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Microsoft's Plan to Be King of All Media
An anonymous reader writes "Saul Hansell from the New York Times spoke with Microsoft's J. Allard, formerly of the Xbox games division and now in charge of their push on Apple's captive audience with the Zune. Allard lays out Microsoft's media battle plan, highlighting their longterm goals for expanding beyond games and software. 'This service will at some point add more options for video and mobile phones, Mr. Allard said, without offering details. Actually, Microsoft has been quite successful selling video downloads and online movie rentals through the Xbox Live service already. This seems a bit too much like the initial plan for MSN. This new network would be the switchboard through which all entertainment content and communication flows. Pretty much everything else in the technology world now is revolving around open systems where the Internet, and some simple standards, are in the middle.'"
They better hurry up and pull their finger out of their asses and get Divx/Xvid support for the 360 then.
The eye of Ballmermon sweeps across the media landscape while orks cut down forests to make more chair weapons to hurl at their enemies. Ballmermon must have the media ring to keep it out of the hands of teh suck Google.
Precioussssssssssss.
That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage
This is what I've been telling people all along: that's the reason for the Xbox in the first place. I was so scared for gaming when I first saw that thing because I knew that even though Microsoft's first foray into console gaming would be a complete and utter failure (I was wrong, it wasn't a failure unless you consider the substantial financial loses) their subsequent attempts would be much better because Microsoft had enough money to throw at whatever problem arose the first time. I also make it my point to reason with people that once the consoles market has been thoroughly cornered, and all gaming devices are inextricably mated to the Internet and PC peripherals there will be very little difference between them and the one that serves up everything all at once will be king. Microsoft is doing this, albeit slowly. I give Playstation and Nintendo consoles 20 years more, maximum. Soon we'll have HD movies, and gaming and internet all wrapped up in one device (more or less) and probably under one subscription service that will be hosted by Microsoft. It's not even console wars anymore, it's content wars and there is no way that Sony and especially Nintendo will be able to compete in a long battle because Microsoft has already gotten so deeply involved in the surrounding factors, namely the internet and subscription-based services.
The eternal struggle of good vs. evil begins within one's self.
wait 'til you see what M$ does with media.
Can't wait for my first BSOD on a 42 inch plasma.
Some days it's just not worth
chewing through my restraints.
We wouldn't want anything to happen to it.
'Cos things memory leak, don't they?
How many videos you got here, colonel?
My chief technology officer and I have got a little proposition for you colonel.
I mean you're doing all right here aren't you, colonel.
The colonel doesn't think we're nice people, Nathan.
We're your buddies, colonel.
We can guarantee you that not a single movie will get peered over for fifteen K a week.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
For years the self-titled King of all Media has been Howard Stern. Does this mean Microsoft has decided on going after Howard?
Now that would be a cage fight worth watching, Ballmer vs Stern! Let the Monkey Boy fights, begin!
Karma Whoring for Fun and Profit.
I don't think Apple is worried yet. Nor is anyone else really.
Too much like the initial plan for MSN? If this is as successful as MSN, then in five years we'll all be saying "Microsoft who?" I'm praying that it achieves fully MSN-like levels of success.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Allard sounds like Ballmer. Microsoft is still clinging the old media establishment ideology of 'content providers' who only get paid because you've DRMed their stuff.
They still don't get the concept of an Internet.
Anyone who's been following trends since Napster was shut down back in 2001 will understand we're undergoing a natural progression from centralized, controlled delivery systems to those where content is everywhere all at once.
An obvious revenue model for this is one where advertising is embedded in content freely distributed over the Internet. After all, that's what worked for free broadcast TV and radio. It's the easiest and least restrictive method of raising revenue to pay for content. I doubt folks will be flocking to buy xboxes and zunes AND giving money to Microsoft so they can watch their favorite shows. Nothing to see here, move on.
Nothing for 6-digit uids?
Worse still, this greedy approach is now entering PC gaming too. With a silver Live account, you can join games of Halo 2, but you need a gold account to host them. They're testing the waters, and I wager it's only a matter of time before Microsoft tries to shove paying-to-play down the throats of PC gamers too.
"16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard