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Anecdotal: Microsoft low on Xbox 360 coffins
For the most part, we've given up on reporting every single time one of our colleagues in the gaming press has an Xbox 360 die on them. Frankly, we'd be writing a piece every couple weeks. A brilliant recent example was the Weekly Geek Show's Xbox 360, which we covered, died again in late May. Exactly one month and six days after being "repaired." But, like Peter Moore asked of all of us, we shouldn't focus on the failure rate of Xbox 360s, but on the service in repairing them. And so, we have the story of Officer Craig Ravitch of the New York Police Department.Officer Ravitch discovered last Friday that his Xbox 360 died on him in a classic New York "You gotta' be frickin' kidding me!" moment. He loves his Xbox 360, it's his "favorite system," but the "constant breaking down is amazing" to him. He called Microsoft, as he's done three times before. This next console will be his fourth since the 360 launch. He bought the $60 two-year warranty after his last failure and also received a 50% repair discount after arguing the last time. Microsoft support told him he'd have his box by Tuesday. After not receiving a confirmation that this Xbox 360 coffin was sent (which he received the last time he did this), he decided to call support again. They informed him his box wasn't sent because "the service department is running very low on boxes, so it will take a little longer than expected to get that box" out to him. Ravitch was shocked. Is Microsoft getting back so many defective systems that they don't have a fresh supply of coffins anymore?We spoke with Officer Ravitch, who has a 26,000 point Gamerscore and buys about four games a month, and he told us, "As a consumer, I'm extremely, extremely disappointed with the way these consoles are dying. I don't have small children, I'm married, I get my three hours of gaming in when I can." He points out that the time he's lost in the back and fourth transit of his Xbox 360 has cost him three months of Xbox Live and he's thankful that he bought the warranty last time around, despite it being an unnecessary expense. Ravitch was mostly concerned that Microsoft is running low on coffins and now his repair has been delayed by a full week. Ravitch says, "I hate to badmouth the 360, its one of my favorite systems, but this burns me."
Today's Mooriest video: Peter's Pac-Man Problem
If you thought Peter Moore was sitting up at Microsoft headquarters laughing at gamer's red rings of death and telling them to focus on the fixing part, not the problem part, then you were only partially right. In his spare time from that, he has to deal with his Pac-Man problem.Given the fact that the Pac-Man Championship Edition will be coming out tomorrow, we decided to hand out a little power pellet love in the form of today's video. Plus, it's sort of fun to see someone getting under Moore's collar. Wokka wokka.
Peter Moore hates Pac-Man
With all the Pac-Man World Championship fun going on right now, the Gamerscore Blog crew unearthed a never before seen video (embedded above) of an encounter between Pac-Man and the legendary Peter Moore. And after giving the video a watch, is it just us or do you feel just a little bit sorry for Pac-Man? Mr. Moore has quite the dirty British mouth and his vulgarities are maybe just a little unwarranted. Unless Pac-Man did something unspeakably wrong to make Peter angry, something like eating the last cherry from the company fridge.
Microsoft: still not so keen on Blu-ray
Alright folks, the merry-go-round on this one is apparently grinding to a halt, as recent reports are finally clarifying a statement made way back in January of last year by Peter Moore in regard to Blu-ray making nice with the Xbox 360. Mr. Moore's insinuation that Microsoft's latest console had "the flexibility to adapt to consumers' needs" was purportedly taken way out of context, as a post on the firm's Gamerscore Blog boldly proclaims that these reports were "completely incorrect," and further crushed any remaining hope by stating that Redmond is "fully committed to HD DVD and has absolutely no plans to support other optical formats." Hey, at least you can pull the trigger on that standalone BD player you've been eying now, eh?[Via GamesIndustry]
Microsoft's Moore likens PS3 to Dreamcast
In a recent interview with Next-Gen, Peter Moore had some interesting thoughts on the current state of affairs for the PS3. Specifically, Moore offhandedly compares the machine to one with which he is intimately familiar: the Dreamcast. When given the opportunity to insult the PS3 asked a question about the PS3's problems, Moore said, "I'm digging up my tortured past here, but remember Dreamcast?"The implication here, obviously, is that the PS3 is failing as the Dreamcast did. We would be remiss in our duties if we didn't note that the PS3's situation is vastly different than that of the Dreamcast. SEGA was coming off the unsuccessful SEGA Saturn before it launched the initially successful Dreamcast, only to watch it get crushed under the matte black boots of the PS2. Sony, on the other hand, is coming off the incredible success of the very console that killed the Dreamcast in the first place. Still, details aside, the meaning of the comment is clear, and those, Mr. Moore, are fighting words.Looking past the initial swipe at Sony, the interview covers a fairly substantial range of topics. These include the Xbox 360 Elite, the continued existence of the Core 360, and how Microsoft plans to expand its software lineup. Hit the "read" link to check it out.[Via Joystiq. Thanks, PacoDG]
Microsoft's Peter Moore Dreamcasts the PS3
When the topic of sluggish PlayStation 3 sales is brought up, Peter Moore recalls his previous corporate life and asks, "Remember the Dreamcast?" Speaking to Next-Generation's Colin Campbell, the Microsoft exec compares Sony's current difficulties with those he experienced with Sega on its final console. "We thought we were doing right," he says. "All of a sudden it didn't pan out."Though we're not privy to the same lucid and possibly prophetic dreams Mr. Moore is, lumping Sony's latest effort into the same category as the Dreamcast brings with it many sticky implications, intended or not. Is Moore saying the PlayStation 3 is failing to "pan out" for Sony, less than a year into its supposed ten-year life? Sega came out of the gate strongly and promptly drove off a financial cliff like Thelma and Louise, whereas Sony is off to a slow start and has every chance of picking up the pace. Moore goes on to say that Sony's focus on the Cell processor and the Blu-ray drive was a mistake, that it "miscalculated the global consumer's appetite for the experience the offered at the price point they offered it at." But wasn't the PS2's "Emotion Engine" and DVD drive instrumental in its triumph over Moore's ex-box?We remember when the Xbox 360 was given the Dreamcast treatment as a means to highlight impending failure, and it was as odd then as it is now. Despite the system's commercial demise under the watch of a struggling manufacturer, it enjoyed amazing first-party support and is still remembered for hosting some remarkable games and innovations. When did being compared to the Dreamcast become such a bad thing?[Via Xbox 360 Rally]
Folding@home on Xbox 360 under consideration
There's no question that the PS3 version of the Folding@home project has been an unbridled technological success, not to mention a public relations boost for Sony. Folding@home on the PS3 has more than doubled the overall computational power of the distributed supercomputer in terms of raw Teraflops, and given PS3 owners the chance to increase the warmth and fuzziness factor that comes from aiding medical research. Peter Moore of Microsoft has gone on record by saying that the Xbox 360 could also join the project, although he made sure to include a jibe at Microsoft's primary competitor by mentioning the 360's much larger install base, and quoting Xbox 360 processor's "equal power to the PS3." He even went so far as to cast doubt regarding the value of the 250,000 currently registered PS3's on the program, saying that "we'll continue to look at this and see whether there's real value." We're forced to ask: how is this kind of attitude in aid of the project? By reducing something as noble as the Folding@home project to a PR battle, Moore's indication sounds bitter and petty. He might as well have said, "ok, we'll fight disease, but only 'cause the Xbox 360 is better than the PS3." The irony is, it probably isn't.
Moore on 360 failure rates, Folding@Home, more
Speaking to Mike Antonucci of the Mercury News, Microsoft's Peter Moore answered readers questions about the Xbox 360. Among the more interesting questions was from a reader who had gone through two Xbox 360s within 7 months. When asked for a "straight answer" about 360 failure rates -- and whether or not they were higher than 3% -- Moore deflected the issue, saying that customers should focus on the treatment of the problem and not the problem itself. In other words, quality of customer service is more important than the quality of the product. According to Moore, "Y'know, things break, and if we've treated him well and fixed his problem, that's something that we're focused on right now." Moore further stated that he couldn't comment on specific failure rates because he was "shipping in 36 countries and it's a complex business."Other issues discussed include Folding@Home, the shared processing initiative recently supported by the PS3. When asked whether or not the 360 would ever be used for such a purpose, Moore stated that if Microsoft believed it could aid projects like Folding@Home with the processing power of the 360, it would certainly consider it. Moore also takes time to address the Xbox 360's variety of games (or lack thereof), and the state of affairs in Japan. Hit the "read" link for the full article.
MS responds to Fils-Aime's claim
So, Reggie Fils-Aime voiced his opinion on the 360's sales in Europe, and Microsoft wasn't going to just sit and listen to such statements. They came back to say that they are on track to meet their 12 million shipped worldwide milestone by the end of June 2007, having shipped 10.4 million back in December. They also pointed out that the 6 million Xbox Live users worldwide is nothing to scoff at either. Still, it will be interesting to see how things stack up after the other two consoles have been on the market for a year.
Guitar Hero II surfs Xbox 360 crowd on April 3
Activision has grabbed the nearest microphone and screeched out the official release date for the Xbox 360's Guitar Hero II. "Pay attention you motherfrackers, drop the keyboards PC hackers, Guitar Hero II drops April three, get out your wallets these frets ain't free! Woooowrgh!" You'll likely be able to obtain much better tunes than that lyrical atrocity later on, thanks to this version's ability to download a "consistent stream of new tracks" from Xbox Live. RedOctane's Dusty Welch notes in the press release that the online component "is going to provide an incredible opportunity for our fans to extend the gameplay experience, and we have ambitious ideas to continue to fully support these efforts." Sadly, said ambitious ideas don't include online multiplayer just yet. [Image: NeoGAF]
EGM: Moore on 360 and its successor
In a recent interview with EGM, Peter Moore gave some insight on the future of Microsoft's next console. He stated that the production team for the 360 is currently working on its successor, and are looking at what kind of computing power will be available around 2011 and 2012. That puts the lifespan of the 360 somewhere between 6 to 7 years, which is certainly better than the original Xbox's 4 years. Moore also stated that there will be support for the 360 "as long as it sells". So, that's a long way off, which is a good thing, as we are happy to see Microsoft's plans for the 360 look more long term than last time.[Via Digg]
Everybody wants to be like Wii
Looks like Peter Moore's homage to the Wii has started the wheels of speculation in motion. Our comrades over at 360 Fanboy are considering the possibilities for Microsoft outside of the realm of casual games. Moore did make the point about the Wii being about an experience, after all, so the idea that Microsoft might go the motion route isn't too far-fetched. And it's not like Microsoft never "borrowed" anything before (wink, wink). But like many, we're uncertain that we'll see motion-sensitive controls on the 360. Likely, Microsoft will try something entirely new, but the possibilities there are so widespread that we're not even sure how to start. Let's just hope any extras are cheaper than some we've seen in the past. We know many of you are proudly sporting the Wii60 badge, so we wanted to ask you what you thought. Can anyone do what the Wii does, and should anyone even try?[Via Joystiq]
Moore: motion control on 360?
Speaking to Game Informer, Don Mattrick and Peter Moore discuss the future of the Xbox 360. Specifically, Moore discusses the great stable of games heading to the platform -- Mass Effect, Forza 2, Too Human, etc. -- and how Microsoft plans to combat the tiny white elephant in the room, the Wii. According to Moore, Microsoft began to see the significance of the casual market when the Wii was still known as Revolution. Moore states that Microsoft's strategy is more than simply throwing more E rated games onto the 360, saying "it's more experiential than that." This quickly leads to the speculation that Microsoft may have a motion controller of its own in mind. At this point it remains pure speculation. After all, Mr. Moore could easily be talking about more games involving the Vision Camera. Whatever it is, Moore states that there will be announcements within the next couple of months. With any luck, we might just hear something during GDC next week.Do you think Microsoft has a Wiimote up its sleeve, or is it something entirely different?[Via Evil Avatar]
Former EA head joins Microsoft
Sooner or later, everyone winds up working together. It should come as no surprise then, that former head of Electronic Arts Worldwide Studios, Don Mattrick, is joining Microsoft as a "strategic adviser" to the Entertainment and Devices division. The Entertainment and Devices group houses the Xbox 360 as well as the Zune. Peter Moore was ecstatic about the announcement, claiming that he had been looking forward to working with Mattrick since he left EA in 2006. Moore -- once the head of SEGA during the Dreamcast era -- claims that there is no bad blood between himself and Mattrick. Game history buffs will remember that EA refused to support the Dreamcast, has a long rivalry with SEGA sports, and was hesitant to allow its games on Xbox Live (seems they can't get enough of it now). Moore is happy to welcome Mattick, though he admits some disdain for EA CEO, Larry Probst.Exactly what Mattrick will be doing seems unclear though it seems he will be heavily involved in developing concepts like Xbox Live. Mattrick admits that online gaming is the biggest trend in the industry and he hopes to push Microsoft to the top of that arena.[Via Joystiq]
Peter Moore pours gasoline on the blazing flame war
There's probably one thing more offensive than verbally slapping someone in the face and that's verbally slapping someone in the face while telling the person next to him/her that they have a cute shirt on. That's more or less what Peter Moore, VP of most things XBox, did in an interview with IGN. Instead of going over all the comments he made about Microsoft's strategy for the coming year (interesting in its own right, but not relevant here), we'll use the quote that will undoubtedly give Sony a real shiner.Moore is asked about what he thinks of the other systems and if there's anything he wishes the 360 could share with them. He responds: "The innovation that the Wii is, I'm certainly a big fan of. It ties in exactly with what Nintendo needs to do. And it ties directly into their strong intellectual property that is more youth oriented and more family oriented. The PS3, I really don't know what I would look at there that we're really missing. I look at the games and I feel really good at where we stand from a portfolio point of view. The online service, [Sony's] still trying to get it up to speed and there's nothing really there that I can really point to that I wish we had. You know, certainly the price point of the PS3 isn't something that I want to emulate. It's very difficult for me to point to anything there that I think we're missing right now." Hmm, well, I know that I certainly can't see myself to style my hair in front of the 360. Where's your mirror-ability, Microsoft? Yeah... yeah, take that.To be honest, Moore is right, but he spins it like the PS3 has been out for a year. We're still building the PS-Store... so of course it's not XBL -- that's had quite a few years, backed by the knowledge of a gigantic company based in making internet-ready operating systems. We don't have a lot of games yet, but we've got plenty of titles coming by the end of March to get excited about -- coinciding with the European launch window. As for the price, we could argue that to death, but it's been done many times before, so we'll just shrug and say: "you give the options of adding stuff on, we give you everything in one package." Calm down, Peter Moore.
Takahashi talks shop with Peter Moore
Dean Takahashi recently sat down to talk with Peter Moore at CES. Some of the topics discussed include IPTV, gaming on Windows Vista, MMOs on 360, the importance of 1st party developers, Microsoft's hopes in Japan, and of course, a little offhanded PS3 and Wii bashing. Moore makes a particularly interesting point about the necessity of 1st party development. Takahashi points out that Microsoft doesn't have as many 1st party developers as Sony and Nintendo. Moore replies that Microsoft has many 1st party games being created by studios not owned by Microsoft. Examples of this include Bioware's Mass Effect, Silicon Knights' Too Human, and of course Epic's Gears of War. Moore notes that Microsoft has a great publishing model in which MS aids in funding and publishing externally developed titles. He further states that while these are developed by a third party, they are unmistakably 1st party 360 titles.The interview is a little over half an hour long, and worth a listen to any dedicated 360 fanboys. Hit the "read" link to check it out.
Peter Moore tells reporter not to play Gears of War
Scholastic News reporter Aaron Broder (pictured here) needs another four years before he'll be able to play M-rated, thrice-platinum Gears of War, a situation that put Xbox chief Peter Moore in "the difficult position of advising a reporter not to play one of the top games for the company's Xbox 360," according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. See also: Aaron Broder interviewed, Aaron Broder's report from CES. [Photo credit: Aaron Broder, Scholastic News.]
Zune gets games ... in 2008
Yesterday at CES, Zune Boards received some insider information about Microsoft's mobile gaming plans from Xbox rockstar Peter Moore. Moore told the press that the Zune would be able to play video games on its extra wide screen in the future, but no sooner than July 2008. If the current Zune model is what they're thinking of using to play games, then damned if we won't be jaded. We were thinking more along the lines of an actual stand alone portable to play games ... not an MP3 player with limited input devices. Maybe this is a stepping stone to what may bloom into a full fledged Xbox portable gaming system, but something we wouldn't see for years to come. So Mr. Zune, we've realized that you aren't our Xboy. Yes it's hard, but it would be best if we just went out seperate ways.[Via Engadget]
Xbox 360 hits 10.4 Mil, IPTV imminent, probably
Coming from a recently vaporized post on Dean Takahashi's website (it was dated January 7), Microsoft is expected to announce that they have reached and surpassed their oft promised goal of shipping 10 million units by the end of 2006. The actual number is expected to be 10.4 million. We shudder to think what body part Peter Moore will tattoo next. Also expected is the announcement of IPTV support for the 360 from Microsoft bigwigs Robbie Bach and Bill Gates. Both announcements are expected on Sunday, during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.With the recent (probably factual) revelation of the Xbox 360 v.2, Microsoft continues to expand the abilities of its wonder box. The larger hard drive would certainly be welcome for DVR features. We do share a sentiment with Joystiq, though: we're not sure we relish the idea of leaving our 360s running for hours at a time. We only do that when we feel like cooking some eggs or heating the office. As mentioned above, the article in question has been taken down. It was dated for January 7, so it's possible Dean Takahashi hit the "publish" button a little early. Of course, we'd never to anything like that. No, never.[Via Joystiq]
Next-Gen names Peter Moore best of 2006
Next-Gen has compiled a list of the videogame industry's best and brightest of 2006, including the likes of Nintendo's Satoru Iwata and Reggie Fils-Aime, CliffyB, and Larry Hryb (AKA Major Nelson). Peter Moore, the charismatic voice of the Xbox 360 (sorry J) has been granted top honors. Next-Gen cites Moore's accomplishments this year: impressive 360 sales, a great relationship with 3rd party publishers and the media, and his (moderately successful) attempts to woo Japan. Sure, Moore is an executive and he wants you to drink the Kool-aid, but man, by the time he's done talking, you want to drink that Kool-aid and ask for another glass. The Xbox 360 finally has some new gen competition, so here's hoping Moore can keep up its success through 2007 (Halo 3 should help).[Via Joystiq]
