Blackley, the co-creator of Xbox, “who helped draft the Xbox proposal and assemble the design team.” A portion of the site’s article states:
Blackley noted that a number of other ideas were pushed around at Microsoft too. Some people said Xbox should be focused on playing movies, or that all the games would have to be made by Microsoft. Some even pushed the notion that Microsoft should make a huge play and just gobble up Nintendo. “Just name it, name a bad idea and it was something we had to deal with,” Blackley lamented.
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Microsoft has talked with Nintendo and others about combating DDoS attacks
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 9 Comments
Last Christmas, Xbox Live and PlayStation Network suffered from DDoS attacks. Such attacks on network services have resulted in conversations between companies like Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer, speaking with Game Informer, discussed how nothing is gained when a rival service goes down.
He said:
All it does is put the fear and distrust from any gamer that’s out there, so I look at all of us together as this is our collective opportunity to share what we can about what we’re learning and how things are growing. Those conversations happen, which I think is great.
Nintendo has been relatively unaffected by network attacks. We can only hope the situation remains the same going forward!
More: Microsoft, Phil Spencer
Japan: Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft release joint parental controls flyer
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Random | 3 Comments
Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have teamed up for… a parental controls flyer, interestingly enough. The ad above was spotted in a video game store in Sapporo, Japan just recently.
As one would expect, the flyer intends to explain the use of parental controls and increase the awareness of game ratings between consumers. It will be distributed in stores across Japan over the next few weeks.
Microsoft Studios’ Phil Spencer praises Nintendo
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments
Microsoft’s Phil Spencer sounded off positively about Nintendo while speaking with OXM.
Spencer was asked by the magazine what he’s learned from the Big N as well as Sony in its latest issue. Regarding Nintendo, the Microsoft Studios corporate vice-president praised Nintendo’s development teams and strong stable of franchises.
He said:
“Nintendo, I think – and there’s some argument about this – that their first-party is such an amazing asset. Their first party studios and IP can lead what they do as a company and the platforms are almost in service to the IP – not in a bad way.
“They have such iconic stories and this will seem somewhat random, but when we go back and do something like Killer Instinct, a little bit of the history of your franchise can actually be important part of people feeling connected. Obviously the history of Killer Instinct isn’t a history on Xbox, but it’s Rare’s history and I think the reaction when we announced it on-stage at E3 showed that playing to the people’s heart, I think Nintendo does that as well as anybody in terms of hitting the franchises and having huge success with them.”
