Xbox 360 Video Interview - Scott Henson

Fresh from Redmond comes this thorough Xbox 360 update: a snappy video interview with Director of Microsoft's Game Technology Group, Scott Henson.

Note: This interview has a related news article here.

With the Xbox 360 well into its first year and plenty to look forward to in 2006, what better time to catch up with Microsoft for a detailed update on what's coming up, and what's happening in development behind the scenes.

As one of the Microsoft's most experienced game veterans, Scott Henson is the Director of the company's Game Technology Group, formerly known as Advanced Technology Group, and boasts thirteen years of Microsoft experience. He's played a vital role in the Xbox's development from Xbox Live to XNA, and is recognised as one of the most detailed interviewees on the Xbox executive team - so we were thrilled to be able to sit down with him just a couple of days ago.

Today, as Microsoft reveals its pre-release XNA Studio tools and the new XNA Framework at GDC in San Jose, we can bring you this new 20+ minute video interview, covering everything from Viva Piñata to HD-DVD and of course the obligatory monthly Halo 3 murmur. A list of contents, put together in the usual Kikizo video interview style:

Scott Henson, Director, Game Technology Group, Microsoft

•   Quick introduction to Scott and his role
•   Where XNA stands today since its announcement two years ago
•   XNA Build, the new preview release at GDC, and what it contains
•   Why is the likes of Team Ninja achieving much higher visual standards than many other developers?
•   Using XNA to get results in defining titles like Double Agent
•   The HD Era, Where's it at? There are some teething problems...
•   HD sweet spot is 720p and 1080i... regarding PS3, "1080p is basically impossible"
•   Improving as developers learn more about multithread programming and multicore architectures
•   Polls (like one on Kikizo) suggest low interest in the HD-DVD add-on - what's the plan?
•   Possibility of Bluray Drive or even Combo drive? HD-DVD game content still off radar?

•   Xbox strategy and competitor analysis - is the process really as independent as the execs keep saying?
•   Improving Xbox 360 front-end features - like music player and background downloading - via Live
•   Allowing streaming video media properly without XP Media Center Edition or Vista!
•   "We can continue to add components over time... we'll be ready to adapt to what consumers want"..."We'll continue to evolve it, I promise!"
•   Surpassing Xbox Live expectations - more than half connected, 9 million downloads to date, 85% of consoles have downloaded, 600,000 text messages per day, GamerCards viewed 1m times per day off of Xbox.com...
•   Interoperation of thirdparty middleware with XNA ... developer community support
•   iPod functionality and getting around that unofficial barrier
•   What's hot right now... what to look forward to on Xbox Live Arcade
•   Most talked about Xbox 360 title of 2006 - GOW and Viva Piñata, and "I'm sure there'll be a lot of discussion about Bungie as well..."
•   Why the hell don't we see more of Scott in interviews?!

Enjoy this latest video interview, and stay tuned for plenty more where this came from.

Adam Doree
Director, Kikizo.com

Click here for Kikizo's interview archive.