Technologizer

On April 15, Microsoft will kill online play for original Xbox games. Even if you own an Xbox 360, you’ll no longer be able to play original Xbox games online, including backwards-compatible discs and downloadable Xbox Originals. While it’s probably for the best — Microsoft is promising new, yet-unspecified features that weren’t possible while still supporting the old Xbox — some games are just irreplaceable. Here are 10 original Xbox games that have no equal on the Xbox 360 (which means no Halo 2 or Call of Duty 3):

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Former Microsoft VP Dick Brass has an interesting piece in the New York Times on the software giant’s woes. He says that opportunities to be innovative often fizzle because of internecine warfare in Redmond, giving two projects he was responsible for (ClearType and the Tablet PC) as examples. He also says that the company has lousy timing–Web TV was too much too soon, and the Zune was too little too late. And he says that Microsoft’s emphasis on building software for other companies’ devices–once a huge strength–has turned into a weakness in the era of the iPh0ne and the Kindle.

Microsoft took the blunt criticism from a former Microsoftie seriously enough that PR head Frank Shaw responded on the Official Microsoft Blog. If nothing else, Shaw’s post is graceful and good humored, and it makes at least one reasonable point: Brass’s dismissal of Xbox (“at best an equal contender”) seems unfair. If every new Microsoft enterprise were as slick, innovative, and successful as the Xbox 360 platform, you’d tend to Brass’s charges as those of a disgruntled ex-employee. But they’re not, and you can’t.

It’s a time-honored geek tradition to lust after gadgets released in Japan, but I wouldn’t waste any desire on Microsoft’s 250 GB Xbox 360 hard drive.

The drive will be sold as a standalone product in Japan starting March 11 for roughly $170, according to this Impress press release. Stateside, Microsoft currently sells a 120 GB hard drive for $150.

Microsoft could bring the 250 GB drive to western markets soon, but not necessarily as a standalone product. Last month, Kotaku reported that the Xbox 360 Elite, which includes a 120 GB drive, was out of stock at Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Gamestop. This suggests that Microsoft is clearing out inventory to make room for Xbox 360s with bigger drives.

I could see why Microsoft would want to pack 250 GB hard drives into its consoles. The basic Playstation 3 slim includes a 120 GB drive, so Microsoft would have one more selling point for the Xbox 360. A standalone drive could theoretically follow, just to even things out.

But to the original point, a 250 GB HDD isn’t necessary, especially if you’ve already got a 120 GB drive. So much of the Xbox 360 is streaming, including 1080p videos in the Zune Marketplace, Netflix Instant Watch movies, Last.fm music and your PC’s entire music and video library. I’ll admit that my Xbox 360’s 20 GB drive feels cramped (though I still have about 5 GB left), but latecomers who got a 60 GB or 120 GB drive won’t have that problem.

Extra storage is best-suited for people who install lots of games to the hard drive and never uninstall them, download insane amounts of Xbox Live Arcade or On Demand games and prefer to put all their music and movies directly on the console. If all three scenarios don’t apply, I imagine 120 GB will be enough, especially given the price of Xbox 360 hard drives as a whole.

[Note: The original headline on this story was "Microsoft: iPad is "Humorous." Microsoft PR head Frank Shaw tweeted that he found that title misleading. After contacting him and listening to his complaint, we've changed the headline to make it more specific.]

It’s an understatement to say that Apple’s iPad generated a lot of chatter when it was announced on Wednesday; the scuttlebutt actually slowed down the Internet. Even Microsoft couldn’t help but weigh in, criticizing the iPad for being a “locked down device.”

“It is a humorous world in how Microsoft is much more open than Apple,” Brandon Watson, the director of product management in the developer platform at Microsoft, told me in an interview yesterday. With Microsoft’s platforms, developers can build whatever they want, and target a broad array of devices using the same skill set, he added.

Watson claimed that many developers of applications for the iPhone OS–which the iPad uses–are not making money. Developing applications for the iPhone and iPad is expensive, he said, because iPhone OS uses the Objective C language rather than Microsoft’s more pervasive .NET platform. And Apple’s control over the platform has alienated some people that make software for its products, he said.

It’s certainly true that there has been some griping about Apple’s development policies, and not every app is a winner. Facebook developer Joe Hewitt famously protested against the control Apple is exerting over its hardware (he is now praising the iPad), and argued that Apple is setting a “horrible precedent.” The Free Software Foundation protested the iPad on Wednesday for being an “unprecedented extension of DRM” into a new class of computers.

I think that the FSF’s argument may have merit, but Microsoft’s criticism misses the target altogether. What Apple has envisioned with the iPad isn’t a traditional PC–it’s more of an appliance. You don’t tinker with your television; you turn it on and consume services. The iPad’s Apps are like services. And despite what Watson said about iPhone developers failing to make money, some are clearly doing exceptionally well.

When Microsoft released its Tablet PC back in 2001, it grafted handwriting recognition onto Windows. That capability extended Windows into new (such as engineering and medical services), but the Tablet PC was still essentially a PC running Windows. Windows 7’s multitouch enhancements create a more natural user interface for PCs, but a PC is still a PC.

The iPad isn’t a PC. I’ve gone on trips to Boston and Washington DC over the past several weekends, and spend hours riding Amtrak and on Wi-Fi-enabled busses. I didn’t bring a laptop with me, because I didn’t want to lug one around, and didn’t really need to have a full fledged computer with me. My iPhone provided me with entertainment along the way. Truth be told, I would rather have had an iPad with me to surf the Web, listen to music, watch movies and read. If the price comes down even further, Apple’s got a winner.

Technologist Long Zheng’s watchful eye caught a clue that points to the likely existence of an upcoming Zune phone, according to blog post he published today.

A Zune software update (version 4.2.202.0) includes a USB device driver package that reference hardware IDs for an as of yet unknown Microsoft Zune product. Zheng noted that USB body regulations forbid vendors from masking devices IDs, so the device must be from Microsoft. There are three variants of the ID that may point to different models, he added.

There has been a lot of speculation about whether or not Microsoft will make its own device. I was in the “yes” camp over a year ago, because I believe that Microsoft will attempt to maintain parity with Apple’s product mix. It acquired Sidekick creator Danger Inc., and tasked executive Roz Ho (former head of its Mac business unit) to absorb Danger into its Entertainment and Devices division.

It’s true that Microsoft’s Windows Mobile business model has been reliant on third parties, but that model hasn’t given the platform much wind in its sails as evidenced by the OS’s sinking market share. However, it isn’t exactly backing off from supporting its IHV partners. It’s also sticking to its story that it has no immediate plans to build a Zune phone.

Last year, it was reported that Microsoft was giving devices makers reference designs to use to build their own next generation Windows Mobile devices. It is also working on Zune-branded services, code-named “Pink,” “Skybox,” and “SkyMart,” to standardize the user experience across devices.

My bet is that Microsoft is in the mobile device market for the long haul. The fact that Apple is now selling a substantial number of connected devices, which contributes solidly to its bottom line, is not escaping Microsoft. It will try many things.

The company realizes that people are accessing information and services from a growing number of devices, and has technology planned to accommodate that change both in the short (Silverlight) and long term (Midori OS).

We are going to have to wait and see what Microsoft is doing; it’s a big company that has a lot of coals in the fire. Keep a close eye out on Mobile World Congress next month.

One major problem with Xbox Live Arcade, Microsoft’s downloadable game service, is that you must deal in “Microsoft Points,” and they come in increments that usually cost more than the price of a game alone. A lawyer has now filed a class-action lawsuit against Microsoft for this practice.

Samuel Lassoff, of Horsham, Penn., argues that the Microsoft Points system effectively charges you for purchases you can’t make, because the leftover points are rarely enough to buy another game, InformationWeek reports. He calls this “a scheme” for Microsoft to “unjustly enrich itself through their fraudulent handling” of his account. It’s not clear how much money he’s seeking.

This issue of point systems — which applies to Nintendo’s Wii Shop channel as well — has been a pet peeve of mine and other gamers ever since Microsoft introduced Xbox Live Arcade. It’s as if you walked into Subway, and instead of paying $5 for a sandwich, you’re required to pay $6.25, and use the rest on a future purchase. And you’re charged $6.25 on the next visit as well, making it tough to escape the cycle of leftover credit.

In fairness, Microsoft lets you pay in exact dollars for its Games on Demand service, which offers large-scale games such as Mass Effect and Bioshock for download, but the company won’t commit to charging dollars for Xbox Live Arcade.

Last week, Xbox group product manager Aaron Greenberg told G4 that the point system was never meant to mislead customers, and that currency fluctuations and technical complexities make a switch challenging. Greenberg dodged the issue of overcharging in points, an issue that has nothing to do with currency.

I’m not a judge, but calling this method “fraudulent” seems like a long shot. “Greedy and unfair” seems more fitting, even though that won’t fly in court. Still, I’m glad someone’s ruffling Microsoft’s feathers over this. The point system can stay if it means consumers can pay exactly what they want, but I’m at the point where the current system is a deterrent, because I don’t want to get stuck with the extra credits. Maybe Lassoff’s lawsuit is the kick in the pants Microsoft needs.

Now Bill Gates has joined Steve Ballmer in seemingly contending that Chinese censorship of the Internet isn’t that big a deal:

You’ve got to decide: Do you want to obey the laws of the countries you’re in, or not? If not, you may not end up doing business there…

[snip]

The Chinese efforts to censor the Internet have been very limited. It’s easy to go around it, and so I think keeping the Internet thriving there is very important.

You can certainly make the case that by staying in China, U.S. Internet businesses are more likely to bring about greater freedom of expression than if they refuse to abide by censorship laws and abandon the country. And Gates is right that the Great Firewall of China is easy to circumvent. But I’ve used the Internet in China–as, surely, has Bill Gates–and I wouldn’t call the censorship “very limited…”

Did Steve Ballmer really call free speech laws in the U.S. “extreme” and draw parallels between anti-child pornography laws and China’s suppression of information relating to human rights? Or is Forbes’ account of his speech before oil industry execs an unfair recap of what he said?

Rumor has it that Apple may be in talks with Microsoft to displace Google as the iPhone’s default search engine with Bing. Fine by me as long as it’s possible for anyone who prefers Google to switch to it. And better still if Apple implements something like OpenSearch in iPhone Safari to let users choose Bing, Google, Yahoo, Ask.com, or any other engine they’ve got a liking for.

It’s always a tad jarring to think of Apple and Microsoft teaming up, but shouldn’t be–the two companies have collaborated in one way or another for even longer than they’ve been competitors. (That’s why I named them the #1 tech frenemies of all time.)

Despite the combative quality of some of the ads for Windows and for Macs, there’s a level on which the two companies are no longer archrivals. They’ve quietly divvied up the PC market: Microsoft’s operating system runs on most of the consumer computers priced under $1000 and most workplace machines; Apple sells most of the consumer computers priced at $1000 and above. As far as I can tell, both seem to nicely profitable based on the marketshare they’ve got.

And both Apple and Microsoft now have a common rival–I’m not going to use the word “enemy”–in Google. Google’s primary business is selling advertising against search results, a field in which Microsoft is playing catch-up and Apple doesn’t compete at all. But Google is jumping into multiple markets that are important to Apple and/or Microsoft: operating systems, phones, collaborative software, office suites, photos, and much more. Given that, I could see Apple preferring to work with Microsoft on iPhone search, and Microsoft being particularly keen on stealing away Google’s status as the iPhone’s default search.

I only care about this stuff when it impinges on my ability to use technology products from any of the companies in question in the way I’d like to–which seems to be the case with Google Voice and its continued unavailability on the iPhone. So while I’m okay with the prospect of Microsoft nudging Google out of its coveted spot on the iPhone, I want to see Apple and Google maintain some sort of relationship–detente, at least, instead of a cold war.

What’s your take?

Wow: Bill Gates started using Twitter earlier today, and already has almost 18,000 followers.

A Microsoft phone? Like soon?

Microsoft: IE 8 is safest.

How the Times should charge.

No Google phones for China.

The next iPhone: rumor roundup.

Alleged iPhone OS 4.0 features.

Live ESPN for Xbox 360?

All about Verdana (nice font!).

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Microsoft has announced that Bill Veghte, a 19-year veteran of the company, will be leaving to pursue his own interests. The move is not all that surprising considering no announcement had been made of his role in the Windows division of the company following Steven Sinofsky’s promotion to president.

It is rumored that Veghte wasn’t too happy with being passed over by Sinofsky, who had previously served as vice president of the engineering group within Windows. He served as senior vice president of the global Windows business, and had been instrumental in orchestrating Microsoft’s Windows 7 launch. It would almost seem as if he would have been the logical choice to ascend to the top spot in Microsoft’s Windows division, but that was not meant to be.

Mary Jo Foley reports that Veghte told her in a phone interview that he did attempt to find a new role within the company, but in the end decided leaving was the best option.

Microsoft has truly been blindsided by the success of the iPhone and now the Android platform. This could not be more evident by the repeated delays in bringing the OS to market, and now some reports are indicating we may be waiting even longer. According to a report on tech news site Bright Side of News, any release could be pushed back to 2011. If true, it would mean a two-year delay from Microsoft’s initially announced release date.

The delay has a lot to do with the success of Android. Manufacturers and developers are still falling head over heels for the OS, leaving little room for Microsoft to maneuver. Devices that originally were pegged to run WM7 will now be Android based. Manufacturers were apparently telling BSN at CES that the delay was real, and the strategy was to employ Google’s mobile OS to remain competitive in the market.

If true, it certainly spells nothing but trouble for Microsoft. Already failing in the digital music category with the Zune, it now stands to lose the smartphone segment as well to a surging Google and already dominant Apple. A delay just cannot happen.

It seems as if there may be disagreement in the Microsoft press ranks, however. ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley — who definitely has more credibility in predicting Microsoft’s moves I’d think — seemed to suggest in a January 7 post that it was all systems go to see WM7 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month. Microsoft would talk about the platform as well as My Phone — it’s upcoming answer to MobileMe — there, with development details at MIX10 in Las Vegas the following month.

She pointed to comments by Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division President Robbie Bach at CES last week which did say Microsoft would be discussing WM7 in Barcelona.

So who do we believe? It’s hard to be sure. Microsoft must get this release right to stay competitive in the mobile space. But at the same time, I’d find it hard to believe they would risk failure by leaving the ship date for WM7 to slip once again.

Last Wednesday at his CES keynote, Steve Ballmer showed off three examples of what he called “Slate PCs,” from Pegatron, Archos, and HP. He said they were “perfect–perfect–for reading, for surfing the Web, and for taking entertainment on the go.”

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At Steve Ballmer’s Wednesday night CES keynote, he quotes our Windows 7 satisfaction survey as evidence of Windows 7’s strong start. (He merely called it “a recent survey,” but note the attribution in tiny type at the lower right-hand corner…)

With the Game Room, Microsoft’s hoping to capture the old magic of video game arcades, minus the stale air, sugar highs and wasted quarters.

I got some questions answered on service, which will be available on Windows and Xbox Live this spring. Here are the important details (if you’re a retro game nerd):

-30 games will be available at launch, including Centipede, Lunar Lander and Night Driver (full list here), from arcade systems as well as the Atari 2600 and Intellivision. Microsoft says it’ll release 7 new games per week after launch.

-Games cost $3 each for either Xbox Live or Windows, and $5 if you want the luxury of playing on both. The arcade itself is open to any level of Xbox Live (no Gold subscription necessary).

-Unlike some of the classic games Microsoft released earlier this year, these are straight emulators with no boosts in resolution or graphics. Unfortunately, that means if there’s any overlap, you’ll have to pay for the Game Room titles again.

-Players build their own virtual arcades, with cabinets that mimic the hulking monstrosities of yesteryear. As your arcade grows, you get new rooms or entire new floors that can be decorated differently. But you don’t navigate these with an avatar — the camera simply slides between each room and cabinet.

-Other players can visit your arcade, and they’ll earn free play tokens based on how many games you have. They can also demo any game once, or can pay 40 Xbox Live points (50 cents) for extra plays.

-Downer: You can’t directly play against another player online (so no head-to-head in Combat). Instead, online multiplayer consists of high score or other challenges you send to your friends. Two-player games will work locally.

The service seems promising, and I particularly like all the ways Microsoft will give players to try games. It’s like we’re getting allowance all over again.