jallard
Latest
Microsoft to introduce Zune song sharing incentive program?
You may have heard a rumor floating about the internet that the Zune would adopt an incentive-based distribution system. The idea, supposedly, is that each song sent to your Zune-toting buddy that he/she decided to buy at your recommendation would earn you a small reward (think Zune Marketplace Points) for promoting and sharing legal digital music. Good Morning Silicon Valley revived the discussion on Wednesday, and points out that J Allard recently discussed the system at the Music Tech Summit in Seattle, but Microsoft has made no official remarks on the topic. Well we went digging through the US Patent and Trade Office site and came across a 2003 filing from Redmond that describes a very similar system that says "The first license also specifies the conditions upon which the content may be redistributed and licensed for use on a second device" and that "these conditions may specify a price for the second license, and/or a requirement that a portion of the purchase price be paid back to the owner of the first license, and/or a requirement that the first license be revoked upon creation of the second license." GMSV also says that there seems to be some confusion about the role of Shared Media Licensing, the parent company of Weedshare.com, which apparently has a very similar patent. Still, the question remains, if this really exists, when's Redmond going to let it see the light of day?[Via Good Morning Silicon Valley, thanks Gern B.]
The Engadget Interview: J Allard, Microsoft Corporate Vice President
We only got a mere 20 minutes of his time, but Peter and I got a chance to talk to the one and only J Allard about the Zune, digital media, and the direction Microsoft is taking things in what could be their most public marketplace battle since the browser wars. We'll let J do the talking.So, you guys have heard an awful lot about Zune already leading up to the press release, what can we clarify?Well, we've been following it pretty closely, obviously, since we first started hearing about it. Obviously today is the big unveiling, and we wanted to get a better idea of Zune not just as a device, but as a platform, and where you guys want to take all this stuff. So maybe you can start off by giving us an overview of where the device is, and where you see it going both as a device and as a platform.Sure, I think it's a great question the way you phrased it because we actually really think about Zune more as a platform than a device; you used both those two key words. If you step back a little bit in terms of where we're going as a company and where we think we can move forward with the industry in the entertainment space, we have this idea of connected entertainment. You're too familiar with the transition from analog to digital, we think there's a transition that goes one step beyond that called "connected," where the community gets to have greater participation with their entertainment experiences. We want to bring that across all forms of entertainment. What we're doing with Xbox and Xbox Live in the gaming space, what we're doing with MS TV and the Media Center in the television space, and Zune is really our first foray into a deep connected music experience. The first product we'll introduce this holiday will be a connected one -- that's why we put in WiFi in every device, because we think those connected experiences are really going to signal what the future of the music industry looks like, and the future of television and film and everything else. And the community wants to play a big part in it. So while we're starting now and sharing between devices where you can share songs with your friends (3 plays for 3 days), and sort of get the recommendations of your trusted circle of friends and experience and discover new music. You guys know all too well 802.11 devices there are out there. Think about what else we can connect to. Think about all the other scenarios we could do, whether location-based, etc. The device itself is intended to be a future-proof platform that's part of this connected entertainment world where entertainment will become more personal, more interactive, and more engaged with community.
Zune zooms straight past gaming?
Microsoft has confirmed the existence of Zune, a brand-name that will eventually come to represent an entire line-up of portable media devices. The first device is said to be shipping this year, with more to come in 2007. At the moment, Microsoft seems to be attempting to draw attention to Zune's music and movie capabilities, which is no doubt an attempt to position the brand as a direct competitor to the iPod. This announcement (and the media blitz surrounding it) is intended to put a maximum amount of pressure onto Apple; mentioning Zune's gaming capabilities would dilute the "iPod killer" message that Microsoft is trying to plant in people's heads. Despite this, there are certain tidbits that we can extract from this official announcement that could influence how Microsoft's entry into portable gaming will play out.Rumors about J. Allard's disappearance were true; he's emerged as one of three people heading the project, alongside Robbie Bach and Bryan Lee. Don't be surprised if J. Allard turns out to be the "face" of Zune, just like he was the "face" of Xbox 360. The drive-based and integrated WiFi aspects of the design as well as the community orientated software strongly suggest that the gaming device will feature Xbox Live Anywhere. What's still unclear is how Microsoft will market their portable gaming machine. With the introduction of a new brand name representing portable entertainment, how will this link to Microsoft's established Xbox brand? Are we talking "Zune w/Xbox" or will the portable gaming device be distinctly associated with one of the two brands, to the exclusion of the other? One way the two brands appear to share a connection is through their respective viral campaigns: they both feature rabbits (Origen, Coming Zune).The overriding message conveyed by this announcement is that Microsoft is going out of its way to tackle the different portable entertainment markets on an individual basis. This approach contrasts sharply with Sony's entry into portable gaming. With the PSP, the company simultaneously took on the likes of the iPod, the Nintendo DS and more expensive video-only devices. As a result, the PSP has suffered from a degree of brand dilution which has resulted in the near failure of the UMD format and has limited the device's popularity as a gaming machine. By ignoring the gaming capabilities of the Zune (for now) and singling out the iPod and other portable media players, Microsoft is attempting to learn from Sony's mistake. Currently the Zune's immediate target is the iPod, and to some extent, future video-centric iPods, but when Microsoft finally decides to reveal the gaming capabilities of Zune, expect gaming to be singular focus.
Zune: what we know, think we know, and don't yet know
Ok, so we got off the horn with Microsoft just a few minutes ago and realized that making heads or tails of all this Zune stuff is probably driving some of you crazy . (We know others are probably just getting driven crazy by all the posts we've been writing about it. Sorry, it's our job!) So here's what we know for sure, think we know according to inside sources (i.e. yet unconfirmed information), and what we don't yet know at all about the Zune.What we know (for sure) Zune is the name of the project, the brand, and the device. The first Zune device will be launched this year, with more devices to come in 2007. The Zune brand encompasses not only the device, but the software that will drive it, as well as a music, movie, and media service the Zune device family will use for acquiring, sharing, and discovery of said media. Music will be the first angle of service that is launched, "connected entertainment" being the ultimate goal. The Zune media service will heavily leverage community aspects and recommendation; emphasis is being placed on using Zune to discover new artists, media, etc. The Zune media device will be drive-based, and have WiFi. The Zune brand is intended to be an entirely vertically integrated end-to-end solution, not unlike the iPod / iTunes / iTunes Music Store triumvirate. The service and device will not be PlaysForSure compliant, meaning you will not be able to use your Zune player with Napster or Vongo, for example. This will be an entirely new system. Microsoft will continue to support and develop for their PlaysForSure initiative, but all things PlaysForSure are handled by two entirely separate division that will not have any crossover. Zune is under Microsoft's new Entertainment & Devices Division, and is headed by, among others, Robbie Bach, J Allard (Corporate Vice President and Chief XNA Architect), and Bryan Lee (Corporate Vice President and CFO, Entertainment and Devices Division), which accounts for the division of this project from the rest of Microsoft, similar to how the Xbox project was also strictly separated. The logo we had is, of course, real. Microsoft's launched the Zune viral marketing site, ComingZune.com. [Thanks, bv] What we think we know (and are pretty sure of) They'll be showing off the device by the end of next month, and will aim for a November release. Microsoft will buy your way out of iTunes in order to convert you to a Zune user. The Zune will come in multiple colors. Pyxis is the codename for their nano competitor which would also include video capabilities; Alexandria is the codename for the software that powers the Zune experience. A Microsoft portable gaming system is in the works, and will be a part of the Zune family. This device should have Xbox Live Anywhere integration. This may or may not be an Xbox co-branded portable, but is probably going to be the portable gaming / media device we've been hearing about for years. Microsoft's ad campaign will include a Super Bowl commercial. The Zune will have a bevy of accessories at launch; it'll probably be cheaper for accessory makers to develop for the Zune port than pay the Made For iPod tax. What we don't yet know Whether the Zune media service will offer the same kind of all-you-can-eat subscription media services as PlaysForSure media services like Napster and Vongo. Supposedly subscription will be offered, but downplayed in favor of song purchase (which is the opposite of most PlaysForSure services). Whether you'll actually only be limited to sharing with up to 10 people nearby, as rumored, and that they won't get the protected files, but will "bookmark" them for later purchase. Exact device specifications for the first Zune device, as well as its price (though we hear it could be as much as $399). Whether it'll include XM and/or Sirius service as rumored (we doubt it). Let the analysis begin!
Microsoft DAP said to be part of Xbox-branded product lineup
Some more details have leaked out about Microsoft's unannounced-but-well-known WiFi-enabled digital music player that shed some light on its role in Microsoft's overall home entertainment strategy -- though you'll still have to deal with that blurry pic for now. According to sources cited by The Seattle Times, the upcoming DAP is only one of several offerings that will be part of a larger lineup of Xbox-branded products, which will also include Microsoft's upcoming online media service -- the one that will dupe all your iTunes tracks for free -- and a dedicated software media player. Codenamed Project Argo, this initiative is said to be spearheaded by Xbox co-founder J Allard, and is rumored to support the so-called XNA toolkit for allowing developers to easily port games to multiple platforms -- possibly setting the stage for that heavily-rumored Xbox2Go. There's not too much here that we didn't already know, but it's becoming increasingly clear that Redmond has a definite battle plan for waging war against Apple and others in your living room (and pocket), and that the company is starting to make good on its promise of turning the 360 into a true digital hub.[Via Joystiq]
Where's J Allard? Working at Wal-Mart
When we interviewed Peter Moore at E3 we asked him right away, "Where's J Allard?" Peter said he was riding BMX bikes or some such nonsense, whereas Dean Takahashi says he's been working on a top secret Xbox portable project. Turns out they were both wrong: J's been busy making guest appearances on television's The Apprentice! That's a pretty public showing ... so is he the face of the 360 or not? Really, I'm confused.On Monday's episode of The Apprentice, J was there to judge the results of the contestant's Xbox 360 Wal-Mart displays. You can check out photos and a summary of the show on NBC's website, or download the show from iTunes (link). Heads up to NBC, it's "J" not "Jay." It's not spelled out like Homer's middle name, it's just a letter. Why? 'Cause it's just cooler that way, okay?[Via GamerBabble](Update: Corrected my Homer-history. D'oh!)
