Opening the Xbox: Inside Microsoft s Plan to Unleash an Entertainment Revolution

Inside Microsoft s Plan to Unleash an Entertainment RevolutionThe video game industry is expected to double in sales over the next five years. It has already eclipsed motion pictures to become one of the largest and fastest growing markets in history and a lamplight illuminating where the future of entertainment is headed. In an effort to grab a chunk of that market, Microsoftan absolute newcomer to the gaming industryhas put billions of dollars on the line in a gamble to build the fastest, most mature, most advanced video game console ever: the Xbox. Is this new Microsoft venture just another experiment that, like WebTV, was launched to much fanfare but will be quickly forgotten? Or will it become the next Windows, finding its way into the homes and lives of millions of people around the world?In Opening the Xbox, awardwinning journalist and gamingindustry expert Dean Takahashi guides you deep into the amazing story of this muchanticipated game console. Through exclusive interviews with top executives at Microsoft, exhaustive research, and a penetrating investigation, he unveils the tumultuous story behind the development of the project and how it could change the entertainment industry forever. Inside, you ll discover that what started as Project Midway, spearheaded by Jonathan Seamus Blackley and three of his renegade cohorts, turned into Xboxa multibilliondollar enterprise that became Microsoft s largest internal startup ever and a personal pet project of Bill Gates. The colorful infighting, the cutthroat tactics used to lure partners, and the race to vanquish bitter rivals Sony and Nintendo are all laid bare in this unvarnished, hightech drama. It s a story like no other, full of heroes and villains, plot twists and intrigueall before the backdrop of Microsoft s grand ambition to move from the office into the living room.If you re like the millions of gamers, investors, and business spectators who anxiously anticipated the Xbox, then you don t want to miss the explosive, exclusive, behindthescenes story in Opening the Xbox. I had not thought it possible to write an entire book on a single game console. Takahashi has done it and done it well. Opening the Xbox is consistently interesting and very personable. It s also a book that should ruffle a few egos, including my own. Steven L. Kent, author, The Ultimate History of Video Games Opening the Xbox provides fascinating insights about the behindthescenes maneuvering at Microsoft. Takahashi s flyonthewall style of writing is complemented by insightful analysis of the gaming industry and interesting vignettes about the personal lives of the Xbox creators. This book perfectly intertwines a compelling business story with human drama. Geoff Keighley, editor in chief, GameSlice Thoroughly researched, this book exposes the guts of the video game industry through the prism of Microsoft. Takahashi gives us an engrossing glimpse of an industry that s at once juvenile and ruthlessly systematic in its manufacturing of digital fun. Alex Pham, staff writer, Los Angeles Times Takahashi has meticulously researched this book. It s required reading for anyone interested in the nextgeneration console race. Tom Russo, director of program development, G4 Media Reads like The Soul of a New Machine for the new millennium. Dean provides insights into the people and the motivation behind Microsoft s highstakes bid to break into the homeentertainment market. And, he doesn t miss a detail. Dawn C. Chmielewski, staff writer, San Jose Mercury News