Microsoft Reorganizes Its Entertainment Division

[Borys]

According to this story (http://news.com.com/Microsoft+to+reorganize+entertainment+division/2100-1014_3-5995800.html?tag=nefd.top) found on C|net (http://www.cnet.com), Microsoft has streamlined its business to be more competitive in the software market.

Microsoft has split its entertainment and devices division into four businesses, the latest reorganization at the world's largest software maker, according to a company e-mail to employees on Wednesday.

The reorganization follows Microsoft's decision in September to streamline its businesses into three divisions to compete more effectively against Google, Oracle and the Linux operating system.

The chief of the entertainment and device unit, Robbie Bach, responsible for launching Microsoft's Xbox video game business, told employees in a Wednesday e-mail he would turn his focus to longer-term strategy and partner relationships.

The decision to reorganize the unit comes after the company in November launched its latest Xbox 360 video game console. Next year, Xbox rivals PlayStation 3 from Sony and Nintendo's Revolution will hit the market.

"While I will continue to play an important role in the games area, I will spend more time thinking about our broader challenges and opportunities across the division," Bach wrote in the e-mail.
Even more news about MS's move can be found on Todd Bishop's (Seattle Post-Intelligencer (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/) business and technology reporter) Microsoft Blog (http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/) which concentrates on the cadre changes:

New roles for Xbox execs

The influence of Microsoft's Xbox group is spreading further through the company. As part of a series of executive shifts, some of Microsoft's top Xbox executives have been named to bigger roles, giving them leadership positions for more of company's digital entertainment initiatives.

Bryan Lee, chief financial officer in the division that includes the Xbox, was named to lead a new Entertainment Business group for the company. If you've been following the Xbox 360 launch, you may remember Lee as the executive who gives the sales projections for the console. Here's a transcript from one of his presentations at a conference earlier this month.

Also getting a new position is J Allard, who will head a group overseeing the design and user experience for Microsoft's gaming and entertainment products. He'll also still be involved in Xbox Live and other aspects of the console business. Here's my interview with Allard at an event prior to the Xbox 360 launch.

Robbie Bach, the former chief Xbox officer who is now president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, announced the changes in an e-mail to employees this morning.

Within the Entertainment and Devices Division, Xbox executive Peter Moore will take over direct leadership of the Xbox and Games for Windows units, as the head of the company's Interactive Entertainment Business. At least in title, however, Moore won't be known as the chief Xbox officer. Microsoft says it's retiring that particular designation.
We all know about Xbox 360 plans, that's why I'm most interested in what future holds for the Windows Gaming division. Any smart ideas?

[Borys]

Isn't "streamlining" the same as "firing" in the corporate language?

[Savok]

Borys, yes

And our favorite gay pirate should not be put in charge of anything to do with design or what the consumer sees if his 360 is anything to go by.

[Rirath]

And our favorite gay pirate

Johnny Depp? ...Sorry, personal grudge against that movie. :o

The influence of Microsoft's Xbox group is spreading further through the company.

From just a quick skim, it sounds as if many of these guys will have ties in other areas now. Isn't the entertainment division one of the biggest loss sections of MS? I mean, they can lose a ton of cash and not even flinch, and I believe their gaming losses will be a good thing in the long run, but it seems odd to further the influence.

that's why I'm most interested in what future holds for the Windows Gaming division. Any smart ideas?

My guess? Longhorn, DirectX 10, and so forth. I don't think anyone would dispute that MS owns PC gaming right now, and with Vista I wouldn't be surprised if they're planning on ways to tighten that grip. Let's hope they're planning on ways to improve windows gaming as well, of course.

[mightbe]

I misread the title as "Microsoft Recognizes Its Entertainment Division".

I had a witty quip all ready to go about how Microsoft wouldn't recognize entertainment if it bit them in the xbox.

It's not so amusing now. But if that title comes up again, think about this quip. And laugh.

That is all.

[Borys]

Let's hope they're planning on ways to improve windows gaming as well, of course.

Yeah well I asked what YOUR (readers') ideas on improving Windows gaming would be.

So?

[Rirath]

Well, so, the obvious I suppose. Optimizations, tweaks, dev requested features, improved DirectX 10... Anything that makes the end experience better. Hopefully Vista will have the same or better ability to shift resources to the game and from the desktop. Other than that, many people will disagree, but I liked the teaser bit awhile back about console-like installing/loading straight from the disc.

Not sure what else there is to say, really. Windows, for the most part, "just works". I don't think they're going to have any radical changes between XP and Vista and risk changing that. It'll probably be under the hood tweaks, dev features, and maybe a few simplified/streamlined processes.

[bapenguin]

Yeah well I asked what YOUR (readers') ideas on improving Windows gaming would be.

So?

To actually come out with more than 2 big titles a year?

[Frogleg Special]

I think MS has to switch gear starting January 2006 to focus on Vista (the OS, mind you) instead of muddling too much on its videogame console. Vista has a big chance to bomb because there are too many cheap people now are too content with their XP, 2K, and gasp, ME or 98. Plus there are user-friendly Linux out there as competition.

For Vista gaming, a MMOFPS Mechwarrior 5 is a priority for launch game. Hear that? PRIORITY.

[Frogleg Special]

I would like to add that whomever heads the Windows Gaming Division, create an FPS franchise. FPS is king in PC then and now. So start creating an FPS franchise like Halo exclusively with DX10 on the Vista. This will singlehandedly push gamers to upgrade their OS.

[Borys]

My ideas:

1) Exclusive titles.
2) Exclusive franchises.
3) #1 - FPS, #2 - (MMO)RPG, #3 - RTS

That's it. Not a single 360 port.

Of course it's totally not worth it ($$$) but MS has to convert people to move from almost perfect XP SP2 to buggy, crashable Vista SP0.

Still, selling Vista to gamers should be a million times easier than selling Office 12 to corporations.

[Steve_Erhardt]

My ideas:

1) Exclusive titles.
2) Exclusive franchises.
3) #1 - FPS, #2 - (MMO)RPG, #3 - RTS

That's it. Not a single 360 port.

Of course it's totally not worth it ($$$) but MS has to convert people to move from almost perfect XP SP2 to buggy, crashable Vista SP0.

Still, selling Vista to gamers should be a million times easier than selling Office 12 to corporations.
Problem is, they've already GOT some exclusive titles/franchises, and they're just letting them grow mold on the shelf. And I'm not talking exclusive crap franchises, either; I'm talking about Crimson Skies and Mechwarrior (most important to me), or Motocross Madness or Midtown Madness, Combat Flight Simulator, and a couple others I'm probably forgetting.

With any luck at all, this "streamlining" will light a fire under some asses and we'll see some quality product coming out for some quality properties. We are WAY the fuck overdue for some fresh PC goodness of the franchises mentioned above, but MS has had such a boner for the sweet ass of console gaming that the pickings have been slim, to say the least.

[Reanimated]

What about Shane Kim?

[bapenguin]

What about Shane Kim?

Shane Kim is in charge of MGS.

[Edlud]

I went to the EB to pickup some Christmas presents. The owner told me that EB was bought out by gamestop (OK old news) and that PC games would be phased out by the middle of next year ={ The reason from gamestops perspective is that MS is shifting game focus to XBOX only.


So what is the future? PC games streaming only? Fine with me but what happens when MS views PC gaming as competetion to the XBOX?

[motor]

I think microsoft should try to make something like live for windows. Especially including a good high-speed portal for purchasing games. Retail pc gaming is dying, and I don't think that is a bad that in the least, retail is really has very little positive to add to gaming, it's a huge pain for the seller and really adds nothing for the purchaser either. MS should build a steam-like system, make it open, not be too greedy, have universal gamer tags and rep, and make directx 10 have built in support for voice chat. Really, just port xbox live to vista and open it a little so that anyone can publish on it. I'm pretty sure I've heard they are planning on doing this, but if not, that is what I would suggest.

[mister_slim]

I would imagine they'll work on integrating Live and Xbox Live and focus on the Insert and Play idea.

[score]

How about some sort of feature in the new o/s so that when you're playing a game it boots into a small game kernel where the o/s part is only doing enough to run the game and allow network connectivity for on line...