Microsoft's Don Mattrick Interview: All The Cards Out

WhatIfGaming interviews Microsoft's Don Mattrick.

Discusses: FFXIII Exclusivity, Avatar System, PlayStation Network, PlayStation Home and much more.

[Deviant]

nice and direct questions but he passes the true answers about the Miis; SO4 exclusivity and how much they had to pay.
got to agree though Sony has implement the trophies in all upcoming games.

[NO_PUDding]

I call BS, Don wouldn't have let that interview slide if he actually asked that crap.

[MazzingerZ]

Sounds way like a made up fanboy interview...but if true:

Why is it that MSFT always talk more about SONY than about their plans, facts, incoming games?...I read SONY's interviews because they talk to PS3 onwers about plans, current games, firmware updates, etc... they could easily point out the crappy HW Microsoft ships but it's not their style

MSFT?...not sure what to think...I read just as much about SONY as if Tretton was the one talking...oh well...after this fall XBL will be free...that's why the avatars, micro-transactions will do the trick, they can say whatever they want, as soon as SONY patches voice messaging and in-game chat MSFT won't be able to justify the XBL fee and that will be good for everbody

I think X360 owners knows what they have and SONY don't, XBL hasn't changed much since launch (not need to as it is a complete service) so why not to talk about games? I think that's more interesting for X360 onwers...what is cocming for the X360 rather than reading about what SONY doesn't have according to them... PS3 is just 5 million units behind the X360 despite of the 1 year advantage in the US/Japan and 1.5 years advantage in the PAL region...that talks more than whatever he can say...he can't stop sales with some words, gamers are not idiots

[morganfell]

What do you get from a 360 achievement? Bragging rights. What do you get from a PS3 trophy. Bragging rights AND buying power.

[deeznuts]

Why do I get the feeling all he did was ... Talk smack about Sony then lie about stuff MS is criticized about.

Avatar's since day one. Sure. Their 360 department can't keep anything quiet. Everything is leaked. yet this goes unnoticed for years. Years after Miis and Home is announced. Sure.

Oh and what's up with that picture up there, he looks like a fake ass Tom Cruise

[morganfell]

What happened to that online store where I could sell T shirts and offer mods. Oh wait, the 360 doesn't do user mods...

[KingME]

You guys crack me up. I can honestly say I have never seen such unnecessary hatred in my entire life til I can to n4g. The guy gave a plesant interview, answered the questions that he was asked, and some how you guys managed to pull some negative info out of it. Notice he said "UGLY" there is no ugly.

I really didn't ready anything negative that he said about Sony. What is the matter with you guys.

[morganfell]

Nothing is the matter with us. The shoe is on the other foot and you don't like. Better get used to it. MS isn't coming back up for air this gen. And he didn't 'answer' the questions, he gave dodgy mouth piece responses.

[juuken]

Every time I see his picture...it makes me want to punch the computer screen. I'm sorry but even though that was a pretty good interview, there's just something about him that irks me.

[Idonthatejustcreate]

*didn't read the interview*

[Tinman1]

P.s. glad to see NO_PUDding is Don's greatest and closest family member that he knows everything about him. Tosser. Don is a laid back guy. get used to it. "He invented avatars!"

[socomnick]

Don doesn't seem like a bad guy. I'm starting to like the fellow.

[Light Yagami]

Stealing stuff from competitors. That's what MS likes to do. They just can't come up with their own ideas. None of their games are innovative like the Wii's or PS3s.

[Lucreto]

At least we know that MS didn't pay SE which is a good thing which means if things go south SE can pull the 360 version.

[Daver]

loll do you really think he would answer that question....they sure did give them money

[bleachrulez]

im sure m$ paid a good amount of money .. i mean a good good amount

[La Chance]

MSFY didnt pay for FF13 to go multiplat
why ?

- if they had payed it would be coming to Japan too where MSFT need it the most.Looks like its Square that refused to bring it to Japan.If MSFT had paid for it they would be in a postion of power and "force" a 360 Japan release too.

- FF 13 just costs way too much to be an exclusive on any console.I bet it wouldnt even be a 360 exclusive.360 and PS3 just dont have big enough install bases to have a game like FF13 as exclusive unless its a 1st party game like KZ2 for instance.

-Square OBVIOUSLY wanted to go multiplat too.Its just the perfect marriage : Square dying to go multiplat and MSFT on a mission to get any old playstation franchize , fastest way to get old ps2 gamers to to maybe get a 360.

-Theres really is no validf reason at all for Square to keep FF13 a PS3 exclsuive...really no reason at all.As for Star Ocean 4...well its the same so I guess their must be a deal with MSFT dor Star Ocean 4 exclusivity.

If MSFT did pay something I think it has to be something to do with the simultanious release.

[morganfell]

I don't think they got a red cent from MS. If they had there would have been something in it besides a version of the game. The game is taking too long and SE is looking to recomp the costs. Wait until they start trying to figure out how to fit that game on DVD 9 discs and they tell MS to pony up discs 3 and 4.

SE and dumb don are just setting MS fans up to get trashed by PS3 owners when that news comes out. So listen up ogrekiller, when you come off looking dumb you know who to blame.

[stormymctard]

wth is this guy trying to be the next ms employee to over load his a$$

[RonDeMuerte]

This was the most retarded interview.....hahahahaha...... couldn't they find an even bigger X-bot to do the interview??

[bleachrulez]

ha ha i find that funny...

[Kyur4ThePain]

Because Avatars are such complex animals, it's taken them this long to implement.
If you're going to flat out lie Don, at least try and sound a little more convincing. You're just insulting our intelligence.

[KingME]

please dude, there is a time for everything. You've never seen anyone create something and implement it at a later date. Sometimes people create things that never see the light of day. Don't over simplify everything.

OPEN YOU MINDED, even if it's just a little bit.

[mistertwoturbo]

SoooOo.... It took them 3 years to implement?

[KingME]

Some things are implemented based on a time table, sometimes things are produced and then release or implemented when it feels right. Kinda like holding back the release of a game because a more dominate game is release within the same window. Even though your game is done, the time just isn't right to release it.

[elitewh0re]

that was a cool interview, although he did go a little overboard with the day 1 comments haha, looking forward to more released features !!

[cliffbo]

by Christ MS are scared!

[Silogon]

This interview is fake and you all are toe tagged idiots if you believe it was real. This site is always making up junk like this. Your buddy Gayblow got in trouble for doing this exact same thing, by the way. Only, he got in trouble for real and that is why you don't see his punk ass no more.

[ThatCanadianGuy]

How's that one bubble workin for ya buddy?

[Rob0g0rilla]

I could name a couple of games Sony has had since day 1. Then I can look at lipz and that cam game and say it's late, looks experimental, and undeveloped. Games they are delivering that Sony has had since day 1. Lol, nice interview though. I can't wait to hear what these guys have to say when PS3 passes 360 sales.

[funkysolo]

I guess since you don't have 1 AAA studio, I guess the only thing you can do is spin it. And before you xbots respond Epic and Blizzard are not own by M$, so what are M$ AAA studios? How can someone say by looking at M$ sorry as gaming studios and think they are going to win this generation. Noone is going to buy a crap360 for fable2 and too human....Gears and mass effect are all going to PS3, because they are not own by M$. You can defend all 360 all you want but PS3 has AAA studios like noone else. Sony is not going to release 10 AAA titles in one year, that would be stupid they are going to spread them out. From now on there is going to be like a 3:1 ratio of exclusive games coming to PS3..Would you rather have a multiplatform game or a PS3 studio exclusive game?

[Product]

They prolly wont say anything since microsoft has more money then Sony.Crazy to think that Walmart has more then either of them lol.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

"In terms of the competition it has a bigger community to focus towards and is giving users the chance to do something that our console did back in 2005." <--- :) I loved that.

[The Almighty PS3rd]

All Hail the Almighty PS3rd!!!

[Figboy]

that MS paid for FFXIII.

after this whole RAGE situation with the game looking like it may be WORSE on the 360 because of format limitations, MS' checkbook may be the only thing that'd keep Square-Enix from changing their minds and outright cancelling the project by the time it sees 360 release.

FFXIII is still a long way off on ANY platform, and the 360 version hasn't even STARTED production yet, and won't until the PS3 Japanese version is in the bag.

at any moment between now and the completion of Final Fantasy XIII for the Playstation 3, Square-Enix can back away and say, "you know what, we don't want to pay the high licensing fees for multiple discs, so unless you lower them, or waive them, we're not going to BEGIN production on the game."

unless of course MS PAID for the game to come to the 360. at that point, there wouldn't be anything to stop it from coming to the console.

with the PS3 steadily gaining a userbase as more and more PS2 owners upgrade to the new console each time franchise titles hit, more and more third party devs are becoming more confident in the platform (ie, EA making a nice bit of money on the PS3 first quarter, and Activision outright saying the PS3 will outsell the 360 this year; a far cry from what was being said at this time last year) as a better form of revenue.

and as time goes on, development costs DECREASE once there's a workable gaming engine in place.

anyway, this interview was ok. not really anything new, and it's exactly what you expect PR to say about their own platform, and about the rival platform.

MS is confident that they have this one in the bag. *shrugs* only time knows for sure, but until they sell to more than the 25 million Xbox users they had last generation, they're still preaching to the choir.

[mistertwoturbo]

Yeah, well FFXIII going to the 360 is a pretty big win for MS.

But SE sure is throwing a lot of bones to Sony so far.

[jcfilth]

Don Mattrick says:

"We always aim to deliver quality and in a better timeframe and that’s why a lot of people choose the Xbox 360 for their gaming experience."

Is this guy serious??? lol

I can't believe this guy is talking about quality on the 360.

[Dolemite]

i don't doubt they had intentions to implement avatars from day one. It's not a new idea.

Say it with me: AVATARS ARE NOT A NEW IDEA. PS Fan boys still breathing?

They just wanted to be the first in the market so they shelved the idea in favor of simpler gamer cards in the mean time. MS has been pretty good about not showing anything until it is functional and imminent.

[SaiyanFury]

We interviewed Shinji Hashimoto of Square Enix regarding Star Ocean IV exclusivity to 360. He says “certain conditions come in the way that prevent” it to be on the PS3.

I'm assuming the Xbox 360 launching first. I have no doubt the game will appear on PS3, considering the series' parent audience is Japanese. Namco/Bandai took the same route with Eternal Sonata. It appeared on 360 and N/B refused to comment on a PS3 version for almost a year. Then out of the blue, there's a PS3 version confirmed for the PS3. I believe Star Ocean 4 will have a similar situation.