Hasta La Gadget!

Well, it looks like the rumors were true. Not only is Microsoft’s J Allard now officially leaving the company, but so is Robbie Bach, President of Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division, amid what’s described as a broader restructuring that will effectively dissolve the division and give CEO Steve Ballmer more direct oversight of Microsoft’s consumer initiatives like Xbox and Windows Phone as of July.

Contrary to earlier reports, Allard says that he’s not leaving due to the cancellation of the Courier, but instead says that after nineteen years with the company, he simply wants to devote more time to his personal interests, “particularly adventure sports.” Allard also insists that he won’t be moving on to Apple, Google or any other Microsoft rivals — in fact, he’s staying on as an advisor to Steve Ballmer. Robbie Bach’s departure is equally curious — despite being just 48, his move is being described as a “retirement,” and he says that the decision was his own and that he wasn’t encouraged to leave. He’ll also apparently remain with Microsoft through the fall to aid in the transition.

When all’s said and done, mobile communications VP Andy Lees and interactive entertainment head Don Mettrick will each separately report to Ballmer — both have headed their divisions for some time now, so we’d assume that things will otherwise proceed as planned. Still, the loss of talent at the top is certainly noticeable — we’ll see how Microsoft responds now that Ballmer is firmly driving its mobile and gaming efforts.

We’ve got Ballmer’s full letter to the company and Microsoft’s official PR after the break, so take a peek.

Update: Mary Jo Foley has J Allard’s parting email to his employees.

Continue reading Microsoft’s Robbie Bach and J Allard leaving as part of broader shakeup; Xbox and Windows Phone teams now reporting directly to Ballmer

Microsoft’s Robbie Bach and J Allard leaving as part of broader shakeup; Xbox and Windows Phone teams now reporting directly to Ballmer originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 May 2010 11:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The image above is unmistakeable: 3D gaming on an Xbox 360 with the help of an LG 3D television. From the looks of the Korean press release, LG and Microsoft have entered into a memorandum of understanding to jointly market LG’s new 3D televisions along side 3D-capable Xbox 360 games in South Korea, then later expand the partnership throughout the Asia Pacific region. If we’re reading this correctly then it appears set to begin by bundling Xbox 360 3D games with LG 55/47LX9500 LED televisions sometime at the end of June. In other words, we’re not seeing anything specific claiming new Xbox 360 hardware, just like we’ve seen on the PS3.

Update: Here’s a statement direct from Microsoft US on the partnership and the future of 3D Xbox 360 gaming:

3D games are available today on Xbox 360 and will continue to evolve. Today, you can buy a 3DTV and wear glasses to play games like Avatar and “Batman: Arkham Asylum.” The promotional partnership with LG announced in South Korea today is specific to the South Korean market, but is further evidence that as 3D adoption grows, Xbox 360 will support 3D games and entertainment.

Xbox 360 3D gaming a reality with LG partnership originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 May 2010 01:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s always good to see rumors coalescing into neat little bundles, which in Microsoft’s case means that its expected 360 hardware refresh and Natal re-introduction will coincide at E3 this year. Surfer Girl, one of the gaming industry’s more notorious rumor hounds, is telling us that Microsoft is about to unveil a slimmer Xbox 360 at the upcoming E3 in June, together with Natal hardware bundles. She describes the new system design as “pretty neat” and suggests there’ll be a shift to black as the console’s primary color, to go along with Natal’s darker hue, which in turn was dictated by the fact it’d have to sit alongside dark and moody HDTV sets. Very feng shui of Microsoft indeed. For the final, and most unbelievable of her predictions, she tells us — while highlighting the initials M.G.S. — that we’ll be “very surprised and very pleased” by one of the Natal games revealed at the show. Seriously, Metal Gear Natal?

[Thanks, Lander]

Update: Looks like this was all a hilarious hoax perpetrated by someone pretending to be Surfer Girl. Yeah, we’ve heard plenty of “real” rumors about a slimmer Xbox and Natal bundles, but it looks like there’s no weight to this one.

Slim Xbox 360 and Natal bundle to debut at E3? (Rumor update: false) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 03:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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My, how you’ve grown. Since the day we learned that PrimeSense was behind Microsoft’s Project Natal, we’ve been under the impression that the 3D camera hardware would be a cute little face with three eyes. So why are we staring at another hammerhead shark? Perhaps because this latest leak isn’t real — or perhaps because Microsoft hasn’t nailed down (or rightly doesn’t trust testers with) the final hardware. Either way, Multiplayer.it has a host of pictures of an alleged Natal test kit, complete with user manual, and if their sources are legit, it seems Natal will have a motorized tilt function and require additional power (via wall wart) as a result. The better to track your body with, we suppose. See more pics at our source link.

[Thanks, Skipper]

Project Natal spotted in the wild, user manual and all? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just a heads up for those who long for Halo 2‘s embrace: as of midnight PT tonight, Microsoft is pulling the plug on Live support for original titles. As of this publication, you have a little less than seven hours (as of this writing) to get in a few more rounds of Capture the Flag and Oddball with your friends of old, before having to go out and pick up an used copy of Halo 3 — at least there’s 400 MS points in it as a consolation prize.

Reminder: Original Xbox games lose Live support tonight at midnight PT originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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