Xbox team shakeup at Microsoft - what it means for stereo 3D

[DmitryKo]

Recent news have it that Robbie Bach, President of Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices Division, and J Allarad, the Senior Vice President of Design and Development for the said division, are leaving Microsoft, and the Division will directly report to CEO Steve Balmer as of now. The Entertainment and Devices division is in particular responsible for Xbox 360 and Zune, and Bach was the lead project manager for Xbox and Xbox 360, as well as chief of the former Home and Entertainment Division.

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/rbach/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/pres ... ition.mspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bach recently touted the Natal motion controller as the new gaming revolution; as a matter of fact, Sony emerges as a clear technology leader in cosole gaming who will have an upper hand in stereo 3D for at least next couple of years, and will still introduce their own motion controller.

Could it be that one if the reasons of his firing was the oversight of stereo 3D technology? Do you think this shakeup signals that a change of attitude is coming, if not for the Xbox 360, then for the next Xbox which is rumoured to allow forward compatibility with Xbox 360?


PS: WinSuperSite's Paul Thurrott take on this announcement:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/pau ... ision.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[cybereality]

I think Microsoft is too conservative for 3D at this point in time. They will go 3D once Nintendo and Sony have established themselves in the 3D space.

[DmitryKo]

Microsoft is too conservative for 3D

"Slow to react" is a better characteristic, they just continue to ingore important market trends and let the competition capitalize on them.

Xbox 360 started a year ahead of PS3, had a better graphics hardware, and had a lower cost, yet it failed to capitalize on these advantages and get a clear hand over PS3 in important regions (Japan, USA, Europe), thanks to one single but very important foresight - the lack of high-definition optical medium. If Microsoft included a HD DVD drive with every console right from the start, things might have been very different for HD DVD; and even when Blu-ray gained an upper hand, they didn't make a Blu-ray enabled version of the console, or supplied an external Blu-ray drive accessory.

The lack of foresight continues even now. They ignore the stereo 3d trend, but tout the Natal and games which lets you strike funny poses, yet ignore the fact that most gamers just need to hold something in their hand - the sword, the gun etc. How do you fire a gun with Natal, exactly - is it capable of detecting your finger moving the trigger? I don't think so, you'll need to hold the controller which is not intended for this use. Both Nintendo and Sony have taken a more realistic approach, that is a controller stick in gamer's hand. Etc.

If they don't wake up right now, you can forget about next-gen Xbox, it will follow Windows Mobile and Zune HD fall down the market share, and there will be no Halo 4 to save it.

[Fredz]

It has been a Microsoft speciality to miss every major trend in the past four decades.

It started with the free software movement and the "Open Letter to Hobbysts" in 1975, the graphical user interface introduced by Apple in 1984, continued with the missed Internet wave in the 90's and the Multi-touch battle lost to Apple in 2006. And now user interfaces for gamers and S3D on the console market...

Fact is, even if they are not always the leader in a specific market they're most of the time the best second after a little bit of time. I think it'll be the same for S3D, just wait and see...

[Silversurfer]

something big from Microsoft next week?

Microsoft To Talk Xbox 360 3D Gaming Soon?

According to Andrew Oliver from Blitz Games Studios, "Microsoft are going to be making an announcement about [3D] at some point soon." E3 next week, perchance? [Develop via Kotaku]

http://gizmodo.com/5560759/microsoft-3d ... Gizmodo%29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DmitryKo]

something big from Microsoft next week?

Stereoscopic 3D coming "soon" to Xbox 360

if they are not always the leader in a specific market they're most of the time the best second after a little bit of time

If you followed the Microsoft antitrust case, Bill Gates was actually spot on in assigning the priorities back in 1990s, as revealed by his private email exhanges. It was execution that mostly went bad or too late. I think it's a legitimate question if Microsoft is even seeing the opportunities, now that Gates is not in an active role anymore.

See also:
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/2843 ... ing_3D.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;