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Peter Moore Talks PS3, Wii, Portable 360
kukyfrope writes "Peter Moore recently led an intimate round-table discussion at E3 where journalists were allowed to pluck his brain on current industry issues. His comments cover PS3's high-price announcement, downplay rumors surrounding a portable Xbox, and actually admits he would like a Wii! 'Look, it's not partisan; I love what Nintendo is doing. They're in a different space.'"
With enemies like these, who needs friends?
FTA:
Look I was there when Iwata-san pulled out that thing [the Wii]. I was there in the front row in Tokyo... and I said [to myself] "You've got to give 'em kudos for trying."
Is it just me, or does he come off as a really egotistical jackass in that line? You have to give them kudos for trying? We'll see if he can maintain that smarmy attitude when the Wii wipes the floor with the 360 in total sales.
He's a VP for Microsoft and is pretty much the go to guy for the 36nd Microsofts opinion on the gaming marketplace.
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Peter Moore (Born 1956 in Liverpool, England) is the head of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business division, which includes the Xbox and Xbox 360 game consoles.
Moore holds a bachelor's degree from Keele University, England, and a master's degree from California State University, Long Beach.
After working for Patrick USA, the U.S. subsidiary of the popular French sportswear company, and then Reebok, Peter Moore rose to prominence at Sega, being a heavy figure in the company's North American operations during the Dreamcast era. Moore played a pivotal role in the company's decision to change its business strategy to become a platform-agnostic software publisher. At the time of leaving Moore was president and COO of SEGA of America.
Microsoft hired Moore in 2003 to join the Xbox project, where he has been ever since.
Peter Moore has shown off his Halo 2 and Grand Theft Auto 4 tattoos when announcing the games. Both tattoos are quite real as shown in a GearLive interview.
I love how in these comments where they kiss Nintendo's backside, they always point to their own console. I actually think Sony's comment was a bit more "negative" since they referred to the Wii as a "second console." Personally, I still think you are going to get a great deal of budget minded gamers who will purchase the Wii as a "first" or "only" console and wait for the prices of the PS3 and 360 to drop to more reasonable levels.
I have never rushed into a high priced console. The first console I purchased myself was a PSX when it was either $99 or $129...the next one was a launch system, the Dreamcast, with the always friendly price point of $199. I eventually bought a used PS2 from a friend at work for $150. This include the broadband adapter, at least two (maybe three) controllers, 5 or 6 games (two of which I sold to make back almost $30 of my money), a memory card, and one of the adapters to allow for more then two people to play.
Now, if the Wii comes in at $249 or less, I can all but guarantee it will be purchased at launch. I have always thought Nintendo had some great games and believe their consoles are one of the best (if not the best) for parties. I mean even regular Mario games can have some party fun, but with Mario Party and Smash Brothers...not to mention those moments of fun that were Dr. Mario on the N64...you really have to hand it to Nintendo.
"Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb."
I'm definitely not a MS fan, but Moore definitely knows how to sell the 360: appear like an affable everyman and make the system appear accessable to all of the other everymen. Talking about playing games with his son and how he wants a Wii is the right move; no "The PS3 is actually really cheap" here.
This seems like something Iwata should be saying in regards to the Xbox losing Microsoft 4 billion dollars.
1) As TFA says, why bother including functionality that consumers may not want and jacking up your price because of it (see Sony). Also, the HD Protection Bit has been going back and forth on if it is a 1-year hiatus or until 2010, I have yet to see anything definite stating one way or another. Regardless, I wouldn't trust the MPAA to let it be HDCP free until 2010 - you'll just shoot yourself in the foot if you do.
2) By BC i'm going to hazard a guess you mean background content updates for Xbox Live? It is still in the works and coming eventually, yeah its been delayed a bunch but it doesnt seem relevant to this topic.
3) PGR3 looks pretty good to me when i've played it for several hours, not sure which version you are looking at. When you compare it to actual consoles that are out there (Gamecube and PS2), sure does look a lot better. But maybe you are comparing it to "coming soon" consoles?
4) I've heard of overheating but not of some massive defects, wouldn't this be in some of the regular gaming news sites if there were (IGN, Gamespy etc)?
5) Xbox Live has always been different than what Sony and Nintendo have been doing in the online arena (which is a whole lot of nothing atm). Sony's service probably won't have the same functionality as Xbox Live - which will now run cross-platform gaming with Windows gamers (big plus), have same tag and friends list across platforms, and you know that every game that you buy that is Live-enabled - which I think all 360 games are required to have at least friends list functionality included - will work in the same fashion and work well. Without an integrated system, if you leave it up to each publisher it will be a mess and not nearly as useful as what Microsoft has come up with. This is one area where I think Microsoft has been kicking the tail of Sony and Nintendo - people want multiplayer gaming, co-op experiences, and also love earning "achievements" (just look at BF2's popular badge system which is why many still play almost a year after release).
6) Expect to see the Core version dropped this fall and price drop on the premium version (just my strong theory and that of many gaming mags). Are you still whining about background content or is BC something else? Please don't use acronyms that aren't clearly defined by context. Thanks.
Yeah, so PS2 still sells a lot - b/c you can get one for $100 now and it has a bazillion games. Also, what would the 360's sell numbers have been if they actually had millions in stock on store shelves instead of there being constant supply shortages?
And oh yeah, if you're going to rant at least have the courtesy to login instead of being a typical AC (Anonymous Coward). And a note, i'm planning on buying a Nintendo Wii first and foremost so i'm not a Microsoft Fanboy. I currently own a Gamecube and Xbox and played a PS2 for about a year before I wanted to claw my eyes out from the total lack of anti-aliasing capabilities on that console.
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." - Tennyson
I have to disagree with you about the "different space bit". For me it is. The Wii is in the space of "interesting innovative gaming which is accessable for users who don't currently play games and yet has enough flexability and depth to keep hard-core gamers comming back for more - with downloadable content to get all the retro gamers into the fold too"... That seems like a pretty different place to "we are expensive; but hell, you're idiots and you'll buy anything - even if its $600"
I've had loads of different games machines over the years and with the exception of the Amega 500 (which was when i was like 6 and I was also pretty much that excited about my transformer and a toy car aswell) I don't think I've ever wanted games machine
*''I can't believe it's not a hyperlink.''
the Wii will provide you with some amazing games but you'll still need our system to play most of the games you already like.
Last time I checked, Super Smash Bros. Brawl will work with GameCube controllers, and it will work with Nintendo's new Wii-specific Dual Shock clone. Besides, doesn't Nintendo have the "games you already like" market locked up with Virtual Console?
actually my comment is very correct. IF you dont know who the head of the 360 is, why would you care about what he was saying about the Wii or the PS3.
The difference is as plain as "Some homeless guy comments on the next-gen consoles" and "Head of the 360 gives his take on next-gen consoles". Even if I don't know who he is, at least he can give more insight than some schmuck off the street. I know the position "head of 360 devlopment" or whatever, but couldn't give a crap less about the name of the person in the position. That doesn't mean I'm not interested in the industry.
-- toolie
They keep saying that because they desperately need for it to be true. If developers come up with hard and edgy games for the Wii or good sports / racing titles that take advantage of the controller, then they'll steal the core markets for the Xbox 360 and PS3.
As long as Sony & MS can convince everybody that the Wii is for kids and non-gamers, then they'll keep the genres that appeal to the hardcore exclusively their consoles. However, I think the day that some smart developer thinks of how to use the Wii controller for a first person shooter is the day that console FPS games like Halo become irrelevant.
The only games that can't migrate to the Wii are games that depend on having pretty, pretty graphics for much of their appeal, like the mainline Final Fantasy games or games like Shadow of the Colossus. The Wii isn't even trying for graphics success.
The Wii will change forever the face of console gaming. I can't wait for the next generation when the Wii's control features get married to the graphics power of the current generation.
If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
Well, yes...and no. They're all technically gaming consoles (though Sony is clearly more committed to the PS3 being a blu-ray player), so yes, they're all in the same space, and are therefore competing products. But at the same time, the Wii is a totally different concept/experience/strategy than the other two. And Nintendo has also said that they don't view the 360 and PS3 as competition, but this can be attributed to the fact that the Wii has a completely different target market. However it's secondary market is the same as the 360's and PS3's target market. The Wii may not be directly competing with the 360 and PS3, but it will still have an effect on their sales.
The way I see it, Microsoft is trying to downplay the Wii by saying that you can get a 360 and still have some money left over to get a Wii. This is also a strategy against the PS3, since (assuming certain things about the Wii's and 360's future pricing) you'll be able to buy both a 360 and a Wii for relatively the same cost of a PS3 (as has been said many times over). I think this is a good strategy for Microsoft. Let's say Mr. Jones has budgeted $600 for a next-gen gaming system (not including any extras or games) this Christmas for his family. He can:
1) Buy a PS3. This covers his own 'hardcore' needs, but leaves something to be desired from his wife and younger kids. He also misses out on the consistently fun Nintendo franchises as well as the 360 exclusives. He also loses points with the rest of the family because he bought something the majority of the family probably won't enjoy, and spent a lot of money doing it.
2) Buy a 360. Pretty much the same as #1. It satisfies his 'hardcore' side, but not everyone else. He still loses points with the family, but hasn't spent as much money doing it.
3) Buy a Wii. The wife and kids enjoy it, they have fun as a family, and Dad scores major points for both buying a fun-for-the-whole-family console and not spending a whole lot of money. He however sacrifices pleasing his 'hardcore' side.
4) Buy a 360 and a Wii. He covers all his bases. He gets 'hardcore' games as well as the Nintendo franchises, pleases the entire family, including himself, and since the wife and kids are happy, the amount of money he spent pales in comparison. He also gets access to over 2/3 of the available games, since most games will be written for both the 360 and PS3, if not all three consoles.
If you were Mr. Jones, with a wife and a few kids of varying ages, which would you choose? I know I'd be going with #4. #3 if I wanted to spend the extra on something special for the wife, and score major pu...er... points.
Everything I say is a lie. Except that... and that... and that, and that, and that, and that... and that.
>I think the day that some smart developer thinks of how to use the Wii controller for a first person shooter is the day that console FPS games like Halo become irrelevant.
there will be at least 2 at launch: Red Steel and Metroid.
If by "different space," he means people's living-rooms, then I'd agree. If people have the choice between the 360, the PS3, or the Wii + being able to eat more than ramen in order to buy the console and games - it's not a hard choice. No amount of processing power is going to wash that MSG taste out of my mouth.
Peter Moore wouldn't be saying all of these positive things about the Wii if he wasn't scared to death of what it could do to Xbox 360 sales.
The Wii could conceivably cost half as much as the 360 Premium Package, and Nintendo has announced a Wii title in nearly all (or maybe all?) of its major franchises. If I were Peter Moore, I'd be scared too.
Moore's trying to create a "Wii + 360 > PS3" equation in people's minds, and I'm not saying he's wrong, but I don't think that he'd be saying anything positive about Nintendo or the Wii if he thought that the Xbox 360 could become the #1 new console in its own right.
After this year's E3, I've decided that I'll be purchasing a Wii in 2007 when a lot of the non-launch games have come out, and that I just don't care about what the 360 has to offer for the amount of money I have to spend on one, especially since I can already do all of that media center stuff on my PC. There you have it--Microsoft lost at least one potential 360 customer (myself) after E3 2006. How many more people must be out there that have feelings similar to my own?
People like me are the reason Peter Moore is complementing the Wii. He wants me, and everybody like me, to get the 360 by creating the illusion that there's a copasetic relationship between the Wii and 360 just because they're not made by Sony. However, just because I can get a Wii and 360 for roughly the price of a PS3 doesn't mean that I should buy an entire other console just because I haven't blown $600 on hardware.
Some people are saying that Nintendo isn't trying to compete with MS and Sony since they've taken such a different approach to their new console, but honestly, I think that Nintendo has become more competitive than ever. The Wii is small, backwards-compatible, online-ready, much cheaper than the 360 and PS3, and most importantly, it's unique and inspired. Hats off to Nintendo for truly bringing a revolution to console gaming.
but to date no GameCube game has ever impressed me with its graphics compared to the shiniest PS2 and Xbox games.
That's amusing, because if you're impressed with the graphics of PS2 games, you must be fairly easily impressed. I can't think of a single PS2 game that pushed the envelope in terms of graphics, whereas I can list a dozen or more each from the Gamecube and XBox libraries.
The Gamecube hardware is far superior to that of the PS2, no matter how much Sony kool-aid you've been drinking.
--Jeremy
Jesus was a liberal