Microsoft CEO Says Xbox is Key to Microsoft's Business

[roseofbattle]

Microsoft CEO Says Xbox is Key to Microsoft's Business

In his final shareholder meeting, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer defended Xbox and Bing.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will be leaving Microsoft soon. Potential replacement Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has expressed an interest in selling Xbox and Bing [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129442-Microsoft-CEO-Struggle-Report-Elop-Would-Sell-Xbox]. In his final shareholder meeting, Ballmer called Xbox and Bing a key part of Microsoft's broader vision.

Microsoft's plan is to incorporate products, such as Xbox One's integration of Bing and SkyDrive, a file hosting service with cloud storage. Bing has voice integration, so Xbox users can use the voice search across media types. Microsoft recently released information [http://www.bing.com/blogs/site_blogs/b/search/archive/2013/11/19/xboxone.aspx ] about Bing and a video of Major Nelson putting it to use on the next-gen console.

Ballmer said Xbox One is "a reflection of what is possible when a company, our company, is unified under a common vision." Microsoft is also using Bing to test Microsoft's Windows Azure service.

One shareholder brought up a recurring issue: customer security and privacy, an issue Microsoft struggled with when putting fears to rest concerning the Kinect.

"We all want to live in a country and a world that's safe and secure," Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith said. "But it is a business imperative that we maintain our customers' trust in every country of the world."

Ballmer announced his resignation in August. By August 2014 he will have stepped down, which is something he does not plan to do before a successor is named.

Source: GeekWire [http://www.geekwire.com/2013/final-shareholder-speech-ballmer-defends-bing-xbox-key-parts-microsoft/]


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[RA92]

Yes, use a shitty voice command (that, as the Escapist review says, works only around 65% of the time) to use a shitty search engine.

Unified under a common vision? I don't care too much for that if it means you trying to sell me a tablet interface on a desktop.

 

[Johnny Wishbone]

This sounds like the kind of press release a sports team puts out in support of an embattled coach; as in "Coach So-and-so isn't going anywhere and has the full support of the front office."

And then a week later, they fire his ass for some random, unquantifiable reason like: "He lost control of the locker room." or "We just felt a change of direction was needed."

 

[Battenberg]

He says this now, is the XBone flops the focus will be right back on computing a month later. Also Bing will never be more popular than Google, the sooner Microsoft realise this and stop trying to force it on people the better.

 

[RJ Dalton]

Oh, goody. That means we just need to find away to make the Xbox unprofitable and we can collapse the entire country. ANARCHY FOR THE WIN!!!

In all seriousness, it sounds like a bad idea for a company like Microsoft to be banking so hard on just one of their products. Especially when it's a product that completely bricks itself on a regular basis. Oh, wait, all their products do that. Nevermind that last sentence.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

He looks like Hank Schrader in that photo.

Also, no surprise that MS are sticking with their terrible decisions, such as that horrid new logo, kinect, bing and persistence to try and convince us that IE is worthwhile.

 

[O maestre]

I don't get the cynicism from you guys, we need a competitive gaming market, if the xbox division is canned who is going to compete with Sony?

This is a good thing and I hope that Microsoft keeps at it, the last thing we need is an indestructible monopoly(no irony intended)

 

[Saltyk]

Okay. So, I want to know if the shareholders and his replacement agree with this assessment. I suppose the upcoming launch will help inflame or put such fears to rest. But, I can't help but think that the Xbox division maybe leaving Microsoft, soon. Maybe not, but that seems to be a stronger possibility than some potential buyers may like.

Yes, use a shitty voice command (that, as the Escapist review says, works only around 65% of the time) to use a shitty search engine.

Unified under a common vision? I don't care too much for that if it means you trying to sell me a tablet interface on a desktop.

The only thing I can think is that I know I have a jackass friend who would come in, see me playing the game and say, "Xbox Off." Thus turning off my console just because he could. I know they would do it. I would do it!

 

[Psychobabble]

Sorry but what I'm actually hearing is "We've dumped way too much money down these black holes to try to recoup our losses by selling them off."

 

[Gor Kur]

This is why they have lost money for years.

 

[FalloutJack]

I don't get the cynicism from you guys, we need a competitive gaming market, if the xbox division is canned who is going to compete with Sony?

This is a good thing and I hope that Microsoft keeps at it, the last thing we need is an indestructible monopoly(no irony intended)

Allow me to explain the general mood here.

Competition IS good, but you must compete with quality products that will also turn a profit in some way or another. Now, in the case of major game consoles, the consoles themselves do not so much because they take too much to produce in many cases, and have to rely more on the games you're going to play on them and whatever other features they thing is a good idea. But it's mostly the games, trust me.

Anyway, the thing you have to remember is that if your console is not enticing enough, the gaming crowd isn't going to even walk that path with you and you're stuck eating the losses. Now, Microsoft is uber-rich and so they can afford to sell quite alot at a loss without too much harm. But after making a series of consoles (originally copied from Sony's pioneering work, I might add), having to deal with RROD issues and other things, and now THIS... Man, those flapjacks of fail are stacking high.

The X-Box isn't so much a key to their business as the Joker in the deck. They think keeping it is the right move, maybe even for your point, that it needs to be there for the competition. But it's not the right move HERE because Nintendo has four-of-a-kind, Steam has a full house, and Sony just pulled that inside straight-flush. The X-Bone's not gonna come up aces. It won't be good competition material. They should fold, get some new cards, and wait for this hand to play out.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

Yes, the key to MS is the platform that's lost billions.

All the while their actual key has been languishing and failing due to poorly thought out design decisions.

 

[faefrost]

Sorry but what I'm actually hearing is "We've dumped way too much money down these black holes to try to recoup our losses by selling them off."

I'm glad I'm not the only one that was getting that vibe. I think the board and the shareholders are very very nervous about the XB1. And I suspect most of them don't see the point of Bing anymore.

 

[arigomi]

This isn't a unified vision. This is the work of executives mashing all of the divisions together to cover their asses. If it works, they get all the credit. If it fails, the executives can point the finger at anyone else because everyone is involved in some capacity.

 

[O maestre]

I don't get the cynicism from you guys, we need a competitive gaming market, if the xbox division is canned who is going to compete with Sony?

This is a good thing and I hope that Microsoft keeps at it, the last thing we need is an indestructible monopoly(no irony intended)

Allow me to explain the general mood here.

Competition IS good, but you must compete with quality products that will also turn a profit in some way or another. Now, in the case of major game consoles, the consoles themselves do not so much because they take too much to produce in many cases, and have to rely more on the games you're going to play on them and whatever other features they thing is a good idea. But it's mostly the games, trust me.

Anyway, the thing you have to remember is that if your console is not enticing enough, the gaming crowd isn't going to even walk that path with you and you're stuck eating the losses. Now, Microsoft is uber-rich and so they can afford to sell quite alot at a loss without too much harm. But after making a series of consoles (originally copied from Sony's pioneering work, I might add), having to deal with RROD issues and other things, and now THIS... Man, those flapjacks of fail are stacking high.

The X-Box isn't so much a key to their business as the Joker in the deck. They think keeping it is the right move, maybe even for your point, that it needs to be there for the competition. But it's not the right move HERE because Nintendo has four-of-a-kind, Steam has a full house, and Sony just pulled that inside straight-flush. The X-Bone's not gonna come up aces. It won't be good competition material. They should fold, get some new cards, and wait for this hand to play out.

while I appreciate the poker analogy, it is somewhat faulty. Nintendo and steam are playing the same game but at different tables, without the Xbox there is only the PlayStation. Both Microsoft and Sony have stated that they do not regard Nintendo as competition. Look at it this way, if it wasn't for Microsoft's marketing fuck ups Sony would not be on this wave of good will, and would most likely do the same dick moves as Microsoft. Your analogy does not explain how the Xbox demise would benefit gaming, how is monopoly a good thing? I am sorry but I don't understand your point

 

[O maestre]

Sorry but what I'm actually hearing is "We've dumped way too much money down these black holes to try to recoup our losses by selling them off."

I'm glad I'm not the only one that was getting that vibe. I think the board and the shareholders are very very nervous about the XB1. And I suspect most of them don't see the point of Bing anymore.

Stephen Elop the retard who ran Nokia to the ground is one of prime candidates to take over as CEO after Ballmer retires and he has repeatedly stated that if he became CEO he would sell everything Microsoft has and settle on only two products their software suite and the Windows OS.

If anything Ballmer was assuring shareholders that they should create a Microsoft ecosystem of product integration, and not can entire divisions

Isn't that the opposite of selling?

 

[Frostbyte666]

I don't get the cynicism from you guys, we need a competitive gaming market, if the xbox division is canned who is going to compete with Sony?

This is a good thing and I hope that Microsoft keeps at it, the last thing we need is an indestructible monopoly(no irony intended)

Allow me to explain the general mood here.

Competition IS good, but you must compete with quality products that will also turn a profit in some way or another. Now, in the case of major game consoles, the consoles themselves do not so much because they take too much to produce in many cases, and have to rely more on the games you're going to play on them and whatever other features they thing is a good idea. But it's mostly the games, trust me.

Anyway, the thing you have to remember is that if your console is not enticing enough, the gaming crowd isn't going to even walk that path with you and you're stuck eating the losses. Now, Microsoft is uber-rich and so they can afford to sell quite alot at a loss without too much harm. But after making a series of consoles (originally copied from Sony's pioneering work, I might add), having to deal with RROD issues and other things, and now THIS... Man, those flapjacks of fail are stacking high.

The X-Box isn't so much a key to their business as the Joker in the deck. They think keeping it is the right move, maybe even for your point, that it needs to be there for the competition. But it's not the right move HERE because Nintendo has four-of-a-kind, Steam has a full house, and Sony just pulled that inside straight-flush. The X-Bone's not gonna come up aces. It won't be good competition material. They should fold, get some new cards, and wait for this hand to play out.

while I appreciate the poker analogy, it is somewhat faulty. Nintendo and steam are playing the same game but at different tables, without the Xbox there is only the PlayStation. Both Microsoft and Sony have stated that they do not regard Nintendo as competition. Look at it this way, if it wasn't for Microsoft's marketing fuck ups Sony would not be on this wave of good will, and would most likely do the same dick moves as Microsoft. Your analogy does not explain how the Xbox demise would benefit gaming, how is monopoly a good thing? I am sorry but I don't understand your point

you're right in that a monopoly is not a good thing, but then is it any better than keeping around a product from a company that shows strong, consistent, customer contempt? Who fail to apologise for their wrongs and blame the customer when things don't go as they want? who repeatably ignore the complaints and concerns of potential customers and fail to explain and clarify these issues? Perhaps getting rid of the xbox may open up the market to other new types of consoles (though after the Ouya debacle I wouldn't hold out great hope here). Maybe if the xbox one fails so completely the entire division will be back to the drawing board and possibly the next console they come up with may be a better, more consumer orientated system.

 

[FalloutJack]

Snip

You can't look at it as different tables. It's all one big one called gaming. Some players don't do so well each round and sometimes the actual players change, but it's poker, by god, and no mistake about it. Both of them 'saying' that Nintendo and such aren't their competition is either falling for a bluff or putting forth one of their own. You cannot afford in business to ignore ANYONE, because then you get complacent. And when you do that, someone can come out from under you and take the pot. And since the cards are based in R&D, marketing, customer reaction, timing, and other such nuances in business, that is ever possible because half of your hand is really determined by someone else. X-Box's demise does not effect the long game to create an imbalance because someone will fill it. What it does that is positive is get rid of the jokers in the deck, the X-Bones of the gaming world.