Microsoft's Plan to Be King of All Media

An anonymous reader writes "Saul Hansell from the New York Times spoke with Microsoft's J. Allard, formerly of the Xbox games division and now in charge of their push on Apple's captive audience with the Zune. Allard lays out Microsoft's media battle plan, highlighting their longterm goals for expanding beyond games and software. 'This service will at some point add more options for video and mobile phones, Mr. Allard said, without offering details. Actually, Microsoft has been quite successful selling video downloads and online movie rentals through the Xbox Live service already. This seems a bit too much like the initial plan for MSN. This new network would be the switchboard through which all entertainment content and communication flows. Pretty much everything else in the technology world now is revolving around open systems where the Internet, and some simple standards, are in the middle.'"

King of all Media?

[Anonymous Coward]

Didn't Howard Stern already take that title?

Divx/ xvid support

[Merls the Sneaky]

They better hurry up and pull their finger out of their asses and get Divx/Xvid support for the 360 then.

Ballmermon Restless in Tower Redmondore

[HangingChad]

The eye of Ballmermon sweeps across the media landscape while orks cut down forests to make more chair weapons to hurl at their enemies. Ballmermon must have the media ring to keep it out of the hands of teh suck Google.

Precioussssssssssss.

Re:Ballmermon Restless in Tower Redmondore

[mindwanderer]

I think that this Ballmeron should worry less about Smoogle and the ring and concentrate more on fortifying his tower before its overrun by the Penguin hosts of the north.

If you thought network TV sucked...

[oDDmON oUT]

wait 'til you see what M$ does with media.

Can't wait for my first BSOD on a 42 inch plasma.

You've got a nice video business here, colonel.

[AHuxley]

We wouldn't want anything to happen to it.
'Cos things memory leak, don't they?
How many videos you got here, colonel?
My chief technology officer and I have got a little proposition for you colonel.
I mean you're doing all right here aren't you, colonel.
The colonel doesn't think we're nice people, Nathan.
We're your buddies, colonel.
We can guarantee you that not a single movie will get peered over for fifteen K a week.

Wait, isn't Howard Stern the King of all Media?

[downix]

For years the self-titled King of all Media has been Howard Stern. Does this mean Microsoft has decided on going after Howard?

Now that would be a cage fight worth watching, Ballmer vs Stern! Let the Monkey Boy fights, begin!

ho ho ho

[drinkypoo]

Microsoft has been quite successful selling video downloads and online movie rentals through the Xbox Live service already. This seems a bit too much like the initial plan for MSN.

I don't think Apple is worried yet. Nor is anyone else really.

Too much like the initial plan for MSN? If this is as successful as MSN, then in five years we'll all be saying "Microsoft who?" I'm praying that it achieves fully MSN-like levels of success.

Re:All media?

[paleo2002]

Windows XP is the #1 OS in the country. And Microsoft Office X on the Mac was one of the best-reviewed versions of Office ever. Internet Explorer and Outlook have been popular among "computer security hobbyists" for years. Yup, Microsoft is definitely the master of their craft.

Re:All media?

[CSMatt]

First of all, "king of software" goes to the company with the most sales, not whoever has the best software. For that matter, I happen to think Microsoft makes the best software, but that's not what makes them king, it's their indisputable dominance with how much their software is used.

To quote Jon Stewart: Whaaaaa?

Has to be said

[Lexor]

Baba Booey !