Microsoft tell Sony "Bring It On"

[Benji]

Xbox 360 Chief Architect Tells PlayStation 3 To Bring It On

10.24.2005 8:44 PM EDT

Microsoft VP calls new console 'living entertainment experience powered by human energy.'

Microsoft's Peter Moore

Photo: Marsaili McGrath/ Getty Images

As one of the top people in Microsoft's Xbox hierarchy, Peter Moore is required to be enthusiastic about his company's products.

So when he explained that the new Xbox isn't called the Xbox 2 in part because it wouldn't sound up to snuff with

a certain competitor named PlayStation 3, he added: "We tried Xbox 2. We tried a number of names. Went around the world for four months, and Xbox 2 got a shrug of the shoulder. Then we explained the Xbox 360 as a living entertainment experience powered by human energy [that] revolves around you and makes you at the center of your experience [and] people were like [snaps fingers] ... 'I get that.' "

Earlier this month, Peter Moore, corporate vice president at Microsoft and one of the chief architects of the Xbox 360, sat down with MTV News to dish details on his company's new console. He revealed new ways a 360 owner might make money with the system, spoke about the 360's gaming future and nailed down at least one Xbox game that will be playable online between Microsoft's past and future consoles.

Moore, who oversees the marketing effort for the system as well as first-party game development, also said he thinks episodic gaming — the release of game content at regularly scheduled weekly intervals — will become popular in the future. Players are "going to have the same experience as people who religiously watch 'Lost' or '24,' who can't wait for Wednesday nights at 8 o'clock or whenever," he said.

He revealed that the game he is proudest of for the 360's launch is the fantasy game "Kameo" (see "Xbox 360 Games Promise Potato Grenades, Bloody Pipe-Swinging, Spiderbots"). He also lavished praise on "King Kong" and "Call of Duty 2."

Moore acknowledged the console's flagship first-person-shooter "Perfect Dark Zero": "It's taken some knocks because it was built in a visual style that doesn't show off next generation well," he said. Moore, who's played the only-in-testing 50-player version of the game, said "Zero" would shine best when played by the retail-maximum 32 gamers when it arrives next month.

"Kameo" and "Perfect Dark Zero" are the creations of Rare, the studio responsible for pre-Xbox favorites "Donkey Kong Country" and "GoldenEye." Moore said spring will bring an announcement of two more Rare titles for 360, both with almost two years of development already in the books. Moore said Microsoft intends to "leverage Rare's incredible ability to broaden the demographic that are attracted to the consoles."

Moore confirmed that the free silver membership of Xbox Live on the 360, which allows downloads and networking with friends, won't require a credit card for sign up. The gold membership, which allows multiplayer gaming, still requires credit card registration and payment.

He fleshed out plans for the Xbox Live marketplace, an environment announced at E3 that will not only enable pay-to-download new cars for racing games but will also allow 360 owners to create their own game-related content and sell it through Live. Moore said system owners will even be able to sell machinima or character avatars on the service.

Backward compatibility is one issue that has perplexed those looking into an Xbox 360. As gamers have known since E3, Xbox 360s that are armed with hard drives (part of the $399 premium all-options-included Xbox 360 pack or $100 if bought to complement the $299 basic 360) will be able to play "top-selling" Xbox games. Moore said an initial list of compatible games will be released on Xbox.com in the next week or two, with e-mail updates available as the list expands.

One original Xbox game sure to work on a 360 will be "Halo 2," according to Moore. He said players competing online could be using different systems and shouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Addressing whether Microsoft should even be charging gamers $100 for the system's 20 GB hard drive — or even $40 for the far tinier 64 MB memory cards — Moore conceded that his company was trying to find a profit somewhere, since consoles themselves are designed to be money-losers initially. "The ability for us to be able to drive the hardware price down requires us to have some kind of a business model elsewhere," he said. "We've set the pricing where we think it needs to be priced in the marketplace, and that's where it's at."

With the games lined up and the system less than a month away, Moore said he's feeling confident. He's also firmly aware that there's a freight train called PlayStation 3 heading his direction, possibly for a spring release.

Moore's been in a similar spot before. In 1999 he took the reigns of Sega of America, helping the launch of the "Sonic" company's final console, the Dreamcast. The system had a strong launch lineup and fan following that is rabid about the system even to this day.

What did Dreamcast in, he said, was the lack of support from mega-publisher EA and the lack of a long-term plan to provide a consistent flow of quality games. That left the system vulnerable to the counter-marketing campaign for the then-looming "PlayStation 2," which didn't arrive in the U.S. for another year.

So is he worried some gamers may again hold off on a system he's overseeing in order to buy the next Sony console? "If the PS3 is so incredibly superior to the Xbox 360 in game quality, game quantity, game breadth, game visuals, depth of the digital entertainment experience and price, God bless them."

Otherwise, he has a system he'd like to sell you.

As I've said before, I hate the X-Box, it was a shoddy console IMO, but with the games that are potentially heading that way it looks like I'll be owning all three next generation consoles. The one thing I wondered about was backwards compatability because their are a couple of X-Box games I wanted, I just hope Kung Fu Chaos is compatable

[Chris the Human]

I've always been something of an xBox mark, but that's more out of loyalty to Bungie (even if they didn't show Mac users the same loyalty once they money came, heh) than anything. That said, PS2 certainly had a better selection of games.

What are these titles they're heading up the release with? I've been out of the console loop for a while, but now I have a job and money!

[apsham]

Microsoft idiots, I am tired of all the X-Box fan boys in this area, from my experience PS2 people aren't that bad.

[ErikBN3012]

The 360's going to have a hard drive, right? I have a PS2 right now, but the more I play X Box the more impressed I am with the different things you can do with its hard drive.

[PkmnTrainerJ]

Nintendo are going to sneak in and own the market whilst Sony and Microsoft bicker like immature schoolkids...

[GoGo Yubari]

Nintendo are going to sneak in and own the market whilst Sony and Microsoft bicker like immature schoolkids...

You have no idea how much I would love to see that happen.

I'm still irritated at the 360 not being completely backwards compatible with the XBox. As if their game library wasn't meager enough WITHOUT making it so only a few games from the original can be played on the 360. I'll probably get it, but it'll be long after I get the PS3 and Revolution (probably not in that order).

[apsham]

Nintendo are going to sneak in and own the market whilst Sony and Microsoft bicker like immature schoolkids...

Wishful thinking.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Nintendo are going to sneak in and own the market whilst Sony and Microsoft bicker like immature schoolkids...

:lmao:

POWERED BY PURE HUMAN ENERGY.

[aznhitman]

microsoft is really cocky...

but im not planning on getting a 360.. (but probably when it is at the $200 mark)

im gonna trade in my ps2 or sell it and use that money for a ps3.

nintendo revolution? havent gotten a nintendo product since the SP..

[Clawson]

My friend who was a big XBOX fanboy said to me today, "the XBOX 360 should be renamed Dreamcast 2".

I laughed. I think it has a good chance to come true, good intial support will fade when people realize the other options will be better.

[Psicosis]

POWERED BY PURE HUMAN ENERGY.

[Hellfire]

I can't wait for the Xbox 360. I honestly think that its going to be the best next gen system out, but thats my opinion. However, I am going to wait for a couple months so all the bugs can get worked out, as I dont like returning new systems, as I had to do with the PS2 and the Xbox.

[zero]

My friend who was a big XBOX fanboy said to me today, "the XBOX 360 should be renamed Dreamcast 2".

I laughed. I think it has a good chance to come true, good intial support will fade when people realize the other options will be better.

Dreamcast 2 will be the Revolution. Great, innovative ideas, no one will care. Sony and Microsoft will steal said ideas for the PS4 and XBox 720. Sorry guys, The 360, while looking like it's going to have one shaky launch, is going to be the number two system. Remember, the PS2 had the worst launch in the history of consoles - massive system shortage, horrible hardware, zero killer app, and now look at the system. They had nothing for the first eight months and it went on to become the definitive system, just like its predecessor. Just like I never considered the PS2 to be officially launched until Twisted Metal Black, the 360 won't be considered officially launched until Halo 3.