'Stupid, Stupid, Xbox': Console's co-founder blasts Microsoft for 'five years of failure' - and says Apple could 'kill them'



Nat Brown worked on the original Xbox and came up with the name



Microsoft has failed to capitalise on innovations such as Kinect, he says



He cites 'critical failure' in relationship with developers and Xbox 360 OS



The co-founder of Xbox has launched a scathing attack on Microsoft for 'five years of failure' - and claimed that Apple could ‘kill them’ at any given moment.

Former Xbox engineer Nat Brown - who came up with the console’s name (albeit spelled xBox) - slammed Microsoft for failing to capitalise on innovations such as Kinect and making it difficult for developers to make and sell games on the device.

The attack follows reports that Microsoft are likely to announce their Xbox 360 successor, codenamed Durango, at E3 in Los Angeles in June this year.



Sales phenomenon: The Xbox 360 console has sold 76 million units since its inception in November 2005



Writing on his blog ilike.code, under the title ‘Stupid, Stupid xBox’, Brown said: ‘The past 5 years, and the last year in particular, have been simply painful to watch.

'Coasting on past momentum. Failing to innovate and failing to capitalize on innovations like Kinect. Touting strategic and market success when you’re just experiencing your competitor’s stumbling failure (yes, Sony, Nintendo – you are, I’m afraid, stumbling failures).



'A complete lack of tactical versus strategic understanding of the long game of the living room.’

He also cited two ‘critical problems’ with the Xbox 360, blasting Microsoft’s membership model and the console’s operating system.

‘Why can’t I write a game for xBox tomorrow using $100 worth of tools and my existing Windows laptop and test it on my home xBox or at my friends’ houses?’ he wrote.

‘Why can’t I then distribute it digitally in a decent online store, give up a 30% cut and strike it rich if it’s a great game, like I can for Android, for iPhone, or for iPad? Oh, wait, I can… sort of.

NEXT-GEN XBOX 'WILL NOT WORK WITHOUT KINECT SENSOR' The next generation Xbox console will require Microsoft's Kinect motion sensors to be connected when playing games, according to games industry sources.

The machine - the follow up to the hugely successful Xbox 360 - will also feature new-look control pads and be capable of simultaneously running apps alongside video games.

Having Kinect as a requirement has raised eyebrows among gamers as it is still widely criticised by 'hardcore' gamers for being a gimmick that adds little value to games.

That's despite Microsoft having sold 20million of the motion-sensor units.

The new machine is codenamed Durango. A source who is said to have previously revealed details on games consoles, told Kotaku he has had access to the development kits.

‘Read some of the fine-print at the xBox registered developer program page (that “membership” would cost you $10,000/year and a ton of paperwork, with Microsoft holding veto power over your game being published), navigate the mess through to learning about XBLA (also costly, paperwork and veto approval) and you may end up learning about a carved off little hard-to-find store with a few thousand stunted games referred to as XBLIG where Microsoft has ceded their veto power (and instead just does nothing to promote your games).

‘This is where indie developers have found they can go in order to not make money on xBox, despite an installed base of 76M devices. Microsoft, you are idiotic to have ceded not just indie game developers but also a generation of loyal kids and teens to making games for other people’s mobile devices.'

Mr Brown went on to call the operating system, particularly the first two levels of the Xbox 360 dashboard, as ‘creaky, slow and ‘full of s***’.

The engineer concluded with a warning to Microsoft that Apple, not Sony or Nintendo, are now their biggest competitors, given the large number of gamers migrating to mobile games on the iPhone and iPad.

Games console of the future? Mr Brown issued a warning a warning to Microsoft that Apple, not Sony or Nintendo, are now their biggest competitors, given the numbers of gamers migrating to the iPhone and iPad

‘Apple is already a games competitor broadly, even if Apple-TV isn’t yet a game platform or a console,' he wrote.



'Apple, if it chooses to do so, will simply kill Playstation, Wii-U and xBox by introducing an open 30 per cent-cut app/game ecosystem for Apple-TV.

‘I see big investments in future interactive content happening, as well as idiotic moves to limit used games or put harder content protection into place than exists in mobile or tablets – i predict massive failure and losses here.



‘xBox just needs somebody with a brain and focus to get the product in order tactically before romping forward to continue the long-term strategic promise of an xBox in every living room, connected to every screen.’

Meanwhile, rumours have emerged that Sony's next-gen Playstation will have a touch-screen controller.



According to video-game website VG247 a source is said to have confirmed that the input is on the front of the handset, and the start and select buttons have been moved as a result.

Last hurrah: The Garnet Red PS3. Sony are still actively marketing the console, and are releasing it in two different colours tomorrow

Azurite Blue: The 500GB 'super-slim' units may represent one last push of their current gen hardware

The R2 and L2 buttons have been reportedly remodelled and improved, too.

Despite next-gen rumours, Sony are still actively marketing the Playstation 3, and are releasing the console in two different colours tomorrow.



The new limited edition Garnet Red and Azurite Blue 500GB 'super-slim' units may represent one last push of their current gen hardware, given the probable announcement of the PS3 successor on February 20.





