Microsoft chats about Xbox
Hear shocking confessions about the controller and interface
Microsoft's lead developer for the Xbox Advanced Technology Group, Pete Isensee, used his slot at the GDC to chat about the Xbox's journey to the market. "We didn't have a choice with Xbox. If we didn't get it right with version one, Sony and Nintendo would eat us alive," he was quoted as saying. Later on, he chatted about international issues that face the Xbox. "There is a perception we didn't know what we were doing when it came to the controller," he confessed. "What we failed to do is a usability test for a global market. You need to do that, because things that work in the U.S. don't always work in Japan or Europe." One amusing anecdote concerned the German market. The Xbox start-up screen actually had to be redesigned for Europe, in order that the German "einstellungen" could fit the same space as "settings". Given how few Xboxen flew off the shelves in Deutschland, never let it be said Microsoft don't pander to minorities. Related Feature - Xbox 2 'designed with AMD processor'
