About Don Mattrick
Don Mattrick, during his tenure as President of Interactive Entertainment at Microsoft, was a central figure in the unveiling and promotion of the Xbox One console. At the console's reveal in May 2013, Mattrick described the Xbox One as "the ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system" and stated that the company's mission was to "design and build an all-in-one system to light up a new generation of games, TV, and entertainment." He emphasized the device's connectivity and online features, saying the company had "innovated for what we think are the appropriate scenarios moving forward."
Following the reveal, Mattrick faced significant criticism from gamers regarding the Xbox One's required internet connectivity and restrictions on used games. In interviews at E3 2013, Mattrick responded by saying, "Fortunately we have a product for people who aren't able to get some form of connectivity — it's called Xbox 360," and suggested that users who did not like the new policies should "stick with 360." He characterized the online requirement as a "future-proof choice" and argued that critics were "imagining outcomes that are worse than what we believe it's going to be in the real world." Mattrick also stated that the company would "work with our partners to support the secondhand market" and that more details would be unveiled in the coming weeks.
Source: AI-verified profile updated from Don Mattrick's recent appearances.
Browse all interviews →
Transcript (17 segments)
J
Jeff0:04
All right, I'm backstage here at the Galin Center at the Xbox media briefing rehearsals with Don Mattrick. Don, good to see you again.
D
Don Mattrick0:09
Great to see you, Jeff.
J
Jeff0:09
Uh, so this is a big week for you guys coming only three weeks after the Xbox reveal. It was a long 19 days for gamers waiting for game announcements. So coming out of that reveal, how did you feel about it? Gamers have been all over social media complaining. What was your takeaway? What did you learn?
D
Don Mattrick0:33
We knew we had to share two things: the vision for the box and what it means to design for the next decade. People haven't used it yet, so they're imagining. First, it's a great games box. Second, at E3 we'll show 20 games on stage. People will understand what we're creating and how it links games and entertainment. The box is designed for an online state, which is a future-proof choice. If people can't get connectivity, we have Xbox 360. So stick with that. I read blogs and saw one person on a nuclear sub worried about internet. I can empathize. A lot of gamers don't understand why change is needed, but there's a bigger long-term vision. We did a lot of testing and consumer research, and I think we made a good choice.
J
Jeff3:09
Did you know or did you anticipate that people were going to push back the way they did?
D
Don Mattrick3:12
Absolutely. It's a super passionate community. They love what we do, it's important to them, and they're smart. They ask if it will impact them negatively, and until you use it, it's hard to understand the advantages.
J
Jeff3:35
All right, so you're going to win them over, is what you're saying?
D
Don Mattrick3:36
It's not about winning them over. Xbox is created by gamers for gamers. I find it ironic when people think we haven't considered great game experiences. We'll deliver that and continue to innovate on the platform. In the long run, we'll build a global leading product that people will love.
J
Jeff4:08
So you got a lot of games on stage here. Gamers wanted to see more games. Now that they've seen them and your vision, what excites you about where games are going in this next generation?
D
Don Mattrick4:20
The increased graphics fidelity is awesome. The connection to the cloud and what it means for game creation and design is super exciting. A decade ago, focus was on single-player, then living room competition, then online communities. Now most play multiplayer games. We want experiences that use real-world inputs, other players, server data changing your experience. Worlds are rich and alive with graphical fidelity. Creators have the best toolbox. There's no choice about connectivity; it's in. You can use it for voice, gesture, controller, SmartGlass. That's huge.
J
Jeff5:47
So what do you think you have left to prove now with Xbox One? You've done the reveal, shown games, what do you still need to?
D
Don Mattrick5:55
First, people need to understand we're committed to excellence. We'll continue to invest in the platform with thousands of people innovating. This launch window is just the start; over a decade we'll build a great global business. We have the best lineup of first- and third-party games. People will see that content and connect with it. There are a few titles we'll show at the show, amazing internal team work. The start and end of the show have huge titles coming to our platform.
J
Jeff6:45
Well, Don, it's great to hear from you. I think hopefully gamers are a little calmer once they've seen the games. But as you said, the 24 hours always-on stuff... they're going to...
D
Don Mattrick6:56
We appreciate the passion. It's important that people share their ideas. I think people are imagining outcomes worse than what it will be in the real world. We designed the box with internet in mind. The average internet connection is working most of the day. People used to say all they wanted was a phone to make calls, now they use it in richer ways. People will see the same benefits with Xbox One as with their smartphone.
J
Jeff7:39
All right, well we will see it all later this year when Xbox One launches, and we'll be all online.
D
Don Mattrick7:44
Yeah, and thank you, Jeff. We really appreciate your coverage and involvement.
J
Jeff7:47
Thank you, Don. It's great. Look forward to playing soon.
