schnikies79 writes "In an interview with IGN, Microsoft's Corporate Vice President Chief Architect J. Allard said he wants to work with competitors on the XBox 360. From the interview: 'I'm pro consumer on this one to the end,' says Allard. 'Anybody in my company who thought this was a bad idea to plug in Sony or Apple devices into this thing, I ended that conversation pretty quickly. This is the right thing to do for consumers. Once they invest $500 in their digital media library, you can't ask them to go buy a 360 music player and a 360 digital camera, and a 360...NO! They got their stuff. They're going to want to plug it in. We're going to be open here, guys. And if anything, I wish we could be more cooperative with the other companies that are doing those things. And if Sony or Apple were to call me up and say, "Hey, we want to some special things with the 360," I'm on it. I think it would not be in anybody's interest to say, we're not going to work with 360. It's good for them, it's good for us, and it's good for consumers.'" Allard 'Gets Real' With IGN Log in/Create an Account | Top | 240 comments (Spill at 50!) | Index Only | Search Discussion Display Options Threshold: -1: 240 comments 0: 233 comments 1: 195 comments 2: 126 comments 3: 50 comments 4: 30 comments 5: 21 comments Flat Nested No Comments Threaded Oldest First Newest First Highest Scores First Oldest First (Ignore Threads) Newest First (Ignore Threads) The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. With an Attitude Like That... (Score:4, Funny) by Scoria (264473) <slashmail@nOSpam.initialized.org> on Monday October 24, @05:34PM (#13866884) (http://www.initialized.org/) This is the right thing to do for consumers.I wonder who leaves Microsoft shareholder gatherings covered in rotten tomatoes! [ Reply to This I actually AGREE with you bud (Score:4, Insightful) by Work Account (900793) on Monday October 24, @05:38PM (#13866918) (Last Journal: Tuesday October 25, @12:18AM) Read my previous thoughts on this matter here: http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=16623 3&cid=13866885 [slashdot.org]He may be telling the truth but I have a hard time believing him.Actually, I may believe him but it's hard to imagine 1 Microsoft guy doing something that every one of their MBAs and Gates himself do not want.Microsoft has been fighting open standards/interfaces for 2-3 decades.I think I speak for all of us when I see WE'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN WE SEE IT! [ Reply to This | ParentRe:I actually AGREE with you bud by ankarbass (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:50PM it just might work (Score:5, Insightful) by ReverendLoki (663861) on Monday October 24, @05:58PM (#13867042) You might notice, though, that neither of the device examples he has given (cameras and mp3 players) are items that Microsoft is particularly known for. Sony, on the other hand, does have both of these and a large number of other electronic devices out there. If the PS3 is going to have a use for hooking these devices to it, they sure as hell will support Sony products.Really, they may be on to something here, and it could increase sales greatly. You could use iTunes to load up your iPod, and not own a "proper" PC or Apple computer. I don't think that they are trying to compete with Nintendo at all - Nintendo has taken the Revolution far enough afield, you could almost say it is in a different genre of games console from the MS and Sony products. That just leaves the PS3. Including a feature like this could help encourage consumers to adopt the XBox 360 before the PS3 release occurs. It might be a valid selling point for homes without a PC, allowing them to use those digital devices to their full extent without a PC. [ Reply to This | ParentiTunes does not play with consoles by Namarrgon (Score:2) Monday October 24, @09:20PMRe:iTunes does not play with consoles by damiam (Score:1) Monday October 24, @11:42PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:I actually AGREE with you bud by notaprguy (Score:1) Monday October 24, @06:55PMRe:I actually AGREE with you bud by alw53 (Score:2) Monday October 24, @08:06PMRe:I actually AGREE with you bud by notaprguy (Score:1) Monday October 24, @08:13PMRe:I actually AGREE with you bud by notaprguy (Score:1) Monday October 24, @08:16PMRe:I actually AGREE with you bud by anadem (Score:1) Monday October 24, @08:42PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.1 reply beneath your current threshold. You have a point, but it's nice to hear this. (Score:5, Insightful) by Alaren (682568) on Monday October 24, @05:43PM (#13866957) (http://www.kennethpike.com/) I mean, my reaction was, "Could it be? Are we finally starting to see a change for the better?"I mean that. Now, I am no Microsoft fan--I have complained long and loud about their monopolistic practices and I am certainly not going to change my tune over one positive statement from one VP.But when words like "pro consumer" show up in interviews with VPs of a major corporation I have to feel like, however reluctantly or slowly, they are in fact reacting to people's demands. Or at least hearing them.Shareholders can be convinced, after all--I think "pro consumer" initiative ultimately mean more profits. However, Ballmer might have some rotten tomatoes for this guy...! [ Reply to This | ParentRe:You have a point, but it's nice to hear this. by liquidpele (Score:3) Monday October 24, @06:11PMRe:You have a point, but it's nice to hear this. by xgamer04 (Score:2) Tuesday October 25, @12:24AM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Re:With an Attitude Like That... (Score:5, Insightful) by Spetiam (671180) on Monday October 24, @05:54PM (#13867015) (Last Journal: Thursday October 20, @08:58PM) Wow, Microsoft can't get away with anything on Slashdot. A little less knee-jerk bashing, please.Why do we have this attitude that "what's good for consumers is bad for shareholders?" It smells of zero-sum economics, which I think is a load of crock. Could it possibly be that Microsoft, in persona J. Allard, recognizes a demand (i.e., an opportunity to make money) and wishes to supply that demand?To me, that's that mark of a great business leader, to take advantage of the market's demand, as opposed to trying to twist demand to match supply. A good example of the latter, I think, would be the RIAA et al.I'm not saying Microsoft hasn't/doesn't do some bad business, but come on, people! Give credit where credit is due.Obligatory MS bash: M$ is probably just touting a feature they plan never to implement. w00t! I called them out! [ Reply to This | ParentRe:With an Attitude Like That... by timmarhy (Score:1) Monday October 24, @06:10PMRe:With an Attitude Like That... by Spetiam (Score:2) Monday October 24, @06:14PMRe:With an Attitude Like That... by DigiShaman (Score:1) Monday October 24, @07:01PMRe:With an Attitude Like That... by nofx_3 (Score:1) Monday October 24, @07:56PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:With an Attitude Like That... by timeOday (Score:2) Monday October 24, @07:00PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:With an Attitude Like That... by oscast (Score:2) Monday October 24, @07:42PMRe:With an Attitude Like That... by Spetiam (Score:2) Monday October 24, @09:32PMoblig. Boondock Saints paraphrase by yoyhed (Score:1) Tuesday October 25, @12:19AMIs Allard still working for MS today? by SpaceLifeForm (Score:3) Monday October 24, @05:35PM Re:Is Allard still working for MS today? (Score:5, Funny) by Rude Turnip (49495) <{rudeturnip} {at} {valdot.org}> on Monday October 24, @05:36PM (#13866904) (http://valdot.org/) I just hope he clears the room of chairs before having a meeting with Steve Balmer. [ Reply to This | Parent1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Is Allard still working for MS today? by ackthpt (Score:2) Monday October 24, @05:40PMRe:Is Allard still working for MS today? by Pxtl (Score:2) Monday October 24, @05:42PMRe:Is Allard still working for MS today? by yoyhed (Score:1) Tuesday October 25, @12:25AM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Re:Is Allard still working for MS today? (Score:5, Insightful) by krbvroc1 (725200) on Monday October 24, @06:05PM (#13867083) Why is this hard to believe? Notice that he called the 360 a 'digital media library' not a 'game machine'. MS wants to get a foothold in this area, lock it up with their proprietary DRM, and force everyone else out of the market. That is their strategy - they just need acceptance from others to allow it. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:Is Allard still working for MS today? by Zevets (Score:1) Monday October 24, @09:07PMRe:Is Allard still working for MS today? by krbvroc1 (Score:2) Monday October 24, @09:28PM Satire? (Score:5, Funny) by RealNitro (776928) on Monday October 24, @05:36PM (#13866899) (http://www.realnitro.be/) I bet it'll turn out to be satire in the end. [ Reply to ThisRe:Satire? by Null537 (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:37PMRe:Satire? by Aaron England (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:38PMA MODEST PROPOSAL by Work Account (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:57PMTag by jZnat (Score:1) Monday October 24, @09:55PM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Large 'IF' (Score:5, Insightful) by ackthpt (218170) * on Monday October 24, @05:36PM (#13866905) (http://www.dragonswest.com/ | Last Journal: Thursday February 24, @01:27PM) And if Sony or Apple were to call me up and say, "Hey, we want to some special things with the 360," I'm on it. I think it would not be in anybody's interest to say, we're not going to work with 360. It's good for them, it's good for us, and it's good for consumers.'" For Apple or Sony to approach him is a very large 'IF'.Sony wants to sell its PS[n], while it may be good for the camera end of Sony or the Music end of Sony, they're probably not so farapart these days as to assist a competitor of the video game console end of Sony.Microsoft's Corporate Vice President Chief Architect J. Allard said he wants to work with competitors on the XBox 360. "Come in to my parlour", said the spider to the fly. [ Reply to ThisRe:Large 'IF' by GoodOmens (Score:3) Monday October 24, @05:42PMRe:Large 'IF' by GweeDo (Score:3) Monday October 24, @06:10PMRe:Large 'IF' by Rayonic (Score:2) Monday October 24, @08:51PMRe:Large 'IF' by humina (Score:2) Monday October 24, @07:26PMMS needs Apple and Sony, not the other way around by javaxman (Score:2) Monday October 24, @08:06PMhmm... by Shads (Score:2) Monday October 24, @05:37PMRe:hmm... by Viper Daimao (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:54PMRe:hmm... by nickj6282 (Score:1) Monday October 24, @08:35PMRe:hmm... by Jackie_Chan_Fan (Score:2) Monday October 24, @05:58PM Re:hmm... (Score:4, Insightful) by Gothic_Walrus (692125) on Monday October 24, @06:02PM (#13867068) (Last Journal: Thursday August 11, @06:50PM) You're comparing ferrets to Spain.Microsoft isn't talking about having Apple and Sony release products specifically FOR the 360. What they want is to have the 360 be compatible with what you've already got - with your iPods, with your Nikon cameras, with products that aren't neccessarily all Microsoft-branded. At no point in time did Allard - or anyone else - encourage the competition to make 360 exclusive devices, although I'm sure they would love to see that happen. They're preaching openness; whether or not that's what we'll end up getting is still very much up in the air.Besides...what's the point of having a media center sans the media? Microsoft doesn't make cameras or music players, and trying to enter those markets at this point would probably be just as costly as the first Xbox eventually was. [ Reply to This | ParentXbox 360 controllers are STANDARD USB by vena (Score:2) Monday October 24, @06:08PMLayer 1 ok. What about layers 2-7? by tepples (Score:1) Monday October 24, @06:21PMRe:Layer 1 ok. What about layers 2-7? by SScorpio (Score:2) Monday October 24, @06:40PMRe:Layer 1 ok. What about layers 2-7? by tepples (Score:1) Monday October 24, @07:11PMRe:Layer 1 ok. What about layers 2-7? by vena (Score:2) Monday October 24, @06:45PMWindows what? by tepples (Score:1) Monday October 24, @07:16PMRe:Windows what? by vena (Score:2) Monday October 24, @07:30PMRe:Layer 1 ok. What about layers 2-7? by tepples (Score:1) Monday October 24, @07:08PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.1 reply beneath your current threshold.1 reply beneath your current threshold. Sounds like he has other things to worry about (Score:5, Interesting) by CuteVlogger (925400) on Monday October 24, @05:37PM (#13866914) (http://www.vobbo.com/user/ismillejustbecuz) Q: How about Microsoft? Will you be shipping your first-party games a week before launch? Allard: I don't know. Haven't certified a game yet. There is no game in manufacturing yet, that's the only thing I can attest to. And when we do, you know, retailers did that a little with Xbox, it's going to be a retail by retail decision. I don't think we're doing anything to try and coordinate that.Haven't certified a game yet? And launch is less than a month away? Sounds like there's going to be some supply problems in the very near future. [ Reply to ThisRe:Sounds like he has other things to worry about by ackthpt (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:43PMRe:Sounds like he has other things to worry about by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:53PM Re:Sounds like he has other things to worry about (Score:4, Insightful) by -Neko- (67564) on Monday October 24, @05:57PM (#13867028) (http://www.genesi.lu/) Microsoft's certification is a GOOD thing. If they are delaying games to get them through the certification process - like drivers going through basic WHQL compatibility and regression testing - then they will arrive on your doorstep with less bugs.This means a better reception for your console!If Certification is granted and manufacturing can start the next day (we will assume Microsoft have some dedicated factories for this and won't be put at the bottom of the list for some subcontracted DVD fab) then they can print hundreds of thousands per day, and millions per week.Launch units are meant to top 3 million WORLDWIDE, so they may start certifying them next week for production, and still be ready with every title of a 20-title line-up with equal share of the market.You might get shortages of the standalone copies of popular titles but.. that's life on launch day. Since most retailers are bundling, the popularity of the titles is defined on what they THINK they can sell - and they have already been "sold" as preorders to retailers. This would determine the numbers they NEED to produce.I would think launch day is the BEST time to make a fast production run of exactly the right amount, to cut down on wastage and warehouse stock at all levels. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:Sounds like he has other things to worry about by theLOUDroom (Score:2) Monday October 24, @06:39PMRe:Sounds like he has other things to worry about by -Neko- (Score:2) Monday October 24, @07:51PMRe:Sounds like he has other things to worry about by cgenman (Score:2) Monday October 24, @10:39PMRe:Sounds like he has other things to worry about by -Neko- (Score:2) Monday October 24, @11:11PMRe:Sounds like he has other things to worry about by xgamer04 (Score:2) Tuesday October 25, @12:28AMThe greatest trick... by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:38PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.just like politicians by vlad_petric (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:39PM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Microsoft educates the consumer (Score:5, Funny) by Sam Haine '95 (918696) on Monday October 24, @05:39PM (#13866924) *kicks consumer in the nuts*"Hey buddy, I'm not kicking you in the nuts!"*kicks consumer in the nuts* [ Reply to This1 reply beneath your current threshold. If the 360 is so consumer-friendly... (Score:5, Insightful) by wheresdrew (735202) on Monday October 24, @05:39PM (#13866925) (Last Journal: Sunday December 12, @08:07AM) ...then why are the games and system region-coded? [ Reply to ThisRe:If the 360 is so consumer-friendly... by tepples (Score:2) Monday October 24, @06:42PMRe:If the 360 is so consumer-friendly... by lewp (Score:2) Monday October 24, @07:32PMLocalization isn't always a region lockout by tepples (Score:1) Monday October 24, @07:59PMRe:If the 360 is so consumer-friendly... by kirkb (Score:2) Monday October 24, @07:28PMRe:If the 360 is so consumer-friendly... by chris_eineke (Score:2) Monday October 24, @08:09PMRe:If the 360 is so consumer-friendly... by Gorimek (Score:2) Monday October 24, @10:11PM2 replies beneath your current threshold.Honto ni? by Dante Shamest (Score:3) Monday October 24, @05:39PMRe:Honto ni? by galdur (Score:1) Monday October 24, @06:06PM Why not? (Score:5, Insightful) by BrGaribaldi (710238) on Monday October 24, @05:39PM (#13866927) (http://www.thisisdark.com/) Why shouldn't this happen? Microsoft is never going to be on the forefront of the device market. Why not make it compatible with Apple and Sony devices? Then they can stick it to Apple and say they're open with their technologies, why is iTunes and iPod such closed devices. They are not losing market share with this ploy, but they are going to get a lot of positive PR. [ Reply to ThisRe:Why not? by Viper Daimao (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:59PMRe:Why not? by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Monday October 24, @06:59PMWow... I'm impressed... by the_skywise (Score:3) Monday October 24, @05:40PMRe:Wow... I'm impressed... by name773 (Score:1) Monday October 24, @06:13PM"Made for iPod" vs. "Made for Xbox 360" by tepples (Score:1) Monday October 24, @06:53PMPlug In by Kazrael (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:40PMRe:Plug In by amliebsch (Score:2) Monday October 24, @06:33PM what does the slashdot crowd do (Score:4, Insightful) by circletimessquare (444983) <[moc.liamg] [ta] [erauqssemitelcric]> on Monday October 24, @05:42PM (#13866948) what does the slashdot crowd do when, shock and horror, after spending years repeating the same litany of simple lessons about intellectual property, interoperability, secure code, etc., that someone in the industry actually wakes up and starts listening and says "yeah, you're right" and changes their practices accordingly?i think some of you have based your entire understanding of reality on the fact that these guys will just never get itwell, and i'm not saying this 360 move is it or not, what if someday they actually get it?a 500,000 ton tanker has difficulty changing course, but, lo and behold, that doesn't mean it can't actually change course, SLOWLY, but inevitablythese guys just might come around to the slashdot crowd's way of thinking after allthen what will the slashdot crowd do? what will be their purpose for living then? LOL [ Reply to This Re:what does the slashdot crowd do (Score:5, Insightful) by Tetard (202140) on Monday October 24, @05:50PM (#13866992) How naive.Microsoft wants to be in the living room. Badly. They'll be "open" when it comes to peripherals, but their real goal is to be the digital hub that Apple has been talking about for years. And the hope to do that with the 360. So of course it will be compatible with that Canon digital camera, and will accept videos from that Sony camcorder. But the software inside ? In your dreams. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:what does the slashdot crowd do by CAIMLAS (Score:2) Monday October 24, @07:06PMRe:what does the slashdot crowd do by SeattleGameboy (Score:3) Monday October 24, @07:20PMRe:what does the slashdot crowd do by Tetard (Score:1) Monday October 24, @07:33PMRe:what does the slashdot crowd do by SeattleGameboy (Score:2) Monday October 24, @07:40PMRe:what does the slashdot crowd do by n8_f (Score:3) Monday October 24, @08:40PMRe:what does the slashdot crowd do by Lord_Dweomer (Score:3) Monday October 24, @08:56PMRe:what does the slashdot crowd do by CDPatten (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:53PMRe:what does the slashdot crowd do by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF (Score:2) Monday October 24, @06:03PMRe:what does the slashdot crowd do by moviepig.com (Score:2) Monday October 24, @06:13PMRe:what does the slashdot crowd do by FST777 (Score:1) Monday October 24, @06:22PMRe:what does the slashdot crowd do by adam31 (Score:3) Monday October 24, @07:23PMRe:what does the slashdot crowd do by Deliveranc3 (Score:2) Monday October 24, @10:57PM4 replies beneath your current threshold.Wow... by inkdesign (Score:3) Monday October 24, @05:43PMRe:Wow... by blackomegax (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:56PMRe:Wow... by inkdesign (Score:1) Monday October 24, @06:01PMRe:Wow... by SScorpio (Score:2) Monday October 24, @06:46PMRe:Wow... by notaprguy (Score:1) Monday October 24, @07:22PMRe:Wow... by PhoenixOne (Score:2) Monday October 24, @07:49PMPro Consumer? by futurekill (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:43PMWay to get people to be mad at your competitors by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:43PM 1. Embrace (Score:5, Insightful) by dbc (135354) on Monday October 24, @05:44PM (#13866960) 2. Extend3. ExtinguishOr has everyone forgotten? [ Reply to ThisRe:1. Embrace by erikharrison (Score:2) Monday October 24, @07:17PM Sun Open Document (Score:5, Funny) by aero6dof (415422) <aero6dof@yahoo.com> on Monday October 24, @05:44PM (#13866964) (http://slashdot.org/) I say someone from Sun should call him up trying to get a 360 OpenDocument viewer going. [ Reply to ThisAll competitors or just some? by Anonymous Coward (Score:3) Monday October 24, @05:46PMNot... by Namarrgon (Score:2) Monday October 24, @09:25PMDVD to small by SuperKendall (Score:2) Monday October 24, @05:46PMRe:DVD to small by NeMon'ess (Score:2) Monday October 24, @06:59PMRefuting points by SuperKendall (Score:2) Monday October 24, @09:35PMtough for PS3 by CDPatten (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:47PM Re:tough for PS3 (Score:4, Informative) by SScorpio (595836) on Monday October 24, @07:13PM (#13867469) >Although we will have to wait and see Allard certainly is saying the right>things. More importantly, Sony has a slightly more powerful machine, but MS has>XBox live. Any gamer knows, live is pretty sick, and PS3 has no answer to it.>As more details are revealed about both systems, xbox seems to be more>conducive to both large and small developers, again, bad for sony.Everytime I've seen Live it looks like nothing more than a glorified chat room that acts as a gaming hub. The single sign-in for all games is a nice features but Sony and Nintendo will have something simiular. Past interviews with Nintendo have mentioned it, and you can be sure Sony is researching it.Other than that Live is a pretty big let done when compared to what even the PS2's online mode in Japan can do. You can download movies, music, pictures, and short games/demos and watch, listen, view, or play them. I also already interfaces with Sony cameras for viewing pictures so nothing really big there.You can see what the rest of the world missed here http://bungiefan.tripod.com/psbbn_03-06.html [tripod.com]>PS3's big plus over the xbox is Blu-ray (if it takes off). However, if the>telco and cable company's multi-billion dollar push for streaming high def>video over the web takes off, then hd-dvd and lu-ray will become obsolete>before they hit shelfs... only good for storage.And how does this make a bad choice for the PS3 and a good choice for the 360? First off in the coming 1-2 years not every place will be able to stream this HD video off the web as some places in the US are unable to get broadband. Secondly that still doesn't make MS sticking with a 9GB disk when you are trying to load up with HD content a good idea. So the disks become only good for storage, you'll get a lot of it on that one disk. Gamecube games suffered from only being 1.5GB in some games where the video and audio had to be more highly compressed, will the 360 suffer this fate because as Allard said "the compression isn't there yet".>I don't know who will win this round, but right now my money is on the xbox.>Sony is loosing allot more money then MS is on each console, and the console is>really that more powerful, at least according to the dozens of developers I've>talked to/ worked with. I personally haven't developed for either yet, but>anticipate I will sometime next year. The developers I talked too aren't in>love with the cell at all. Apparently you really can't use all the cores the>way you would expect.I'm not trying to be a fan boy but I can't see Sony losing all the much more than MS. Sony as the manufacturing plants to make the parts themselves. As for talking to developers I spoke in person with a friend who is currently doing testing for Activision (I won't say his exact position because they are only a handful of them) but he's not a beta tester. His comments where than it doesn't look any better than a high-end PC. Look at the PC when the PC and Xbox came out. The graphics were far better than the consoles, sure now years later those old PCs can't keep up, but look at what the new ones can dish out compared to the consoles.As for the cell being hard to program for? We heard the exact some complaint with the PS2. Boo fucking hoo. Take a wild guess which console had the most games released for it? That's right the PS2, developers will release on which ever console has the largest user base. And remember that the 1 year head start didn't help the dreamcast.>I'm going to buy both consoles, but I'm really not the average user... it will>be interesting to see how sony handles xbox's initial success this year.I'll hold my judgement on the 360's initial success until after the smoke clears from the holiday season. As for consoles, I'll probably pickup a PS3 after the first price drop or a nice bundled game with a good coupon, and a RRead the rest of this comment... [ Reply to This | ParentLet's not be such pessimists! by clevershark (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:48PM Hmm.... (Score:5, Funny) by borawjm (747876) on Monday October 24, @05:49PM (#13866987) They're going to want to plug it in. [...] And if Sony or Apple were to call me up and say, "Hey, we want to some special things with the 360,"and I'm sure they are going to tell them where they can plug it in. [ Reply to This Allard = Baby Bill (Score:5, Interesting) by tyates (869064) on Monday October 24, @05:49PM (#13866989) (http://www.tristanyates.com/) Back in the day, Allard was one of the first guys to champion Microsoft's adoption of TCP/IP. Later, he got pulled into "Project 42", a disastrous attempt to come up with some Windows monstrosity that was supposed to counter thin-client platforms (like Java) but never got off the ground despite its team of fifteen hundred. After that he took a leave of absence, and only agreed to come back if he got to lead the development efforts for the Xbox and do it free of bureaucracy. They call Allard and some of the other guys like him "Baby Bills". [ Reply to ThisRe:Allard = Baby Bill by gamblor87 (Score:1) Monday October 24, @06:01PMRe:Allard = Baby Bill by tyates (Score:3) Monday October 24, @06:21PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.2 replies beneath your current threshold.Thank you Dr. Bion by RingDev (Score:2) Monday October 24, @05:54PMObvious Nintendo jab by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Monday October 24, @05:56PMRe:Obvious Nintendo jab by 2008 (Score:1) Monday October 24, @06:39PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Can we vote... by Spy der Mann (Score:2) Monday October 24, @05:57PMDo you mean BIZARRO plug in? by RyoShin (Score:3) Monday October 24, @05:57PMRe:Do you mean BIZARRO plug in? by thesandtiger (Score:2) Monday October 24, @06:42PMRe:Do you mean BIZARRO plug in? by bertramwooster (Score:1) Monday October 24, @07:44PM From TFA (Score:5, Interesting) by payndz (589033) on Monday October 24, @05:58PM (#13867041) Basically what happens when you get final hardware late, you're sloppy. With all deference to the developers, you've got to take every out you can and so they're not applying all their talents, as they will next year and the year after to get every little bit they can out of it. They're being a little sloppy with the CPU, they're being a little sloppy with the discs, they're being a little sloppy with their formats and compression to make launch. And next year, you'll see that they tighten that up so they can get more out of the system using the same disc capacity, using the same compression, and the same art tools, and so they'll get a lot more out of the system next year. Way to sell your new system. I don't know about anyone else, but I read that as 'We're really rushing this thing to market to beat Sony, and the early games might be as botched as that EA football game on the PSP, but hey! In a year from now, we'll probably have figured out how to do some really neat stuff!' And then adding on the next page, 'In the meantime, you can buy all these cool customised fascias! That's gotta be worth something, right?' [ Reply to ThisRe:From TFA by E-Rock (Score:2) Monday October 24, @07:01PMRe:From TFA by Lord_Dweomer (Score:2) Monday October 24, @08:58PMI read it the same way by YesIAmAScript (Score:2) Monday October 24, @11:00PM Can't beat em, join em. (Score:4, Insightful) by slittle (4150) on Monday October 24, @05:58PM (#13867045) (http://slashdot.org/) you can't ask them to go buy a 360 music player and a 360 digital camera, and a 360...NO!1) Microsoft missed the boat on that shit already.2) Microsoft likely don't care, so long as your boats dock at their port.3) The last thing Microsoft needs is for Apple to succeed with their digital hub thing. Giving up the peripheral market they never had to competitors in order to maintain their control of the 'hub' is probably A-OK.4) Peripherals are more competitive and diverse than whatever you plug them into anyway. I doubt Microsoft really want that kind of stress.5) Mind/marketshare matters more at this point than total control, and if people know the 360 works with everything, they'll be more likely to buy one. Once they get people hooked on their goodies, it's much easier to fuck them over. People are more likely to buy the next XBox than some other thing if they already have one.