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Microsoft to pull a PS3, place motion sensors in Xbox 360 pad?
In a recent episode of Gamertag radio, Peter Moore speaks out about the increasing complexity of video game controllers, comparing today's gamepads to the simplicity of the Atari 2600's button-and-stick joystick. He didn't exclude the Xbox 360 controller's design from criticism, mentioning that his 14-year old daughter found the controller somewhat confusing. Naturally, there was a point to his self-criticism; later on in the podcast he says that Microsoft is "doing a lot of stuff there. Nothing that we're ready to talk about, and we're not going to force anything that is not going to be intuitive and innovative."The most obvious conclusion to make from this statement would be that Microsoft is working on a new, simplified controller, which may or may not "borrow" the Wiimote's defining feature, although the part where Moore says that "[Microsoft is] not going to force anything that is not going to be... innovative" could suggest that simply slapping a motion sensor inside an Xbox 360 pad isn't on the cards.British tech magazine T3 points out that the company could possibly be working on a simplified controller--to be sold in parallel with the main Xbox 360 pad--designed specifically for Xbox Live Arcade games. The magazine reasons that the company won't want to make the Xbox 360 pad's ergonomic design obsolete any time soon, which lends credence to the possibility of a simplified controller designed to play simple games to compliment the "hardcore" 360 gamepad.[Via Engadget]
Microsoft planning simpler controller?
Like many baby boomers, even Xbox chief Peter Moore is getting a little confused by all the buttons and joysticks being crammed onto modern gamepads, and some recent comments he made may indicate that Microsoft is actually working on ways to dumb-down the increasingly complex controller. In an interview with Gamertag radio, Moore seemingly put the "shoulder buttons, triggers, analog sticks, and d-pads" on today's controllers in a negative light compared to the "old Atari 2600 button-and-stick, which everybody could pick up and have some fun with." Even Moore's 14-year-old daughter reportedly finds the 360 controller somewhat confusing, with the man himself mentioning that Microsoft is "doing a lot of stuff there," but that they won't release a product that's not "intuitive and innovative." We're all for input devices being as intuitive as possible, but instead of wasting time trying to innovative, maybe Microsoft should just cave in and adopt a certain technology that's already proving to be pretty popular.
Design the next XBLA hit yourself
Have you ever played Geometry Wars and thought to yourself, "This game is a steaming pile of manure. I could design something better than this!" If so, then Microsoft wants you, Uncle Sam style (no, not your creepy uncle Sam, this Uncle Sam). Xbox Live Arcade's unprecedented success has been something of a surprise, even to Peter Moore: "I didn't expect Live Arcade to be for gamers, I thought maybe for their girlfriends, mums and sisters -- but it's for everybody."Games like Geometry Wars have convinced big time developers that XBLA equals easy money. Like Nintendo, it allows publishers to earn big money by selling consumers their collective childhood again. But that's not all it's good for, and Microsoft knows it. The next step for XBLA is to get some original independent content. Do you think you're up to snuff? If so, you can send your proposals to this address: arcade[AT]microsoft.com. Finally, my game about Microsoft's evil robot minions will get some recognition.
Rumor: new, cheaper Xbox 360 this holiday
According to Britxbox.co.uk, a source close to Microsoft has confirmed plans to cut the cost of Xbox 360 as the holidays roll around, and more importantly, just as Sony unleashes the PlayStation 3. The source told Britxbox that the price cut would be the result of a "new" and "cheaper to manufacture" version of Xbox 360, suggesting that the Xbox team is working to redesign elements of the chip set supplied by ATI and IBM to achieve more cost effective production.But, just as Peter Moore told us at CES, PlayStation 3 will sell out at launch no matter how much Microsoft reduces -- and releases. That's not to say that an Xbox 360 price slash wouldn't help Microsoft's standings in the long run.
Moore: 360 controls a Wii bit complicated
Peter Moore, Microsoft cheerleader and spinmeister, recently sat down with Gamertag Radio and discussed today's complicated controls. While he did say that the novelty of the Wii may wear off after half an hour, he also admitted that today's control schemes are too complicated for some -- including his 14-year-old daughter. The big question is: does Microsoft have newer, simpler, friendlier, and gentler controls on the way? According to Peter: "We're doing a lot of stuff there. Nothing that we're ready to talk about, and we're not going to force anything that is not going to be intuitive and innovative." I think Moore is likely talking about 360's upcoming Vision camera, but the idea of an Xbox ThWiimote is intriguing. Anybody have a chance to listen to the whole interview? [Via openXBOX360]
360 BC update "in the next few weeks"
Thanks to the folks at the Gamerscore Blog, we've learned that the next Xbox back compat update "should be out in the next few weeks." In his earlier blast against BC, Peter Moore proclaimed that nobody is concerned about it anymore, but thankfully the gentler Gamerscore peeps have set the record straight, stating: "We know for a fact that there are lots of people who continue to care about backwards compatibility, including the 'Emulation Ninjas' who are working full time on the updates. And those of us posting on this blog. And, of course, many of you." We suppose quarterly updates to the BC list aren't TOO bad (hey, they sure beat semiannual dashboard updates), but getting more than a dozen titles to work each time would definitely help a lot more for those with original Xbox favorites they'd prefer to play on their new machines. Personally, this blogger would like to see the following titles added to the list: Dead or Alive Ultimate, Doom 3, Capcom vs. SNK 2, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Project Gotham Racing 2, LEGO Star Wars, Street Fighter Anniversary Collection, Soul Calibur II, and Capcom Classics Collection. It may not be realistic to expect Street Fighter support when Hyper Fighting is set to hit Live Arcade sometime in the near future, but one can (vainly) hope. [Via Major Nelson's blog] See also: Xbox BC not a priority, says Moore No Black on 360 till MS makes it so... or a sequel comes out US 360 backward-compatibility list shrinks A video tour of the Xbox Live Spring update SFII on Xbox Live: what's taking so long?
Peter Moore gets grilled ... by Space Ghost
We weren't the only ones to get an interview with Peter Moore at E3. Space Ghost was asking "the hard questions" at the GameTap booth during E3 (hint: Turner owns GameTap and Cartoon Network). Hear Peter's responses to SG's ideas for a dermatology game for teens, listen to him talk some serious trash on Sony, and then watch him drop it like it's hot (seriously). If you didn't think Peter Moore was a good sport before ... Click the "Continue" link to check out the embedded video, or head over to YouTube. Warning: the video is NSFW; you've been warned.[Via Gamerscore]
Who's got a Joystiq T-shirt?
Our limited-edition Joystiq T-shirts are rolling out to our biggest (and speediest) fans right now. Then there's our not as limited-edition Joystiq E3 shirts that we were giving out at the show. Did you grab enough business cards from Joystiqers on the show floor, like the Joystiq luchador did? Did you make it to the AOL booth during our short, one-hour handout? Or were you gracious enough to grant Joystiq an interview, like Peter, Perrin, Shane, and Miyamoto-san? If you're sporting a Joystiq tee, let us know what you think. Didn't get one? We'll be giving away the orange shirts on the site so keep your eyes peeled. And if you see somebody sporting one on the street, stop 'em and say hi. They're either Joystiq readers or one of us.Big thanks to Philip and Yann for the incredible designs. Seriously, we're humbled.
The Engadget & Joystiq Interview: Microsoft's Peter Moore
This morning, Vlad Cole and I had an opportunity to chat with Microsoft's Peter Moore, the man responsible for marketing the Xbox 360. When we last pinned him down at CES, there were still so many unanswered questions about the competition. After Sony and Nintendo's keynotes at E3, not to mention their own, the time was ripe to ask him about a portable Xbox, the Nintendo Wii complementing the Xbox 360, the Sony Dual Shake controller, and where he got that ink on his arm. Forgive me if I interrupt you, if I hear something that I already heard at the press briefing, I might cut your answer short a little bit. Congratulations on Gears of War. Everyone is saying it looks and plays awesome. It actually appears to be head and shoulders above everything we're seeing on the show floor. Is that a conscious choice to keep it off the floor itself, so that the comparison gap doesn't pop?No, not really. I think the idea is that the game deserves hands-on. We're trying to show it to as many people as we can up here. The team at Epic is really so conscious of the quality of what they're doing and presenting that bringing them up here, we'll get thousands of people through in the end, they churn people through pretty quickly, there was no conscious effort, no.So where are the rest of the games that look this good?Here? That depends on your ... you tell me. What is it that you think is missing?There does appear to be a gap in quality between that and everything else. It's just head and shoulders above. We're wondering if there are other titles that will match that by the time they come out. Quality of gameplay, graphics, depth, immersion? It's all subjective. I'm biased on all of them. Games like Crackdown: different visual style, different genre. But, it's coming together really well. Mass Effect. I was on some blogs last night where people are spending some time on it and are really impressed with it. Dave Perry and a few other people wrote some really strong stories about Mass Effect. That's a weird question ... I mean, which of my children do I love more?
Wiimote controller or Xbox Live? Which is the bigger innovation?
Business Week's running an interview with Microsoft Corporate VP Peter Moore in which Moore was asked to opine on innovation. In particular, he was asked to comment on the innovation the TV remote-style controller that will come bundled with Nintendo's newest console. Moore's response: "If the controller is different and innovative; fine. But I would say that Xbox Live is the bigger innovation. It depends on your definition of innovative. If having a DVD style controller defines innovation; great. I would argue that talking millions of gamers and connecting them with friends and strangers around the world... I'd call that pretty innovative." There are a few ways to settle this debate. Which one took more engineering brawn to develop? Which one will drive more sales? Which one will change the face of gaming more? Will either innovation be remembered years from now as a flop? Which of the two is actually more fun to use? Which of the two provides gamers with the most value?
Peter Moore talks about their E3 plans
In a hard-hitting, take no prisoners interview with the interrogators at Xbox.com, Peter Moore couldn't help but let a couple of juicy E3 news nuggets slip past his iron grip of forbearance. What are we talking about? The Halo 3 release date of course! You guys didn't really believe that, did you? Good. Here's what the man with the plan had to say about their E3 plans: "It is our goal to bring E3 home to Xbox Live members as best we can, all the videos and the news as quickly as possible...We will give you the flavor of what's going on, on the show floor and some of the stuff that we are showing and debuting here."So Xbox 360ers can check out all the goings on in HD right on their 360s from home? Sounds like a good deal. What worries me is how that interface is going to hold up to plenty of new content coming out of E3...I have a hard enough time navigating around to get demos. Of course for some more text-oriented E3 coverage, you can always check out Joystiq and Xbox 360 Fanboy, who'll be geeking out in LA come May. [Thanks, TOMCATS]
GDC: (Bloggers) breakfast of champions
Microsoft sponsored a "Blogger's Breakfast" Wednesday morning, arranging for several select bloggers from the interweb to meet with some of the Xbox bloggers Larry Hyrb (aka Major Nelson), and John Porcaro and Cesar Menendez (Gamerscore Blog) and some Xbox executives, Peter Moore and Chris Satchell. I know, I promised to report on their eating habits, but alas most of the eating occurred while standing and mingling pre-chat. That being said, I didn't see food on anyone's shirt and everyone was exceedingly polite and pleasant, so I can only extrapolate their eating habits were of the highest order. Before I get into what we talked about, I'd like to thank everyone at Microsoft for arranging this informal get together and giving us a chance to hear from them first hand. Now, onto the meat and potatoes of this blogger's breakfast.
Chris Grant co-host on Gaming Steve podcast
Joystiq's very own Christopher Grant is not only posting from the 2006 Game Developers Conference, he's also starring in a podcast.Okay, so technically he's just co-hosting an episode of an ongoing podcast with Gaming Steve, but you can't miss this opportunity to hear Chris's laid-back, sweetly smooth voice. (There are reports that Chris also sounds somewhat like a stoner, but we wouldn't be able to tell you what those kind of people sound like anyway, so what can we say?)As for the podcast itself, Chris and Steve go into the events of the last day, enthusiastically sharing about Microsoft's bloggers breakfast with Peter Moore (inset), Phil Harrison's PS3 keynote, what the new Battlestar Galactica might have to do with games, and everything else that they saw in San Jose. And, hey, maybe if we're lucky, we'll get another guest Joystiqer co-hosting with Steve today. More from GDC as we get it...See also: Direct download link for the podcast in question [55 minute-long MP3] Gaming Steve's "Day 3" report on GDC 2006 [where we got the pic] Joystiq @ GDC: In the beginning... [w/a little bloggers breakfast info] GDC: The PS3 keynote blow by blow
Wild industry statements to prepare you for tomorrow
In just a few short hours, Ken Kutaragi will take center stage at a Sony press event (previously open only to third-party licensees) and drop some details about the PS3.As the only thing we're fairly sure of at this point is that the system will be delayed for a few months, we want everyone to be prepared for the massive spin and boisterous boasting that will surely ensue.That's why it's important that you gird yourself for the worst by reading IGN's Top 10 list of the wildest statements made by industry veterans, 'cuz once you read everything that Ken and company have had to say in the past, nothing will seem all that outrageous in the future. We think... "Starting from next year, you can jack into The Matrix!" Before the PS2. Not as metaphysical as living Peter Moore's lucid dream, but still... wow.See also: PlayStation 3 in Tokyo tomorrow, Sony confirms Breaking News: PS3 delayed until November!
Moore: 360s galore in 4 to 6 weeks
In his keynote address at D.I.C.E. last week, Microsoft's Peter Moore spent most of his time on PC gaming, but he did mention a couple things about the 360, not the least of which is when people can get one! According to GameDaily BIZ, "[Moore] once again defended the decision to launch globally and he promised that within the next 4-6 weeks consumers would actually be able to walk into a store and easily purchase the new console." He sounds pretty confident! Could it be true? Is the drought coming to an end? Is the new manufacturing partner finally shipping some boxes? Four to six weeks is still a long time to wait for any (wavering) Fanboys eager to play some Geometry Wars, but the wait's almost over.[Via Gamerscore]
Joystiq interviews Peter Moore
The problem with interviewing somebody like Peter Moore, and the reason he does so many interviews, is precisely because his jobs it to stay on point and focus his responses. Some of the comments on my post about Dan Hsu's interview lauded his efforts to hold truth to power, and I certainly don't begrudge him that tactic. I might not agree that it was a "shot across the bow" so much as a gnat in the face, and question the presentation of the interview, but I am hopeful that more interviews succeed in pinning down the circuitous marketing-speak the video game industry excels at.Joystiq's interview with Peter Moore at CES finally went up yesterday; though not intentionally confrontational, it manages to be direct and effective, and they walked away with some notable statements from Moore:[Sales have] been almost exclusively for the Premium SKU for the Xbox 360. We predicted that and put retail levels in accordingly. I mean, first of all, Sony’s a great company. They’ve come off two spectacular generations of consoles. You never underestimate the power of your competition. The only thing you can do, the only thing you can control, is your ability to execute flawlessly with your own product...You don’t think they’re not going to sell out of PlayStation 3s, do you? You think that if I could create a piece of IP so that PlayStation 3s would arrive at Best Buy and they’d sit on the shelves? Come on, it’s not going to happen.
