Home Gaming Bill Gates would support spinning off Xbox

Bill Gates would support spinning off Xbox

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Best spin off

Bill Gates is helping Satya Nadella transition into the role of CEO at Microsoft. I’m sure that involves knowledge transfer about core business ideals, as well as teaching about how to look aloof and still vaguely human in interviews. It seems to be mostly a supportive role, and that support extends to the possibility of spinning off Xbox.

During an interview on Fox Business Network, Gates wasn’t keen to answer the questions head on. He explained:

We’re taking PC gaming, Windows gaming, and Xbox gaming, and bringing those a lot closer together. The power of the PC graphics chips means you can do great games there. I’m sure Satya and the team will look at that. And it’s up to them. But we’re going to have an overall gaming strategy, so it’s not as obvious as you might think.

That said, when asked if he would still support Nadella if he made the decision to spin off Xbox, Gates unequivocally stated “absolutely”. So, which would be first on Microsoft’s chopping block, the beloved Xbox or the loathed Bing? It certainly isn’t Bing.

Certainly the Bing technology has been the key to us learning how to do large-scale data centers. And Bing lets us see what’s going on on the Internet so that as people are interested in various topics, we know what’s new. We know when they’re typing text, what it might mean. So I see that as a pretty fundamental technology for the company, even for its Office business, which is a very, very core business… We’re thinking about, ‘Are there pieces that are separable?’ But our basic research, including the stuff that goes into Bing, I can’t see that making sense to break it off.

I’m not sure why we keep hearing about Microsoft getting rid of Xbox. Is it likely, I doubt it. Sure, industry insiders will gossip about the possibility – with Microsoft focusing on the cloud and moving away from hardware where possible, of course the rumors will abound that Microsoft wants to ditch the gaming console. However, with plenty of cloud services using the new generation console, it seems unlikely – Microsoft is determined to have their foothold our living rooms and use it to bring us all their services and eco system.

Last Updated: May 6, 2014

31 Comments

  1. Alien Emperor Trevor

    May 6, 2014 at 10:04

    Typing, typing everywhere. But what does it all mean?

    Reply

    • Jedi JJ

      May 6, 2014 at 10:27

      This is what I took from the article:
      “The power of the PC graphics chips means you can do great games there.”

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        May 6, 2014 at 10:30

        Where else can you play Excel at 60 cells / second.

        Reply

        • Her Highness the Hipster

          May 6, 2014 at 10:37

          • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

            May 6, 2014 at 10:46

            awesome!

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            May 6, 2014 at 10:46

            lol exactly like that. But not enough taxes.

          • Jedi JJ

            May 6, 2014 at 11:15

            Too fancy.

  2. HvR - THE Average GAmer

    May 6, 2014 at 10:07

    Most important job Bill can teach Satya. How to take a pie in the face like a Boss.

    Reply

  3. HvR - THE Average GAmer

    May 6, 2014 at 10:09

    ” with plenty of cloud services using the new generation console”
    Think it is the other way around.

    Reply

    • Errol The Terrible

      May 6, 2014 at 11:03

      Maybe not. Maybe he confirmed that the next gen consoles harvest data for the cloud servers? How do you feel about that Kenetic now?

      Reply

  4. Alien Emperor Trevor

    May 6, 2014 at 10:12

    Did he just tacitly confirm that Bing is essentially a data mining tool for MS?

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief in Space

      May 6, 2014 at 10:16

      Oh snap!

      Reply

    • Wincethis

      May 6, 2014 at 10:25

      My thoughts exactly. I cast OVG into the mix now!

      Reply

      • VampyreSquirrel

        May 6, 2014 at 10:31

        I’d seriously think you were OVG if I hadn’t played games with both of you and seen pics of him.

        Reply

        • Wincethis

          May 6, 2014 at 10:33

          Ha. I meant OVG rages like a lunatic when it comes to data mining.

          Reply

          • Unavengedavo

            May 6, 2014 at 10:35

            Yet he has a Facebook account? O_o

          • Wincethis

            May 6, 2014 at 10:37

            Must be real then 😛

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            May 6, 2014 at 10:41

            That implies there are times when he’s not a lunatic. trollol!

    • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

      May 6, 2014 at 10:41

      Yep

      “We know when they’re typing text, what it might mean.”

      Reply

  5. Wincethis

    May 6, 2014 at 10:30

    Ahhh, BING, data mining at its best.

    Reply

  6. Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

    May 6, 2014 at 10:40

    I can easily see Microsoft dumping the XBox in favour of a living room entertainment system focused at media other than gaming…

    I reckon it won’t be long before Microsoft pull the plug on the XBox as a gaming console and instead ceate a media center only device for living room integration with no games

    Reply

    • Wincethis

      May 6, 2014 at 10:41

      What, you mean the Xbox One? Trololo

      Reply

      • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

        May 6, 2014 at 10:42

        I didn’t wana say it out loud 😉

        Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        May 6, 2014 at 12:11

        hahaha

        Reply

    • CAE9872

      May 6, 2014 at 11:07

      Yeah like an AmazonGoogleOUYAFireKindle thingy…stream mainly, games = meh!

      Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      May 6, 2014 at 13:00

      I can see their ad campaign now:

      The console in the living room steams mainly on the TV.
      The lounge is alive with the sounds of Skyping!

      Reply

    • You are flat out wrong

      May 7, 2014 at 08:24

      “I reckon it won’t be long before Microsoft pull the plug on the XBox as a
      gaming console and instead ceate a media center only device for living
      room integration with no games”

      They’ve already got something like that, it’s called the Xbox One.

      Reply

  7. Brian Murphy

    May 7, 2014 at 16:58

    I think it’s mainly just Bill Gates, showing some support to the new Microsoft CEO. Nothing more, nothing less.

    Reply

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