Chris Lewis: "We remain committed to great content, great games"
Microsoft will not forget system's roots despite new multimedia push
Microsoft's Chris Lewis has reassured fans that games will remain a core focus of the Xbox business despite the company's heavy push of multimedia content and the 'Smartglass' concept during its E3 conference.
Speaking to VG24/7's Pat Garratt, Lewis spoke about Microsoft's continuing dedication to the Xbox 360 as a games console, countering arguments that too much time on-stage in L.A. had been devoted to other areas.
"We do have an embarrassment of riches, I think, in terms of the things that we have at our disposal to discuss, and as you can imagine in the run-up to this event we have to think very hard about the time available and how best to use it," Said Lewis.
"I think if you look back at what we covered, there is a lot of games content there, across the titles that I described earlier.
"Whilst we're excited about the vision to see the Xbox 360 central as that entertainment hub in the home, we remain committed to great content, great games, for the core and for the casual. Kinect: 19 million units and growing. What we're been able to achieve with the Kinect technology around voice as well as gesture, I think, again, is something that we really wanted to talk about here at E3."
Despite this avowal, Lewis also makes clear that Smartglass itself is a major feature, and one he sees as equally attractive to gamers as other users.
"Our goal is to continually change the way folks consume their entertainment, and we listen very intently to what they're looking for from us. Now, with SmartGlass suddenly tablets and phones, devices that you already have in the home, become great companions devices to the experience. They can hook up to the TV, they can share video, they can provide complimentary and additional information. We think it's elegant and simple, a fluid way to navigate across the whole Xbox experience.
"If you're telling me that you think that's a natural evolution of the way people want to consume digital entertainment, then I completely agree with you. I think people do a lot of that now. Often when people are watching a movie or the football, or whatever, often they have the laptop open and the phone going. I think being able to link your devices to what you've already got, via Xbox SmartGlass, opens up another dimension we can offer that no one else can."