Ballmer: Xbox isn’t a gaming console and Bing is growing like a weed

[JMH]

Ballmer: Xbox isn’t a gaming console and Bing is growing like a weed

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has been speaking about Microsoft’s important products in a recent interview.

Ballmer, known for his outspoken personality, sat down recently with USA Today’s Maria Bartiromo. Out of the 10 questions posted by USA Today, there’s a few that reveal Microsoft’s mindset for its recent product launches:

Q: You sold 8 million Kinects over the holidays, more than you expected. What differentiates it from other gaming consoles on the market?

A: Xbox isn’t a gaming console. Xbox is a family entertainment center. It’s a place to socialize. It’s a place to watch TV. We have Hulu coming. It’s the only system where you are the controller. Your voice, your gestures, your body.
​

Ballmer: Xbox isn’t a gaming console and Bing is growing like a weed | WinRumors

 

[smarteyeball]

A: Xbox isn’t a gaming console. Xbox is a family entertainment center. It’s a place to socialize. It’s a place to watch TV. We have Hulu coming blah marketing blah

And that is why I loved the original xbox but never particularity liked my 360.

Sure, both play games - but the original never felt like it was trying to make a buck off me at every turn under the guise of being a 'family entertainment center'.

Once MS realised how much money could be made from DLC - the floodgates opened and they are milking this cow - hard.

 

[Stratos]

A: Xbox isn’t a gaming console. Xbox is a family entertainment center. It’s a place to socialize. It’s a place to watch TV. We have Hulu coming blah marketing blah

And that is why I loved the original xbox but never particularity liked my 360.

Sure, both play games - but the original never felt like it was trying to make a buck off me at every turn under the guise of being a 'family entertainment center'.

Once MS realised how much money could be made from DLC - the floodgates opened and they are milking this cow - hard.

This might be a little off-topic but Apple's no different. ZERO of Apple's products have a Blu-Ray player, they want the user to buy HD content via iTunes. If there's a way for a company to charge for you every little thing, they will and Apple's done it far more successfully than MS.

 

[Buddahfan]

A number of free software apps come with the Bing toolbar. I even have installed a program that requires you to install the Bing toolbar in order to install the software; i.e. no opt-out option. So if you want the program but not the Bing toolbar you have to uninstall the Bing toolbar after you install the software which has installed the Bing toolbar.

I think that marketing Bing as part of the installation process of another piece of software will help Bing grow like weeds.

 

[captainjy]

A: Xbox isn’t a gaming console. Xbox is a family entertainment center. It’s a place to socialize. It’s a place to watch TV. We have Hulu coming blah marketing blah

And that is why I loved the original xbox but never particularity liked my 360.

Sure, both play games - but the original never felt like it was trying to make a buck off me at every turn under the guise of being a 'family entertainment center'.

Once MS realised how much money could be made from DLC - the floodgates opened and they are milking this cow - hard.

Get real. So you're telling me that because it does more than play games that you don't like the 360. The 360 is a staple in gaming, entertainment and socializing. Doesn't make sense.

 

[smarteyeball]

A: Xbox isn’t a gaming console. Xbox is a family entertainment center. It’s a place to socialize. It’s a place to watch TV. We have Hulu coming blah marketing blah

And that is why I loved the original xbox but never particularity liked my 360.

Sure, both play games - but the original never felt like it was trying to make a buck off me at every turn under the guise of being a 'family entertainment center'.

Once MS realised how much money could be made from DLC - the floodgates opened and they are milking this cow - hard.

Get real. So you're telling me that because it does more than play games that you don't like the 360. The 360 is a staple in gaming, entertainment and socializing. Doesn't make sense.

I am quite real and it makes perfect sense to me thanks.

 

[runningnak3d]

A: Xbox isn’t a gaming console. Xbox is a family entertainment center. It’s a place to socialize. It’s a place to watch TV. We have Hulu coming blah marketing blah

And that is why I loved the original xbox but never particularity liked my 360.

Sure, both play games - but the original never felt like it was trying to make a buck off me at every turn under the guise of being a 'family entertainment center'.

Once MS realised how much money could be made from DLC - the floodgates opened and they are milking this cow - hard.

I made the mistake of getting an xbox 360 / kinect bundle this weekend. I bought it for the sole purpose of playing Halo Reach, so I didn't care about the kinect or Xbox live. I play SINGLE player games for their CONTENT on my GAMING CONSOLE (directed at Ballmer if he happens to read this). I don't give a crap about playing people online. I don't give a crap about being social with my games. I want to load up a game, play, quit. Load / play / quit -- is that too much to ask? I guess so. It took me 15 minutes to figure out that the reason I couldn't start the game was because it really wanted a second player .. "Solo Campaign" is a very foreign concept to the Xbox I guess.

Anywho, if that isn't bad enough, I thought they had figured out how to do FPS games on controllers by now, but, nooooo. So if I actually want to play Halo Reach, I am going to have to go buy a KB/Mouse adapter.

Steve, do me a favor and just release HR for the PC (ya know, where FPS games were MEANT to be played), and keep your family entertainment system in your 40x40 room (kinda need that to use kinect).

The PS3 that I have on the other hand has just the right amount of online connectivity. If I *WANT* to play online, I can. If I *WANT* to just load a game up and start playing -- NO BS INVOLVED.

This little rant was for anyone that had a PS3 or Wii and was thinking about getting a 360 -- don't waste your money. I have to say the same about the Wii as well. I have one that just sits there. It doesn't suck, but it isn't fun either. It was fun for a few days until the novelty wore off...

-- Brian

 

[Win7User512]

The PS3 that I have on the other hand has just the right amount of online connectivity. If I *WANT* to play online, I can. If I *WANT* to just load a game up and start playing -- NO BS INVOLVED.

This little rant was for anyone that had a PS3 or Wii and was thinking about getting a 360 -- don't waste your money. I have to say the same about the Wii as well. I have one that just sits there. It doesn't suck, but it isn't fun either. It was fun for a few days until the novelty wore off...

-- Brian

Same here. I considered a 360, but chose PS3 (not for the reasons you stated, because I was unaware). I just liked the system and online options more. Also, I wanted DVD/BluRay capabilities so I wouldn't have to buy separate machines, costing me more.

 

[Fantail]

I'll go so far as agreeing Bing is a weed.

 

[allend66]

What I object to, and think is totally crap, is you must connect to Live! to play your own downloaded games.

Picture the scene: You see a game, maybe get the demo, then like it and download the full version. You pay for it. It's yours, lives on your hard disk. But you cannot play it offline: - 95% of full games revert to demo mode if you aren't online. How crap is that?!