mindy-mount
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Microsoft bringing 'the full lineup' of Natal titles to E3
GDC 2010 is the hotness this week, but according to Microsoft's Mindy Mount (speaking at a tech conference in NYC), E3 should be fun this year, too. As you might expect, Microsoft is bringing "the full lineup" of Project Natal titles to the convention in June. We know there are a whole bunch of developers working on Natal titles, including EA, Capcom, Forza Motorport's Turn 10, and SpawnPoint Studios. Mount promises that Microsoft is "putting some of our best people on coming up with great game ideas for this, and we're going to have some great stuff." We'll start working out now to make sure we have enough stamina to flail our limbs all week long.
Microsoft talks Xbox 360 lifespan, fails to see irony
Speaking at a BMO Capital Markets conference on interactive entertainment (as covered by Reuters), a Microsoft executive has pointed to the PlayStation 2 as highlighting the benefits of stretching the Xbox 360's lifespan beyond the "typical" (depending on who you ask) five years. "Look at the PS2; they've gone long-time and seem to have pretty good legs on what they are doing," said yes that's her real name Mindy Mount. "If we were able to do that, as CFO I think that's great, because every year you draw it out you increase profitability." While the chief financial officer for Microsoft's entertainment division may see dollar signs in a longer lifespan, obnoxious and overly literal bloggers see the telltale red lights that signal many an individual system's inability to make it past five months, let alone five years.Mindy Mount went on to cement the Xbox 360's technological prowess, noting that its innards are good enough to last until the next big breakthrough. "Right now there aren't that many things on the horizon that you think, wow, that's going to be a game-changer." After the unceremonious -- but necessary, in hindsight -- dropping of original Xbox support, both developers and publishers would stand to benefit from a longer Xbox 360 lifespan, though longterm success would hinge on a demonstrable and obvious increase in the system's perceived physical lifespan. If the system is to be supported by consumers for years to come, it will have to outlive the dubious aspects of its reputation.[Thanks, Patrick]
Microsoft exec rekindles iPhone rival rumors, gives Zune a B-
It's probably not shocking to anyone that the Zune hasn't exactly lived up to the high hopes Microsoft had for it, and at the recent Citigroup technology conference in New York, Mindy Mount -- corporate vice president and CFO of the firm's entertainment and device division -- noted that she'd "give it a B-," and also stated that it was a "solid effort for the first year." More intriguing, however, was her comments on the future of the Windows Mobile OS, and while she was tight-lipped in regard to RIM acquisition whispers, she did hint at the possibility of a tweaked system to compete with Apple's iPhone interface. Reportedly, Mount stated that Microsoft "identified [Windows] Mobile being more integrated with photos and music," and concluded by proclaiming that it was "a natural thing to have in its product roadmap." Of course, this corporate speak can't really be regarded as much more than just that at the moment, but feel free to make of it what you will.[Via Zune-Online]Read - Microsoft Exec Hints at iPhone RivalRead - Microsoft exec: Zune gets a B-; Xbox profitability; Windows Mobile's future
