Posts Tagged ‘Microsoft’

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Microsoft brings home record Q3 results, driven by Xbox and Kinect sales

Friday, April 29th, 2011

Redmond, Washington based software giant Microsoft has recently released their Q3 (ending March 31, 2011) results, reporting a new company record, as the firm brought home $16.43 billion in revenues. Of this massive number, $5.23 billion is counted towards net income, much higher than analysts’ projections, much to the delight of investors, which saw a valuation of $0.61/share. This revenue number may signal a wind of change at Microsoft, as figures are up a healthy 31 percent year-over-year.

Microsoft’s Business Division fared well YOY, with a decent growth of 21 percent, and points to Office 2010 as the fastest selling version of the popular office suite across the product’s lifetime.

Hardware products including Servers and their associated tools saw an 11 percent growth, the division’s fourth consecutive double-digit growth quarter. Microsoft points to a strong enterprise adoption rate of Windows Server 2008 R2, SQL Server 2008 R2, and System Center is primary drivers of this growth. Likewise, Microsoft reports that Windows 7 has now officially become the hottest selling OS in the company’s history, with over 350 million licenses sold. Despite these impressive numbers, overall revenue was down by 4 percent in Q3, which Microsoft attributes to decreased PC sales.

“We delivered strong third quarter revenue from our business customers, driven by outstanding performance from Windows Server, SQL database, SharePoint, Exchange, Lync and increasingly our cloud services,” said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer at Microsoft in a statement. “Office had another huge quarter, again exceeding everyone’s expectations, and the addition of Office 365 will make our cloud productivity solutions even more compelling. We continue to see strong adoption of our cloud-based services among the Fortune 500.”

And while all the business-focused divisions are (for the most part) reporting increases, it’s not until you look at Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices category, where these numbers pale in comparison. This division alone is clearly the driving force behind the record numbers, reporting a whopping 60 percent year-over-year growth. And the primary driver with this division? It should come as no surprise that Microsoft’s motion sensing Kinect for Xbox, which became the fastest selling consumer electronics device in history, is also driving Xbox sales, resulting in happy days in Redmond.

“We delivered strong financial results despite a mixed PC environment, which demonstrates the strength and breadth of our businesses,” said Peter Klein, chief financial officer at Microsof in a statement. “Consumers are purchasing Office 2010, Xbox and Kinect at tremendous rates, and businesses of all sizes are purchasing Microsoft platforms and applications.”

Microsoft was reluctant to speak about it’s Windows Phone 7 platform, only mentioning on an earning call that “product reviews are good,” and that, “customer satisfaction is high.” With the growing prominence of mobile, and thus tablet, based user-consumption, can Microsoft now repeat the Xbox process, and get into the wireless game before it’s too late?

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Microsoft and NAMCO BANDAI showcase HTML5 gaming via the world’s biggest PAC-MAN

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

Let’s face it, Internet Explorer hasn’t been the browser of choice for quite a while.  Generally, it’s the browser most of us are forced to use at the office.  However, Microsoft, who’s already teasing IE10, is clearly putting efforts forward to change this attitude.  Announced yesterday, Microsoft, in cooperation with NAMCO BANDAI, announced the world’s biggest user generated PAC-MAN.  Presented in Internet Explorer 9 by Corporate Vice President, Internet Explorer, Dean Machamovitch at the MIX11 keynote in Las Vegas, the reimagined timeless classic was developed in Australia by Soap Creative.

“PAC-MAN has iconic status in the video gaming community and continues to be one of the most famous arcade franchises of all time,” said Michael Kordahi, Developer Evangelist at Microsoft Australia in a statement. “Through Internet Explorer 9 we’re taking PAC-MAN to the next level – literally!”

“By developing the world’s largest user-generated PAC-MAN with NAMCO BANDAI, we are giving the world one of its favorite video games through the browser, in a fun and engaging way that truly showcases how developers can deliver a new class of web experiences by taking advantage of modern web standards and hardware acceleration. I can’t wait to start work on my own maze!”

And while this isn’t the first time we’ve seen PAC-MAC outside of a traditional, coin operated, arcade console, this is the first time we’ve seen an HTML5, browser based, user-generated version.  Soap Creative took full advantage of Canvas, WOFF, audio and CPU accelerated JavaScript to pull it all together.  “The project team has been working tirelessly on this game for weeks, but it’s been such an exciting project and we’re delighted with the result. Although we’ll be glad when we don’t have to listen to the PAC-MAN sound FX every day,” said Ashley Ringrose at Soap Creative in a statement.

Along with user generated levels, some of which are quite challenging, the Microsoft/NAMCO BANDAI wisely incorporates a Facebook Connect option which plugs into leader boards, as well as rewards/keeps accountable users creating these levels.

Again, Internet Explorer has fallen out of favor for many years, and Microsoft has put the majority of gaming efforts towards the Xbox division.  While the World’s Largest PAC-MAN isn’t blowing any graphics cards out of the water, but that’s exactly the point.  Simply stepping into the space, and with a beloved title, is a big move for Microsoft.

However, it can’t go without saying, while Microsoft and NAMCO BANDAI have certainly positioned the title as unique, am I the only one that remembers google.com/pacman?

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Kinect to edge out Move in 2011 sales, 3D not so hot, and no love for OnLive and Gaikai

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

Predicting hardware sales is a tricky business. Amongst the umpteen figures to consider, user preference is one of the hardest to call. However, UK based firm Screen Digest has planted their flag in the sand, stating that Microsoft’s motion based controller, Kinect will slightly outsell Sony’s answer, the Move by 7.6 million units to 7.3 million units, respectively.

According to GameSpot, Screen Digest’s predictions do not include 2010 sales figures. Normally, this would be a figure to throw by the wayside…if the two products were launched simultaneously, but you’ll remember that Move was out months before Kinect. It’s also noteworth, as Microsoft announced in November that it has moved 2.5 million Kinect units, and was well on pace to deliver 5 million by the end of this year.

Given these numbers, and Microsoft’s statements and additional numbers, moving 2.5 million units per month in the holiday buildup seems completely reasonable. Post holiday shopping will naturally see a decline, so let’s slim this number down to around half a million units per month. Even at this growth rate, Screen Digest’s numbers are a tad low. Meaning – although Screen Digest is lying on the conservative side of the numbers, it’s very likely that we could see Kinect push over 10 million sales in 2011.

Note: Piers hardin-Rolls from Screen Digest commented at Gamasutra clarifying the numbers:

“Our [data] actually refers to new Move and Kinect enabled consoles added during 2011, not installed base, which we forecast to be 11.7 million for Move and 12.1 million for Kinect by end of 2011.”

Adding: “Please note that the Move numbers refer to Move-enabled consoles and not total Move peripheral sales (as a % are bought for multiplayer gaming on single consoles).”

And while Sony may have answered the Nintendo Wii with it’s own motion based control, it’s a case of too-little-too-late. While Sony spent time developing at system that amounts to nothing more than a Wii in HD, Microsoft developed an entirely new product and input method. Coupled with Move software’s dreadful sales, it appears as though Sony has delivered the golden egg.

Screen Digest also noted a few other Sony shortcomings when it comes to all-things-digital. The much hyped and anticipated arrival of 3D televisions has been less than overwhelming, with the firm saying that 3D TV sales will fall flat in 2011. They state that broadcasters are putting too much focus on sporting events and non-recurring programming for consumers to find value in said television.

Also of note: Screen Digest wasn’t any friendlier when it came to streaming gaming services, aka OnLive and Gaikai. The postulate that neither device offer a compelling experience, ultimately providing a poor value proposition.

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Microsoft moves 2.5M Kinect thus far; Nintendo, 1.5M gaming systems in a week

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

If there is a recession going on, please do not tell the American consumers. Based on recent reports, even if times are tough, and money is tight, pixel hungry consumers are out in force.

Microsoft Kinect

Microsoft recently announced that the traditional shopping nightmare day of Black Friday has propelled sales of the motion sensing Kinect over the 2.5 million mark. This represents a global total sales figure, and has been accomplished in only 25 days. And with some quick cocktail napkin math, that breaks down to 100,000 units sold/day.

“We are thrilled about the consumer response to Kinect, and are working hard with our retail and manufacturing partners to expedite production and shipments of Kinect to restock shelves as fast as possible to keep up with demand,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “With sales already exceeding two and a half million units in just 25 days, we are on pace to reach our forecast of 5 million units sold to consumers this holiday.”

5 million units in just 2 months? Impressive numbers for sure Microsoft. To you, I can only say; Hats off. Available in more than 38 countries around the world, and 60,000 retailers, Kinect is Microsoft’s answer to the once-top-of-the-charts Nintendo Wii motion sensing controller. With Kinect, not only can you control games, but also interact with movies, music, and television, and the Kinect system also responds to voice commands.

“Kinect on Xbox 360 was a top performer at Target this weekend,” said Nik Nayar, vice president, merchandising, Target. “We expect Kinect will be a must-have gift this holiday season, so Target will continue to receive consistent shipments of Kinect throughout December. The hands-free, active gaming experience that Kinect offers is something that everyone in the family can enjoy.”

Nintendo

And while Microsoft might be on target to sell 5 Million units before the holiday season comes to an end, Nintendo also received the Black Friday bump, with Redmond reporting that consumers took home a combined $1.5 million worth of Nintendo gear over the course of Black Friday week, November 21st – 27th. Nintendo’s Black Friday sales numbers clocked in at a very healthy 900,000 units of the Nintendo DS line moving off the shelf, and with 600,000 Wii consoles destined for holiday happiness. This numbers do not reflect actual sales numbers, but are derived from Nintendo’s own internal sales estimates.

When viewed in the same Don Draper-esque math, Nintendo moved 9,000 units per hour over the Black Friday Week.

“For the past several years, consumers have decided that Nintendo defined both top value and all-inclusive entertainment, and that sentiment continues again at the start of this shopping season,” comments Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime.

Nintendo points to it’s attractive new hardware color offerings, as well as popular game/hardware bundles as primary drivers for the sales numbers. Bundles include a limited edition Mario red Wii and DSiXL, as well as orange and green DSi systems, all of which feature one iteration or another of the now 25 year old Mario franchise.

Of the past few years, we’ve predicted that the video game industry may be recession proof, and while sales numbers and associated costs have remained relatively consistent with all other forms of entertainment around them, it’s very clear that consumers are finding significant value in video game entertainment. To put a number on that value? Well … it’s somewhere around 5 million for Microsoft and Kinect, and certainly, Nintendo has nothing to complain about with 1.5 million units moved in a week.

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Microsoft to launch Games on Demand service – November 15th

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

Microsoft has recently announced a new online PC games store, titled Games for Windows Marketplace that seeks to combine the ease and power of the Web to power this online distribution platform. The Games for Windows Marketplace is slated for a November 15th launch, and will offer PC gamers a healthy lineup of attractive titles, easy navigation and purchasing options, as well as a healthy does of promotions including a recurring “Deal of the Week.”

microsoft“With Games for Windows Marketplace, we set out to create a digital store built for PC gamers end-to-end,” said Kevin Unangst, senior global director, PC and Mobile Gaming, at Microsoft. “And by integrating with our existing Xbox LIVE and Windows Live services, we’ve made it easier than ever for millions of gamers to see for themselves how easy buying PC games can be.”

At launch, the Games for Windows Marketplace will feature 100 top-quality titles such as “Fable: The Lost Chapters,” “Lego Universe,”and “Grand Theft Auto III.” Firms already on board include Capcom Entertainment, 2K Games, Square Enix Co., and more. And while big names are always a draw, Microsoft isn’t forgetting about the up and comers either. The Games for Windows Marketplace will also seek to bring indie titles to eager gamers. Of note, Microsoft Game Studios’ own “CarneyVale” will launch simultaneously in retail locations and the Games for Windows marketplace – a great way to measure user uptake in brick and mortar vs. online distribution.

“We plan to deliver some of our biggest and best PC franchises on Games for Windows Marketplace from day one,” said Christian Svensson, corporate officer and vice president of Strategic Planning and Business Development at Capcom. “Digital distribution continues to drive growth in PC gaming, and we’re excited to partner with Microsoft and bring amazing games to this growing marketplace.”

Designed to be quick, easy, and painless, the Games for Windows Marketplace wants to “remove the barriers between gamers and the games they love.” Some key points to note about the new service (direct from Microsoft):

  • Online access, anywhere. Optimized for speed, the store allows for ultra-fast downloads; this means fewer clicks to purchase and download, delivering faster turnaround for gameplay. And since the service lives on the Web, gamers can download games on a PC, anytime, and can easily redownload games they purchase if needed.
  • Deals and discounts galore. Gamers can check out screaming deals on select games every time they visit the Marketplace, as well as the Deal of The Week and other recurring and seasonal offers.
  • Game search functionality. Gamers can search by titles or genres to quickly find the games they want; they can even find new games from their favorite publishers with dedicated publisher pages.
  • Fresh design. The clean, intuitive look and feel makes browsing for games a simple, enjoyable experience. Gamers can easily navigate between pages as they search for the perfect game.

The Games for Windows Marketplace launches in less than a month from now on November 15th at gamesforwindows.com.

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Microsoft officially pulls the plug on in-game advertising unit Massive

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

Officially announced in New York yesterday, Microsoft has decided to shutter it’s in-game advertising unit, Massive. According to Microsoft, the technologies developed for/at Massive will be redeployed to their first party ad business, with an initial focus targeted at gaming. Redmond will wind down Massive’s operations, with the brand disappearing by years’ end.

massive_incThe future of the now closed company will eventually expand it’s offerings and technology to other Microsoft opportunities, but the decision comes in the wake of Microsoft’s decision to work closely with the Interactive Entertainment Business (IEB) and continue developing and expanding the technology employed under the Massive banner. This development will seek to meet the needs of first-party gaming advertisers on Microsoft properties such as Xbox LIVE and MSN Games.

The news of Massive’s impending sunset arrived at the beginning of this month, with Adweek breaking an exclusive reporting the news, with sources coming from inside the company. According to author Mike Shields, Massive general manager J.J. Richards had already started looking for a new job, and that the reassignment of Massive employees had already begun.

According to Shelds’ sources, it’s rumored that Microsoft had been shopping Massive around to potential buyers, least of which included competing in-game advertising firm Double Fusion. Microsoft had been seeking a high six, low seven figure deal – a deal Double Fusion obviously passed on. To put this figure into perspective, when Microsoft acquired the ad agency in 2006, they paid anywhere between $200 – $400 million according to estimates.

Noted above, Microsoft already has an Interactive Entertainment Business unit, and while Massive held it’s own niche specialty, at the end of the day, it appears as though Microsoft was unnecessarily duplicating it’s efforts. Meaning, in 2006 when they purchased Massive, the topic and industry were red hot, with then Massive CEO Mitch Davis prediction that the in-game advertising industry would be a $2 billion market by 2010, a figure that’s never been realized. The rise in popularity with both gamers and advertisers of central “Hubs” such as Xbox LIVE for Microsoft and Home for Sony have contributed to Massive’s demise. Add to this the fact that via Xbox LIVE, Microsoft can keep the entire advertising dollars pie, while via Massive, they’re contractually obligated to share some of this pie with advertisers, the decision to close down shop at Massive was only a matter of time.

While it’s sad to see any firm close it’s doors, it should be interesting to see what the now re-deployed Massive team can do for Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business. Surely, years worth of know-how and experience are sure to trickle their way into new Microsoft offerings.

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Microsoft’s secret “big deal” purchase

Monday, October 4th, 2010

Be it a current “State of the Industry” trend, or just good ol’ fashioned “Mum’s the word,” late 2010 is revealing a couple of secret investments/acquisitions that have the potential to be major game changers. You’ll remember Google’s top secret investing in Zynga, something we’ve not heard much about as of late – a sign that reports might be dead on. Not to be outdone, a recent PaidContent.org report indicates that Microsoft has had some “off the record” dealings of it’s own this year.

secret2When questioned, Microsoft admitted that it hasn’t publicaly announced any of it’s 2010 acquisitions, but in fact, has made around 15 this year. While Microsoft is keeping the names of said companies close to it’s chest, Joseph Tartakoff of paidcontent.org confirms that one of these acquisitions was Vivaty, a 3D virtual world, i.e. a Second Life competitor. Having raised over $9.4 million in seed money from investors including Kleiner Perkins, the virtual world firm abruptly shut down shop back in April of this year, with former EA VP Keither McCurdy saying that the firm had run out of capital. At the time McCurdy told VentureBeat that the company was in the process of being sold, and that the IP would be used “as the foundation for something else.”

Ok, so Microsoft purchases a company. Standard fare, no? On any given Sunday, yes. However – when viewed in the light that’s recently started to surface about Microsoft making overtures to a number of social gaming and virtual world corps, least of which includes Linden’s Second Life. And they’re not just looking at Second Life, as the rumor mill has been flooded with speculation that Microsoft was in talks to purchase CrowdStar earlier this year, although no deal has gone through – at least that we know about. The social gaming acquisition, one that there has been no official announcement on, seems to make sense, and is a bit surprising that we’ve not seen from Microsoft. The more puzzling question is – why Redmond’s interest in virtual worlds?

Metaplace, There.com and Vivaty, all virtual world spaces – all gone the way of the dodo bird. Even the one that started them all, Second Life, isn’t exactly making the kind of waves (and revenues) it once did. The only possible logical explanation is a virtual world tie in with Xbox Live, and thus, an extension to Windows Phone 7 OS, taking on Sony’s Home service. The only other remote possibility is that Microsoft sees some light in business virtual worlds, something similar to IBM’s CityOne project, but again, this is probably the lesser of two possibilities.

To their credit, if Microsoft is planning something huge behind the scenes, they’re doing an incredible job of keeping things quiet. Managing Director of corporate development Marc Brown recently stated that Microsoft had made about 15 acquisitions over the past 12 months, all for less than $75 million. Including the Vivaty confirmation, we’re still counting only 6 – where/who are the other 9, and what does Microsoft have in store?

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Microsoft lines up top advertisers for Kinect launch

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

Announced at this week’s Advertising Week 2010, Microsoft has lined up key advertisers for the upcoming November 4th launch of their new motion control system for Xbox 360.

microsoft_kinect_31-540x337

As Microsoft hopes to usher in a new way of play, advertisers are already showing interest in how their ads can be interacted with. Taking advantage of Kinect’s unique response to body movements, Chevrolet, Sprint, and T-Mobile USA will launch respective ad campaigns across the Kinect console network, “Kinect Joy Ride,” “Kinect Adventures,” and “Kinect Sports.”

All ad campaigns are slated for a November 4th launch; let’s take a deeper look:

  • Chevrolet. This was the first campaign that was announced for Kinect, back in June, and places auto maker Chevrolet in a prime position to allow customers the opportunity to test drive Chevrolet vehicles from the comfort of their own home. The title will open with users driving Chevy’s new Volt car, but users can unlock additional cars such as the Cruze, Camaro, and legendary Corvette by watching video advertisements either on Xbox LIVE or the Web. An additional campaign is slated for the first of the year where Chevrolet will feature the same vehicles in the Kinect Hub.
  • Sprint. US telecom provider Sprint will launch “Kinect Adventures,” with a matching retail experience features on Xbox LIVE, as well as a “Kinect Adventures,” contest whereby players will have the opportunity to have their pictures features on Xbox LIVE. Those attending the NY Comic Con (October 8-10) will have a first crack at “Kinect Advetures,” as the campaign will be live at the Sprint booth suring the convention.
  • T-Mobile. Focused on sports, T-Mobile enters the Kinect ring with fixed product placements throughout the motion based games including volleyball net logo placements, custom bowling balls, and foam fingers in the virtual stands. In addition to the product placement, T-Mobile is going the extra mile and sponsoring a contest whereby players can view video content and partake in the first launch weekend “Play and Win” contest with prizes including Family Gold memberships (a $99.99 retail value).

“With Kinect for Xbox 360, we are removing the last barrier to interactive television — the controller,” said Mark Kroese, general manager of the Interactive Entertainment Advertising Business Group at Microsoft. “We have seen tremendous momentum from the advertising community, including big campaigns from Chevrolet, Sprint and T-Mobile. These visionary marketers are leading the entertainment revolution with ground-breaking campaigns that are highly engaging.”

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Return of The Greek – Microsoft announces F2P Age of Empires Online

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Announced at this year’s Gamescon in Cologne, Germany, Microsoft is dusting off the once popular Age of Empires series and bringing it into the free-to-play light. Taking full advantage of the Xbox Live service, as well as tapping into social networking elements, this newest iteration of AoE looks to be taking cues from Sid Meyer’s Civilization, in so much as there’s less real, and more cartoon packed into this RTS.

capitalcity

The timing could be better, as with Blizzard’s StarCraft 2 burning up the charts and re-igniting the Real Time Strategy game genre, one would think that Blizz has pretty much got the market cornered. I’m even willing to overlook the 12 year wait for a sequel. But clearly Microsoft isn’t having any of it, and is firing back with it’s own “command your armies into battle, all the while running a developing civilization,” thinker.

The original creators of the Age of Empire series, Ensemble Studios unfortunately had to close down shop, leaving many fans of the title wondering if this was truly the end of the road. Looking at the franchise’s 25+ million copies sold surely had something to do with Microsoft’s decision to revive and update the (now almost classic) title. Appropriately enough, the new development work is being done by Robot Entertainment, one of the many dev companies that sprang from Ensembles ashes.

battle

Age of Empires Online is platformed on Microsoft’s Xbox Live service, so don’t expect to pay a cent to play the game online, although that model remains unclear when speaking of the actual game client, which is slated to be available as a download, as well as the countless amount of DLC that’s likely to follow. Who doesn’t love new maps?

The first civilization on tap will be the Greeks, and Microsoft says there are plans to expand this lineup (based on game success). AoE Online, as the name suggests, will only be available online (no offline versions will be offered), and it seems as though there’s a big focus on collaborative questing (nice viral driver). One thing that stood out from the crowd was Microsoft’s inclusion of a persistent capital city that continues it’s development even when players are offline (nice stickiness). This persistent capital city also opens the doors for, what I could imagine, would be a host of microtransaction opportunities. I.e. Auto-farm/seed/collect potions, accelerated blacksmithing, etc.

shoretown

The Greeks are slated to storm the beaches of Live enabled PCs running XP, Vista, or 7 in 2011. Closed beta invites are already up and available for submission at ageofempiresonline.com, as well as an impressive selection of fan materials to get your pre-game Greek on.

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Sony and Microsoft ramp up the entertainment factor with Hulu

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

For quite some time now, Xbox users have been a bit ahead of the curve when it comes to services non-gaming. The current state of (non) play for Xbox users include Netflix, Last.fm, and Zune video, and as of November, ESPN3.com (which promises to deliver over 3,500 live sporting events).

hulu

However, it seems that Sony has clearly heard what users are after: non-gaming content on their consoles. With the launch of the PS3 3.40 firmware update yesterday, it looks like a lot of those “Man, I wish I had…” are starting to become, “Wow, check this out!” moments. On Tuesday, Hulu confirmed on their website that coming this July, their video on-demand service will find a new home on the PS3 OS. This addition compliments the newly launched PlayStation Plus $10/month subscription package.

The “Hulu Plus” package will allow paying subscribers to access even more shows and platform support than the browser-based Hulu.com. In addition to all the standard Hulu features, Hulu plus will give viewers a 720p (HD) experience, as opposed to the maximum 480p service the free service delivers.

The Hulu Plus service arrives for PS3 in July, and will arrive on Xbox consoles in “early 2011,” according to Hulu. The Hulu rollout is not, however specifically targeted at gaming consoles, as the company reports Hulu plus will be available via iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, as well as the standard package of viewability via a Mac or PC browser. Looking even further down the line, Hulu is also targeting internet enabled TV’s and blu-ray players from Sony, Vizio, and Samsung.

On standout on the Xbox side of the Hulu deal is the integration with Kinetic, as the motion controlling sensor will also function as a remote for your Hulu viewing. Swipe a hand in the air to the right to fast forward, left to rewind. Neat.

The odd thing about not only this Hulu integration, but positioning consoles as the nucleus of a home based entertainment center, is that upon their launch in 2006, this is exactly what Sony set off to achieve. The hardcore gaming audience tended to drift to Xbox, one big draw being Halo, and Sony seemed to shift their position, and obviously address what the market wants/wanted. Now, 4 years later, it appears as though Sony has come full circle with the PS3, which btw, as of this week actually started making Sony a profit. And now that the PS3 is no longer hemorrhaging cash left, right, and center, it should be very interesting to see where Sony goes next. They may have been a bit behind the Xbox ball, but with new features, a new controller, and new money coming in the door…clearly the stage has been set.

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