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Microsoft Game Studio's Shane Kim at the Vancouver Game Summit 08
Microsoft's Game Studios head Shane Kim spoke in a keynote discussion at the Vancouver Game Summit. I attended the conference, I introduced myself to him a head of time but he had a busy schedule so I could not get a direct interview. So I took notes from his keynote and even I got to ask a question.
Update: Gamasutra had a write up of the same event.
Big Quotes Should this article get linked or if you have a really short attention span:
"What is going to be the "Sex in the City" and "The Sopranos" for mass market video games?"
"I am confident that we will find that hit" with Rare
"I believe that Xbox Live is the most the most important platform that we are building in our business."
On price difference between the Wii and xbox 360's price points:
"We are trying to get things to a mass market price point and I am not always sure that they are going to have a price advantage.
-Shane Kim Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Game Studio
It was a great speech about the video game business and Microsoft's position in it.
I feel pretty good about this transcription of quotes, I was taking notes on the fly but I will get an MP3 of the speech up this weekend when I get home to the US of A. I might update the quotes once I get to go back over my MP3 of it.
Here are a few takeaways from the presentation.
On Microsoft's current position in the industry:
"Fable 2 and Gears of War 2 are going to be their biggest games of the year."
"50% of video game sales happen in the last quarter of the year."
Exclusive DLC content for GTA IV on Xbox 360 still confirmed for this year.
"We feel good that a lot of Rockband DLC content went down on Xbox Live."
"What is going to be the "Sex in the City" and "The Sopranos" for mass market video games?"
(I guess we have GTA IV instead of "The Sopranos" but I don't know of what game would be "Sex in the City", Mass Effect? The Sims? "Naughty Japanese Anime games"?)
On classifying gamers:
"I don't have a lot if patience in trying to categorize people."
On Microsoft's relationship with third party developers:
"It is part of our DNA to reach out to the developer community"
"75% if leading developers use Xbox 360 as their main development platform."
On Microsoft games:
"For us it is not a matter of quantity but of quality."
"We made a decision to do fewer things better."
He called the first Xbox "Xbox Version One".
On Microsoft purchasing of other game and software developers
"We have a very active business development roll."
"We have the resources to make it happen".
He didn't confirm the purchase of any other companies but he clearly did not rule anything out.
On Rare:
"An investment is a good way to look at it."
"We invest in the long term."
"We are in to win it."
"I am confident that we will find that hit" with Rare
"They are working on some very interesting things that they have not announced yet."
Hint hint hint. I wonder if he was talking about the motion sensitive "Newton" controller and the Rare games that will use it? The MTV's report stated that Rare was doing a massive part of the software work on the Newton, controller. He did not officially confirm or totally deny anything about Newton.
"We have a massive investment in research and development to create new interface paradigms and want to take it farther."
On Bungie, Microsoft, their games and divorce:
"We will continue to continue to work with Bungie with Halo related products."
"We almost have a better relationship with them now."
"We are still in a position to be their publisher".
"They love Xbox 360 and they love Xbox Live."
"Halo 3 cost a lot, but it made a lot too."
On Xbox Live :
"I believe that Xbox Live is the most the most important platform that we are building in our business."
(I think I just heard Major Nelson and E blush all the way back in Washington.)
Xbox Live between "platforms" is still alive but not directly mentioned. I don't know if he was talking about Xbox 360, PC or other platforms (Cellphones, Zune or a new Xbox)
"You know, a lot of people like (MS) Points." (on Live)
"Digital distribution is coming." (eventually, he was talking about the long term industry view)
"I don't believe that retail is going to go away. People still like a retail shopping experience too."
"We want less retro more new ideas in games on Xbox Live Arcade."
On price difference between the Wii and xbox 360's price points:
"We are trying to get things to a mass market price point and I am not always sure that they are going to have a price advantage.
Did you catch that? He just dropped a hint that they might cut the price of an Xbox 360 SKU to below that of the Wii! I know that they have a new motherboard coming price reduction in hardware is a major priority for Xbox. He didn't come out and say it but he dropped a hint that they might lower the price of an Xbox 360 SKU to below the price of the Wii. The Xbox 360 Arcade is only $30 more than the Wii.
On the future of the market and Microsoft's involvement in the video game market:
I also asked about his 7-year life-span for the Xbox 360 quote that was attributed to him recently, Microsoft's commitment to video games over multiple decades of the market (The Xbox project is over a decade old)
"You can't pin me down on the 7 year quote."
He was 100% firm that he was not saying that the Xbox 360 platform was going to last exactly and that he was speaking generally and possibly out of context.
"Microsoft is long term and committed, we want to win."
"We want to last one day longer than Sony."
Jake at May 21, 2008 
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