Microsoft corporate Vice President John Schappert recently spoke with Venturebeat’s Dean Takahashi on a number of topics including a micro transaction based model for Xbox avatars.
The Microsoft avatar system was announced at E3, and one thing was clear: There’s a lot of potential for micro transactions in the Microsoft future. With the recent interview, Schappert puts the official stamp on the ‘It’s something we’re seriously considering’ rumor.
“That may be in the future,” Schappert said when asked about the prospect. “In the near term, we want to launch these with great customization and a great library of accessories this fall. I think there is a lot more we can do with them. You will see us continue to add experiences that make use of the avatar.”
“To me, avatars are a logical extension to give us countless ways to personalize our own styles,” he said. “It’s not like we are using avatars to recreate the perfect human body. And it’s not too cutesy. It’s in the middle. It dresses up the core first-person shooter, who can be edgy. And the more casual player can dress up to look friendly.”
If this sounds more than familiar, just have a think for a second about the Nintendo version: Mii’s.
“I have to make a shout out to the Miis and say that Nintendo did a phenomenal job integrating them into the Wii games,” Schappert said. “There was a lot of inspiration from them. At the same time, it’s a logical evolution of our gamertags on Xbox Live. It was a question of when to introduce it.”
It’s good to see that Microsoft isn’t just doing a bit of chest beating, but giving a nod to the Nintendo boys for beating them to the market. Whether these custom, micro transaction based avatars will cost an unruly amount of Microsoft Points is yet to be seen.
Micro transactions for in game avatar customization; good or bad? While the topic can and most certainly will rage on in forums, blogs, and chat channels, isn’t it simply a case of two different types of gamers? Will the ‘hardcore’ category yet again be the most vocal in it’s opposition, while the ‘casual gamer’ category silently goes about it’s business, dropping a buck here and there to truly customize and enjoy their in game toon? Clearly the market has shown growth in the micro transaction field, both in interest and development. With Microsoft putting more resources into developing a program, isn’t this a clear stamp of approval?
Tags: avatar system, dean takahashi, gamertags, micro transactions, Microsoft, Nintendo, transaction, Venturebeat, Vice President John Schappert, Wii, wii games, Xbox, xbox live
