• mgs4

    Microsoft Says Xbox 360 Can "Handle" Metal Gear Solid 4

    In the wake of Konami telling a Japanese investor site that it was "looking into" an Xbox 360 version of MGS4, Microsoft is now quoted as saying that the Xbox 360 can "handle" MGS4. With Final Fantasy XIII now multi-plat, that argument seems like it could very well hold water. According to John Schappert, the firm's corporate vice-president of Live, Software and Services: More »

    5:30 AM on Thu Oct 16 2008
    By Brian Ashcraft
    21,965 views, 307 comments

    Most discussed Setzer IIDX: *groan* As a Sony fanboy, I must say my console's outlook looks grimmer and grimmer. Sony needs to start getting more more »

  • kaz hirai

    Sony Doesn't Think Games Are Exactly Recession-Proof

    Conventional wisdom says games are recession proof. Sony Computer Entertainment is not a conventional company and SCE head Kaz Hirai is not a conventional exec. So screw that wisdom. Well, sorta. Hirai doesn't think games are the market equivalent of Teflon, but does think gaming won't get hit as hard as other industries. Said Hirai:

    I wouldn’t go so far as to say we’re recession-proof, but we expect to be hit much less than an auto company, for example... We expect to do very well in the year-end shopping season.

    Good thing video games don't cost like 20 grand, huh? Microsoft also expects to do reasonably well with its recent price cut. As Microsoft exec John Schappert pointed out: "When you look at people, who are certainly more price-conscious than ever, that price is something people are going to be looking at." Keyword: "look."

    Sony, Microsoft Bullish on Game Systems [WSJ via VG247]

    10:00 PM on Tue Oct 14 2008
    By Brian Ashcraft
    2,286 views, 42 comments

    Most discussed SatansBestBuddy: That face freaked me out so much that I had to leave a comment saying it freaked me out. more »

  • tokyo game show 2008

    Microsoft Coy On Future Spring & Fall Upates

    Speaking to a gathering of journalists earlier this week at the Tokyo Game Show, John "Crazy Days" Schappert seemed unwilling to say that the Xbox 360 would return to the once comforting twice a year release schedule for its updates.

    "I don't know if we are going to tie ourselves to a spring fall release schedule as much," he said. "I think one of the things that I worked with the team with when I joined. Lets do a big release. Spring and fall sounds like there is a lot of distance between the two but there is an awful lot of... it's pretty hard to make a new dashboard because you have to certify it against every revision of the hardware, and there's a bunch of different specs. It's a pretty time consuming and challenging thing to do. Which is why we only did it twice a year." More »

    7:30 AM on Sat Oct 11 2008
    By Brian Crecente
    3,740 views, 70 comments

  • xbox 360

    Xbox 360: Official Console of 2008 Recession

    With daily free falls in most of the international stock markets, a recession isn't just a scary word, it's seemingly unavoidable. During a chat with Microsoft vice president John Schappert yesterday I asked him if he thought that the Xbox 360 with its emphasis on high-definition gaming was a "recession proof" console.

    While no longer the cheapest gaming console, the Wii is still seemingly more family friendly, more attractive to non-gamers and maybe, I believe, more interesting to new-comers to this form of entertainment who haven't yet bought a high definition television.

    Schappert, though not a big fan of the recession proof concept, still thinks that the 360 will be the console of choice for those looking for a way to forget their troubles through gaming. More »

    6:00 PM on Thu Oct 9 2008
    By Brian Crecente
    7,650 views, 94 comments

    Most discussed gqkv47a: Is the RROD recession proof? more »

  • tokyo game show 2008

    Liveblogging Microsoft's TGS Keynote

    Microsoft's John Schappert is due to take the stage in the International Business Center at the Makuhari Messe to drop some knowledge on Tokyo's gaming set. The corporate vice president of the LIVE, Software and Services Business is going to give a speech about the "gaming canvas" of the world, or so we've been told (read: translated). We're getting underway immediately, so hit the jump for the liveblog fun. More »

    8:00 PM on Wed Oct 8 2008
    By Michael McWhertor
    21,426 views, 169 comments

    Most discussed Korey: GUYS. NO MORE HEROES 2. [www.gametrailers.com] more »

  • tokyo game show 2008

    Microsoft To Give Tokyo Game Show Keynote

    What's this? Are Microsoft just feeling bullish after all those Xbox/Vesperia bundles sold out? Whatever the reason, Microsoft is feeling confident enough to send LIV Vice-prez John Schappert to the Tokyo Game Show with a keynote speech under his arm.

    On October 9th at midday, Schappert will present his keynote address "A Canvas for the World” which will apparently lay out how the Xbox 360 will bring people together to enjoy "the next wave of interactive entertainment experiences."

    No, we don't really know what that means either —- but we bet it is pretty flippin' important. Who knows? Maybe MS are on a roll - by this time next year there could be an Xbox Elite in every self-respecting Japanese home.

    Tokyo Game Show - John Schappert Keynote Address [Gamerscore Blog]

    6:20 PM on Fri Sep 5 2008
    By Stuart Houghton
    3,581 views, 47 comments

    Most discussed phnord: My money's on an exclusive 360 remake of Final Fantasy VII. more »

  • xbox 360

    How Soon Until Microsoft Start Charging For Avatar Customisaton?

    When the 360's new dash is launched, it'll cost you nothing to build an avatar. It'll cost you nothing to customise it, either, so if you throw on the wrong coloured pair of slacks, relax! Just change them over, no questions asked. But what about the future? VentureBeat asked Microsoft's John Schappert whether Microsoft were going to introduce microtransactions for the avatars, and got this response:

    That may be in the future. 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. Our goal is not to create a sterile environment where you move furniture around. It's about how can we make our gaming experiences better.
    In other words, bet your ass we'll start charging for avatar customisation, as soon as marketing gives us the green light. As an aside, it's great to see he could also slip in a dig at Home, something not easy when answering a question that's got nothing to do with it!

    Q&A: Microsoft game exec John Schappert talks about Xbox Live, Netflix deal, and Blu-ray [VentureBeat]

    6:00 AM on Fri Aug 1 2008
    By Luke Plunkett
    4,718 views, 209 comments

    Latest by freespeech1: in the future my ass, they will have "special" packs to download on day 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! kotaku is gay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! more »

  • media

    The Complete, Uncut Interview With John Schappert

    We know, right now half of you are scratching your heads wondering "who the hell is John Schappert?" He's the new Peter Moore, minus the tats, facial hair and accent. Our own Michael McWhertor and Brian Crecente got to sit and talk to him about what's to come from Xbox 360, LIVE and all sorts of stuff like that. This isn't some 2-minute clip, so make sure to dim the lights and pour yourself a glass of wine before partaking. The satin robe is optional.

    1:40 PM on Mon Feb 25 2008
    By Mark Wilson
    3,294 views, 28 comments

    Latest by Smidget: Nice interview, covered a good bit of ground. I appreciate the fact he gave the time to Kotaku. I like more »

  • gdc08

    Liveblogging Microsoft's GDC Presser

    We're sitting here in Mascone's South Hall. The show should be starting in about 20 minutes or so.

    I'm told by multiple sources that Microsoft has at least one big announcement planned for their talk today. If you recall yesterday we posted our best guesses for today's talk saying that the show would have Microsoft announcing (again) Live Anywhere, an XNA Arcade (perhaps in blade form) and Gears of War 2. They're still best guesses, but we've heard rumblings that at least two of them are sort of right.

    I'm still going back and forth on Gears of War 2, not because I doubt its existence or that it's ready to be shown, but because I don't know if the Game Developers Conference is the best place to announce a triple A title. Fortunately, we're going to be finding out in the next hour.

    Hit the jump to follow the live blogging and make your own predictions. More »

    12:30 PM on Wed Feb 20 2008
    By Brian Crecente
    56,580 views, 272 comments

  • gdc08

    Our Worst Guesses for Microsoft's GDC Keynote

    You may have read our best guesses about what we expect to see and hear at today's Game Developers Conference keynote from Microsoft VP John Schappert. If not, it's a good read. But it's also a pretty safe one. So why not throw out some wild and potentially wildly embarrassing predictions about what might show up on a PowerPoint slide today? Given that GDC is less about busting out new hardware and more about getting giddy on news of SDKs and optimization libraries, this is a list of long shots. More »

    10:40 AM on Wed Feb 20 2008
    By Michael McWhertor
    8,941 views, 66 comments

    Latest by Sylar: @iNime: First of all, HDi also has the ability to use Java, but it's spec sheet refers to it is more »