3 ms·

With regard to microsoft I think these days that Project Natal is going to be huge. If they play their patent cards right then that might very well push them b

by moe 16y ago

With regard to microsoft I think these days that Project Natal is going to be huge. If they play their patent cards right then that might very well push them back to the top of the list.

m0nastic 16y ago
I'm not sure how much of Natal is patentable by Microsoft, as the tech isn't theirs (at least according to Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Natal#cite_note-MsPress-20 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Natal#cite_note-MsPress...). I'd also be willing to bet that the sales won't be that breathtaking (a $150 device that'll need some time for titles to take advantage of it). If it were launching as a part of their next console, maybe it would be enough of a differentiator to move units (which isn't something the 360 has had trouble doing).
- moe 16y ago
  I'm less interested in the gaming part but more in the ways this will invade our daily lives. If it works as advertised then it might soon be built into TV sets, PC monitors and all sorts of public infrastructure that we can't even imagine, yet. If microsoft can hold a big piece of that cake then that should be huge. I mean, obsoleting TV remote controls alone is big, but only the tip of the iceberg. How about interactive advertising (stand in front of a shop-window, interacting with a bigscreen), touch-free car dashboard, the whole "home automation" area, and so on. This is ofcourse all under the assumption that it really works as well as shown in those videos.
aaronbrethorst 16y ago
The guy who originally headed it up (I don't know if he's still directly in charge of it) is absolutely brilliant, driven and highly market-focused. I remarked to him several years ago that I wished I could buy stock in him, personally. If he's not tapped as one of the next 'Baby Bills' sometime in the next couple years, then it's time to worry.
kmfrk 16y ago
Their Xbox division still runs with big deficits if I am not mistaken. I don't have any recent data on it, but a while ago, it wasn't profitable. Their market share is great, but I don't know how they convert it to profits.
- Encosia 16y ago
  The XBox division finally started turning a profit mid-2008 (to the tune of 9 figures). The division may still be in the red overall though, as many years as it was losing money.
  - kmfrk 16y ago
    I see. Must have interpreted their net deficits as gross deficits per year instead. Thanks for clearing it up.

by moe 16y ago

With regard to microsoft I think these days that Project Natal is going to be huge. If they play their patent cards right then that might very well push them back to the top of the list.

m0nastic 16y ago

I'm not sure how much of Natal is patentable by Microsoft, as the tech isn't theirs (at least according to Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Natal#cite_note-MsPress-20 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Natal#cite_note-MsPress...). I'd also be willing to bet that the sales won't be that breathtaking (a $150 device that'll need some time for titles to take advantage of it). If it were launching as a part of their next console, maybe it would be enough of a differentiator to move units (which isn't something the 360 has had trouble doing).

moe 16y ago
I'm less interested in the gaming part but more in the ways this will invade our daily lives. If it works as advertised then it might soon be built into TV sets, PC monitors and all sorts of public infrastructure that we can't even imagine, yet. If microsoft can hold a big piece of that cake then that should be huge. I mean, obsoleting TV remote controls alone is big, but only the tip of the iceberg. How about interactive advertising (stand in front of a shop-window, interacting with a bigscreen), touch-free car dashboard, the whole "home automation" area, and so on. This is ofcourse all under the assumption that it really works as well as shown in those videos.

aaronbrethorst 16y ago

The guy who originally headed it up (I don't know if he's still directly in charge of it) is absolutely brilliant, driven and highly market-focused. I remarked to him several years ago that I wished I could buy stock in him, personally. If he's not tapped as one of the next 'Baby Bills' sometime in the next couple years, then it's time to worry.

kmfrk 16y ago

Their Xbox division still runs with big deficits if I am not mistaken. I don't have any recent data on it, but a while ago, it wasn't profitable. Their market share is great, but I don't know how they convert it to profits.

Encosia 16y ago
The XBox division finally started turning a profit mid-2008 (to the tune of 9 figures). The division may still be in the red overall though, as many years as it was losing money.
- kmfrk 16y ago
  I see. Must have interpreted their net deficits as gross deficits per year instead. Thanks for clearing it up.