Posted by unregistered user at 1/27/08 10:31 p.m.

Yes. Is he real and if so who is he? And why do you continue to use sources who won't go on the record with their real names and titles? It completely ruins your credibility and makes you out to be a hack who is just trying to get attention.

Having read your blog for a while now, I don't have that opinion of you myself, but I do know others who think your reporting skills and lack of source naming needs improvement.

Posted by 8bitjoystick at 1/28/08 12:28 a.m.

My source choses to remain anonymous for a number of reasons that we can't go into right now. One day they might but isn't the Ship It award enough proof? By the way the Seattle PI has never stated any problem with the two times that I've used anonymous sources. It's an essential part of journalism and I've been forth coming with all the relevant details.

You are welcome to your own opinion. However you are an anonymous commenter complaining about an anonymous source. The irony is thick.

Posted by SoldierMedic at 1/28/08 5:47 a.m.

Yes. Is he real and if so who is he? And why do you continue to use sources who won't go on the record with their real names and titles? It completely ruins your credibility and makes you out to be a hack who is just trying to get attention.

Yes, because CNN, Foxnews, MSNBC, "60 Minutes", and many other sources never EVER quote an anonymous source.

Jacob was right about the Bungie seperation, so why should his credibility be in doubt?

Posted by xboxfounder at 1/28/08 7:36 p.m.

Well Jake, looks like I'm just a flash in the pan. It almost seems like no one wants me to be real. The more material I post, that supports my claims, the less people are engaged. Maybe we should try to go back and position me as a fake after all. At least when everyone thought that, folks were engaged and talking about the issues.

Let's do this next. Instead of asking your readers for questions, why don't you ask me the questions you have left? A follow up interview. And as time moves forward, ping me once in a while about stuff that comes up.

Since I left MS, I have been a sounding board for current employees who have to deal with many of these issues that I raised. I also run into people who work at 360 frequently. They never fail to vomit their views of the past and current problems. So, to answer the question about whether I know what's going on now, I do.

Often, when I talk to my freinds back there, I tell them things they didn't know, as curernt empolyees and insiders. But I understand that your readers can't understand that.

Let's just go with my plan for now. I still have many things to tell that no one knows about.

Posted by SoldierMedic at 1/29/08 5:34 a.m.

XBoxFounder,

This may not be the type of questiosn you had in mind, but I've been wondering about this for awhile:

Does Microsoft have plans to bring a gun accessory to the XBox?

You mentioned in the past that the 360 can scratch you discs. How does this happen, and is there a way to fix that problem?

There was only a span of about 4 years between the launch of the XBox and the XBox 360. Should we expect to see the newest XBox within the next 2 years, or is it more likely for Microsoft to perfect (Or get as close to that standard as possible) the 360 before even thinking of launching a new console?

Also, there is a building directly to the South of Building 87. Which company owns that building?

Posted by trancecadet at 1/29/08 10:33 a.m.

Jacob,
I'm looking to buy a new system this weekend. Due to the current situation with the XBOX 360, do you think it is safe to buy a 360 now? As of right now with the 10% failure rate of the 360, I'm leaning towards buying the PS3.

Thanks!

Posted by 8bitjoystick at 1/29/08 1:13 p.m.

I would buy a new Xbox 360 over a PS3 but check the date to make sure that it has an HDMI port and was made after September 07. I

Posted by xboxfounder at 1/29/08 2:19 p.m.

SoldierMedic:

Light Gun?
I don't know if they are doing a light gun. But they are working on casual gaming and controllers pretty seriously now, so you never know what they'll come out with. Plus, this gen they have taken much more accesories work in house since it's actually profitable.

Disc Scratches?
The 360 scratches discs when gamers jump around. The shock gets coupled into the console through the floor. The disc wobbles and hits the laser assembly. The part of the laser assembly that causes the scratch is about 1/2 inch to the outside of the laser, so the console doesn't show a problem at the time the disc is scratched because it isn't reading where the disc is scratched. It's only later when the laser hits the scratch that read errors occur. Then the user doesn't associate their activity with the damage bacause they didn't happen at the same time as far as they can see. An ODD has to be susceptable to this. It must be missing the pads on the inside of the top cover that are put there to stop the disc from traveling into the laser. Alot of this info is on the web, but I figured out how it happens and why it's controversial when it happened to my son on a new game. I sent this info to a friend at MS. Let's see if they do anything about it.

3rd gen when?
The reasons the span between XB1 and 360 was so short were that XB1 was losing so much money, and MS wanted to get a head start on Sony in this gen. But the plan for 360 was for a 7 year life cycle before the next console. I don't know if that has changed since I left, but I don't see anything to cause it to. Just because they are already working on it doesn't mean it's anywhere near shipping. It's normal product development practice to always be working on new technology. And what should they be doing, given the problems on 360? I'm sure they don't want to repeat that.

Insider knowledge?
As for building 87's neighbors, I'm don't know which building that is. Are you trying to authenticate me with that question? I don't even know if there is a building 87. I spent most of my time at sattelite campues. There was a massive expansion in the 9.5 years I was at MS (9/95 - 3/05), so there could well be. I started out at bldg 19 on main campus 9/95. That is just inside the main entrance on 156th. We moved to Redwest/B 3 months later on 12/95 as it's first tenants. That's on 148th, accross 51st from Nintendo of America headquarters. When we split off to do Xbox (9/99) we moved to Redwest/C (about 12/99) until the Milenium campus was finished on about 4 or 5/00. Millenium is on Union Hill Road, about 1/2 mile from Avondale. The HW team moved into Mil/D. In about 1/02, Web TV was cancelled so that Xbox could poach it's people and buildings in San Jose at SVC (Silicon Vally Campus). They do the silicon mostly, Redmond owns the rest of the HW (motherboard, mechanical, ID, etc.). But there are cross reporting relationships between campuses, so not everyone at each campus works strictly on one or the other. Pretty soon all of the HW groups in HED will move into a new campus being built right across 520 from main campus. Ms wants to build a powerhouse consumer electronics division, so they are uniting it, re-orging it, and adding headcount.

I know I didn't answer your stated question. But maybe I answered your real question.

Posted by 8bitjoystick at 1/29/08 3:29 p.m.

Also traditional "sensor" style light guns like the Nes Zapper don't work on LCD and Plasma TVs.

Take a look at the gun for Time Crisis 4 and the Wiimote. Since there are different kinds of display system being used they would have to go with a motion tracker system like Time Crisis 4 and that is not cheap.

Posted by unregistered user at 1/29/08 3:56 p.m.

Jake,
Thanks for the advice. I'm still a little concerned that if I buy an XBOX 360 and it crashes that I will get a refurbished unit that may have an older mobo. If I buy a 360 with the latest mobo and for whatever reason it crashes, I would expect it to be replaced with the same version or newer. Maybe this is a question I should ask Microsoft. Any thoughts?

Posted by trancecadet at 1/29/08 3:58 p.m.

Re-post... I submitted the previous post while I was logged out.

Jake,
Thanks for the advice. I'm still a little concerned that if I buy an XBOX 360 and it crashes that I will get a refurbished unit that may have an older mobo. If I buy a 360 with the latest mobo and for whatever reason it crashes, I would expect it to be replaced with the same version or newer. Maybe this is a question I should ask Microsoft. Any thoughts?

Posted by SoldierMedic at 1/30/08 4:49 a.m.

XBoxFounder,

Thanks. In relation to Bld 87 (That was sort of an attempt to authenticate you), it is a very real building that was purchased within the last two years. I have direct line of site with Buildings 87 and 84, and every day I come to work I can see the construction for the additional Redmond Campus going on on the W side of 520.

Jacob,

What makes it more difficult for sensor guns to work for LCD or Plasma?

Posted by 8bitjoystick at 1/30/08 9:40 a.m.

Non CRT TVs like LCDs and Plasma's don't emit the same non-visible light that makes old gun games work. Old gun games like the Nes Zapper are based on light sensors.

Posted by xboxfounder at 1/30/08 12:14 p.m.

SoldierMedic,

So you are over there by the Cedar Court campus? Where the old Eddie Bauer headquarters is? By Honeywell? I've only been there 2 or 3 times. I don't know the area that well.

Just curious. Did I answer your question? Do you think I am I authentic? Are you an MS employee?

Posted by trancecadet at 1/30/08 12:25 p.m.

Jacob/xboxfounder,

Just a follow-up to my previous post:

"Thanks for the advice. I'm still a little concerned that if I buy an XBOX 360 and it crashes that I will get a refurbished unit that may have an older mobo. If I buy a 360 with the latest mobo and for whatever reason it crashes, I would expect it to be replaced with the same version or newer. Maybe this is a question I should ask Microsoft. Any thoughts?"

To add to this post, I called MS customer support 800-4MY-XBOX and asked the rep if I send in a RROD unit for replacement, will I receive an older version of the mobo. The reps reply was that I will receive the same version of the mobo that was sent back to them. I have a case number referencing the call as my proof that a MS representative told me I would receive the same version of the mobo that was returned to them for replacement.

Is this rep giving me false information?

Posted by xboxfounder at 1/30/08 1:32 p.m.

Trancecadet,

It's possible they've changed their policy, but I doubt it. The logistics to manage specific versions of any part to put in a console are the limiting factor for them. They could do it, but it would be expensive.

I do know that they are putting the new GPU heatsinks on all mobo's that didn't previously have them. That might help. But they didn't qualify that process even though the test people requested that be done. You can't just monkey around with a large BGA that was soldered down PB free w/o making sure you didn't shorten it's life by inducing stress in the joints.

PB free solder joints accumulate and retain mechanical stress whenever they are deflected. The higher the residual stress, the shorter the life due to the additional stresses they see in operation, like thermal cycles. So no one knows if adding those heatsinks to Xenon boards will help or hurt. Once again, they were in too much of a hurry, and wouldn't listen to their own subject matter experts.

Posted by trancecadet at 1/30/08 8:04 p.m.

xboxfounder,

It sounds like the future of the xbox 360 console is still unknown since only time will tell as to the stability of the system. In my experience and opinion, Microsoft is notorious for releasing product before it is ready. I think Windows XP Pro SP2 is great. However, it went through serious growing pains to get there.

After all of my research of the XBOX 360 and the PS3, I have to say that I am no closer to making a decision about which console to purchase. My research leads me to the following conclusion:

1. Buy an XBOX 360, a console with an uncertain failure rate and has a large selection of titles available, or

2. Buy a PS3, a stable console with a cell processor waiting for developers to unlock it's full potential and currently has a limited number of titles available.

I wonder if there are more people out there facing the same dilemma I am with making a decision on which console to buy. I do want to thank you for revealing the truth about the 360 and for answering questions about the console.

Posted by SoldierMedic at 1/31/08 5:02 a.m.

XBox Founder,

No, I am not a MS Employee, however I am in a little Island in a sea of Microsoft (Literally, when I'm at work the only buildings I can see are MS buildings).

You did answer my question sufficiently to eleminate the lingering doubts to your authenticity.

As for my closeness to Eddie Bower, I'm not too sure where that is. But I'm on the other side of 520 from Nintendo.

Posted by tabicat at 2/1/08 2:53 p.m.

Xbox Founder,

One of the biggest problems with the DRM for Xbox Marketplace content is that end-users are not allowed to do their own license transfers. That is, I cannot upgrade my Xbox 360 to an Elite, type in a couple of serial numbers into the dashboard or a web site, and have the licenses transfered to the Elite.

During the planning of the DRM system, did anyone raise the issue of end-user license transfers? I can envision one employee saying, "We have to allow customers to transfer their own licenses, otherwise they'll be locked into one console and never be able to upgrade or replace it!" and everyone else saying, "Don't be stupid."

Posted by xboxfounder at 2/12/08 8:50 p.m.

Sorry for the late replies.

Soldiermedic: Glad at least you believe me. Many more do, but most of them are in conference rooms at MS trying to figure out what to do about this.

Tabicat: I mostly know about the HW side of things. I can't help with your DRM problems. I can tell you based on what I know, that MS will try their best to fix it. Road blocks likely include not thinking about it to begin with, and not architecting that functionality into their servers. So hold on and keep complaining. They respond based on number of complaints, and projected revenue loss.

Posted by unregistered user at 7/11/08 6:43 p.m.

Xboxfounder,
I believed you were authentic since I read the interview. I have been thinking, I bet if you and/or some student out of college tried, you'd have a better mobo than MS(maybe a more reliable solder).
This also proves my friend's theory of MS's indifference. It's truly sad, they used to be reliable.