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How IBM Out-foxed Intel With The Xbox 360

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the beat-them-to-the-punch dept.

xcaverx writes "Learning from failure is a hallmark of the technology business. Nick Baker, a 37-year-old system architect at Microsoft, knows that well. A British transplant at the software giant's Silicon Valley campus, he went from failed project to failed project in his career. He worked on such dogs as Apple Computer's defunct video card business, 3DO's failed game consoles, a chip startup that screwed up a deal with Nintendo, the never successful WebTV and Microsoft's canceled Ultimate TV satellite TV recorder. But Baker finally has a hot seller with the Xbox 360, Microsoft's video game console launched worldwide last holiday season."

11 of 327 comments (clear)

  1. well... by Burlap · · Score: 5, Funny

    successful X360 launch may be stretching it a bit neh?

  2. destiny by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wow! With a record like that he was destined to work for Microsoft.

    --
    This guy's the limit!
  3. So is Xbox now doomed? by i_want_you_to_throw_ · · Score: 2, Funny

    Holy crap...all you Xbox employees better get your resumes ready!

  4. Microsoft by thebdj · · Score: 4, Funny

    Turning failures into successes since Windows 95. *laugh people*

    --
    "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb."
  5. Aim High! by Rydia · · Score: 4, Funny

    I am inspired- inspired!- by this man's ability to keep his chin up through it all, shoulder all the adversity, and successfully move from a series of abysmal failures to merely a catastrophic failure!

    My hat, sir, is off to you!

  6. Re:Outfoxed? by Whiney+Mac+Fanboy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Your nick and post are well-coordinated.

    Thanks :-)

    (I am single handedly trying to save /. with this handle)

    --
    There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
  7. Oops. by Gannoc · · Score: 4, Funny

    Larry Yang-all dictated what Microsoft needed this time around.

    They couldn't be late. They had to make hardware that could become much cheaper over time and had to pack as much performance into a game console as they could without overheating the box.

    "Unfortunately, Larry Yang did not explicitly forbid overheating the power supply"

  8. Re:Jumping the gun... by DMoylan · · Score: 2, Funny

    the quote was 'But Baker finally has a hot seller with the Xbox 360'

    considering the overheating problems the 360 can have it may have been a subtle dig.

  9. Nick Baker by sottitron · · Score: 2, Funny

    Couldn't you also read Nick Baker's track record as proof positive the XBOX 360 will fail? That is an impressive list of failures and I don't want the XBOX 360 to ruin his average. Real quick question: is this guy old? Did he perhaps work on the design team for the titanic, too?

  10. Govt work anyone? by Merciful+Oblivion · · Score: 3, Funny

    "He worked on such dogs as Apple Computer's defunct video card business, 3DO's failed game consoles, a chip startup that screwed up a deal with Nintendo, the never successful WebTV and Microsoft's canceled Ultimate TV satellite TV recorder." Generally a record like this indicates an aptitude in government.

    --
    "I have neither the wit, nor words, nor worth to stir mens blood, I speak only right on". Billy Shakespeare
  11. Re:Ahh, the litany of failure by Pointdexter · · Score: 3, Funny
    King of Swamp Castle: When I first came here, this was all swamp. Everyone said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp, but I built in all the same, just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up. And that's what you're going to get, Lad, the strongest castle in all of England.
    --
    Party Time: Excellent