Author Archives: Chris Morris

Bach, Allard out at Microsoft

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Two of the most visible faces in Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division are leaving the company. Microsoft today announced the departure of president Robbie Bach and chief experience officer J Allard. 

Bach is retiring after 22 years with the company effective this fall. He has headed the entertainment and devices division since its inception five years ago and is a regular presence at major Microsoft press events. Allard, the driving force behind the Xbox and Zune media player, is leaving, but will remain as an advisor to CEO Steve Ballmer.

Read more at Variety’s The Cut Scene blog

Or, read an extended version (with deeper analysis) at Daily Variety

Microsoft Xbox Chief Out as Division Stumbles

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Microsoft is shaking up its entertainment and devices division, the group responsible for many of its most familiar consumer devices.

Robbie Bach, a 22-year veteran of the company and president of the unit since its inception five years ago, will retire this fall. And J Allard, who was the powering force behind the Xbox video game console and Zune media player (and, until recently, was the driving force behind the company’s plans to make a PC tablet computer), will also depart the company.

Read more at CNBC.com

Halo’s ‘Reach’ Expands, Microsoft Preps for A Big Holiday

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If there’s one truth in the videogame world, it’s this: Never bet against the sales success of a new “Halo” or “Grand Theft Auto”. But as Microsoft prepares to launch “Halo: Reach” this fall, early evidence indicates people may not be betting heavily enough.

For the past three weeks, Microsoft has given fans of the game a taste of what the series’ next installment will be like. It turns out that player appetites were even more voracious than expected.

Read more at CNBC.com

Sony taking the Killzone franchise into 3D

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It’s not news that Sony is leading the charge among consoles when it comes to3D, but until today the company hadn’t committed any of its titles to the technology. But with word that “Killzone 3” would offer stereoscopic 3D support, the gloves are off. 

The game, which will pick up where last year’s “Killzone 2” left off, will also reportedly boast substantially bigger levels, jetpacks and other new weapons.

Read more at Variety’s The Cut Scene

The last hurrah of ‘Lost’ – video games?

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While the fates of Jack, Sawyer, Hurley, et al were sealed in last night’s finale to “Lost,” the show may have one more trick up its sleeve.

“Rock Band” will reportedly add the biggest songs from the show’s soundtrack to its collection of downloadable titles later this week – giving you the chance to play both Driveshaft’s “You All Everybody” and Geronimo Jackon’s “Dharma Lady”. The songs are expected to come from the Rock Band Network, meaning Xbox 360 will get them first (and perhaps exclusively).

Read more at Variety’s The Cut Scene

Vidgames make Hollywood play

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Five years ago, the relationship between the videogame world and major studios was pretty straightforward. Hollywood made movies — and game companies licensed those films to create games.

The “Tomb Raider” and “Resident Evil” games reversed that order, as games were transformed into film franchises. But no matter which came first, gamemakers were generally in the less powerful position.

That’s quickly changing as entertainment tastes evolve — and game companies are sending the word to studios that it’s time to rethink the relationship.

Read more in Weekly Variety (on newsstands now)

Happy birthday Pac-Man!

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On May 22, 1980, the video game world truly went mainstream.

“Pong” and “Space Invaders” were huge, sure, but when “Pac-Man” hit the scene, it was something completely different. 

The yellow dude with the insatiable appetite for power pellets turns 30 tomorrow, having racked up everything from sales records to a breakfast cereal. Heck, even Google is getting in on the action, dedicating its home page to the game today and tomorrow (with the Google logo – technically called the “Google Doodle” – now a playable version of the game.

Read more at Variety’s The Cut Scene

iTunes gets even stronger

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Two years ago, Apple became the biggest retailer in the music industry, knocking Wal-Mart off its perch. Since then, there hasn’t been a lot of digging into how big the company has become.

Billboard’s latest figures, however, show that Apple’s market share in the music industry now stands at 26.7 percent. That’s over 5 points better than two years ago and more than double where it stood in 2007. Wal-Mart, meanwhile, is seeing its share of the market dwindle – falling from 15 percent to 12.5 percent. Best Buy came in third, with 8.7 percent.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog

Microsoft Reaps Benefits of In-Game Advertising

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Four years after buying a company dedicated to in-game advertising,Microsoft is finally starting to see some real results.

Stalled by the recession and companies who were initially hesitant to sink part of their advertising budgets into an untested medium, in-game advertising is coming of age—and it could finally live up to its potential as a significant revenue generator.

Read more at CNBC

Videogamers to play in 3D

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Stereoscopic 3D gaming hasn’t really caught on, but it has certainly captured its share of headlines over the past 12 months. Now, one of the videogame industry’s largest publishers says it expects the technology to break through into the mainstream within two years.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, in a recent earnings conference call, said he expects up to 50% of all games published to be 3D by 2012.

Read more at Daily Variety