Xbox Interview: Michel Cassius

Content upload is interesting because it's so close to the community aspect of Live. We can let the gamers participate in elements of game creation and economy themselves. It opens up questions about security - and we're really paranoid about security - we've taken every measure on security as you know. We don't want people to hack and cheat. There needs to be somewhere secure for content to be uploaded. I mean, we don't want a virus to be uploaded. I see the value of content upload like J does, but at the same time it has to be something that makes the game work. It's popular in massively multiplayer online games for example, and it needs to be handled with care because sometimes it can ruin the games.

The Xbox Live menu screens show how easy it is to connect.

Kikizo: There are some strong titles in the launch games line-up for Xbox Live, but do you consider any of them as killer apps?

MC: I think that Mech Assault, Unreal and Ghost Recon are all great 'killer' games and very appropriate for Europe. They're all great games as they are. Having a blast on Unreal with friends is a great experience. In the demo version of Moto GP, you can have loads of fun with a few races during the day. Moto GP 2 is coming very soon after launch. These games are all covering different genres and styles of gameplay, and attracting new people to the service.

Kikizo: There are certainly some huge titles coming out. It leads onto our next question, which is about Peter Moore. When Robbie Bach was talking about Peter Moore joining Microsoft, he talked about Peter's understanding of foreign markets, and especially Europe...

MC: Yes... he's British, you know...

Kikizo: Yeah, he's from Liverpool I think. [PR representatives confirm this fascinating fact]. Well he supports Liverpool anyway. So how is he going to help in Europe specifically?

MC: Peter has got great experience with games in general. He also has great experience with brand, and working in a competitive environment, working with Sega, and also online gaming. He's a business guy and understands things very well. All those qualities will help drive the business forward.

Specifically, I don't really know, because he's only been here for a couple of weeks and I've only met with him a few times. When he was working in the sports business with Reebok, it was extremely competitive, up against people like Nike. He's learned a lot about branding, product, and retail - how the three come together, which is definitely going to help. Peter will be in charge of Europe, as well as Japan, so in both Europe and the United States we need to increase our lead in the number two position further above the number three. In Japan it's a different situation, where we need to build things up in a proper way. Those are the key things we'll be doing there.

CVS2 should take 2D fighting to new heights with online.

Kikizo: When we spoke with J, he said that he views the Xbox business as a twenty year business, that he wasn't fussed with people like Rare taking as long as they need to get a product right. However, when we spoke with Kevin Bachus recently, his new company CEG is there to fund truly innovative and original titles in a way that he thinks all publishers are afraid to invest time and money into. So how much do you recognise the value of investing in titles that are truly innovative and original?

"Halo is a key franchise, so Halo 2 is worth the wait, and it's a franchise that can cope with the wait." - Michel Cassius

MC: The investment in Rare is an interesting... well, statement really... about how we truly believe in the creation of games. The way we work with Peter Molyneux is another example. Microsoft Game Studios is working with key talent in Europe, to come up with very original games, so we truly believe in that concept. A lot of games are coming from the view that we are building a franchise - beyond the first product.

A good example is Halo - which has sold over two million copies, and got great reviews - we could have quickly released Halo 2 to get it out there, but no. It's a key franchise, with an aura of its own. So it's worth the wait, and it's a franchise that can cope with the wait. Sports titles is a different type of content that usually need an update every year, but a lot of our titles are all about the quality of the final product.

Moto GP - Michel reckons it's great fun.

Kikizo: Sony unveiled the launch line-up for their online launch last night. Are you concerned by the potential of online, combined with the PlayStation brand?

"Sony are trying to imitate what we're doing online. We've laid the ground, said where we're going, and we're delivering. Play Xbox Live and see for yourself!" - Michel Cassius

MC: Sony is obviously a competitor. They're a good company to be in this market, they're doing pretty well, and we're doing well as well. In terms of online, I look at ourselves as leading. Our strategy is not starting now, it started when we developed the Xbox. When I look at Sony, I think there are differences between what they do in the US, Europe and Japan. They've got strength, and they'll leverage it, and they'll say that you can play online with them as well, that you can use voice with something like SOCOM, of course they will. If I were them, I'd do the same. But they are also trying to mimic and imitate what we're doing. Until then, they're concentrating on launching online. We've laid the ground, and said where we're going with online, and we're delivering. I've seen patches and spikes and noise. And there will be more noise. But guys, just go and play Xbox Live and see for yourself!

Kikizo: Sega are quite close with Microsoft. Now I know this is not something you can really talk about, but if we can just touch on the Sega Sammy thing. There are lots of credible reports of discussions between you and Sega. Obviously there was a lower than expected performance after Isao Okawa's final "last chance" investment a couple of years ago. The logic behind the proposed merger with Sammy seems strong, but we've heard that the parent company, CSK, have got a major interest in Sammy as well as Sega. So what's the deal - is it not just the case they they're merging together, so that it's a larger payoff for CSK when Microsoft buys it?!

[laughter from everyone]...

"All these rumours, that we're buying the world, and their grand parents too... it's not about that!"

MC: Well, I've heard so many things and so much speculation about this. I've been here eighteen months now, and in the industry for many years - and heard so many rumours. My normal answer would be no comment, and to ask Sega or CSK. Rare was the sixth biggest acquisition for Microsoft in the company's history. We could only announce it when it was ready. Secondly, I just can't comment on these rumours - I mean things like Vivendi as well - I mean all these rumours - that we're getting our cheque book out and buying the world, and their grandparents as well. It's not about that.

Microsoft has bought quite a lot of development companies in the past, and they're usually very precise acquisitions, where we've worked with the company we're acquiring before, or where there's enough quality coming out where we'll look at it and consider things. As for Sega, ask Sega. More generally, I think the business is going for some element of consolidation, because the overall business is growing for games, we know that it costs more and more money to develop, market and distribute games worldwide. So you need to be strong to even go into this business and do this thing right now. And I think this is a trend, something that was predicted a few years ago, and is happening now.

It's a hits driven business, and big franchises and big development means big costs. And then big numbers, in order to be able to have a return investment, so it takes muscles to pick the right products and develop, market and distribute them in the right way, worldwide.

"Bill Gates is a visionary guy and a step ahead. He needs to say where we're going, and that's where [the Xbox 2 statement] is coming from." - Michel Cassius

Kikizo: Bill Gates was quoted as saying that the next generation Xbox will feature digital media capabilities such as video and photo editing. A year ago when we last spoke, you guys were saying it's a games product, so what's the vision really?

MC: People like Bill Gates as the head of a company - it's normal for them to have a vision. And I think that these two statements are actually compatible. One is talking about direction and vision, and where we need to be. And when we think about entertainment and games in the future, it could definitely happen, we could see things merging together, and things like music for example, as stuff that you can do. But today, we're doing games, and that's what we're about.

So think about it in terms of time. Bill Gates is the head of this company, he's a visionary guy and a step ahead. He needs to say where we're going, and that's where that statement is coming from. We're here, making sure we deliver on this thing. And of course... we've got an idea of where we're going and how to get there, based on what we're doing today, and what we need to do in the coming weeks, months, years.

Kikizo: Well thanks for your time - enjoy wherever you do go in the future, and good luck!

Adam Doree
Kikizo Games