 A reader is angry at comments from Xbox boss Phil Spencer, about acquiring Nintendo, and what they say about Microsoft's approach to gaming. The Microsoft leaks remind of a notorious and hilarious speech that former CEO, Gerald Ratner, of the high street chain Ratners, gave at the 1991 Institute of Director's annual conference. Wanting to impress the esteemed and wealthy audience, and distance himself from such inferior product, in his speech he describes it as 'total c**p.' In one of the greatest satires in history, the most memorable line is towards the end of the speech which you can watch in full here. 'We even sell a pair of earrings for under a pound. Gold earrings as well. And some people say, well, that's cheaper than a prawn sandwich from Marks & Spencer's. But I have to say, the sandwich will probably last longer than the earrings.' The value of the chain plummeted by around £500 million and a little over a year later he lost his job. So why does this remind me of Microsoft? Because none of the revelations are all that surprising. It can even be taken as given that Nintendo is their most coveted prize. Like the Emperor's New Clothes parable in which the little boy points out that the emperor is naked, what makes this so damaging is that it states what everyone knows but many, it seems, do not want to acknowledge (sometimes even myself). That unlike Nintendo – whose business is built on developing innovative, beautifully crafted, and exciting products – typical of American capitalism today, the Microsoft games division is built on acquisition and market domination. If anyone's head is for the chop, it's not whatever unfortunate creature accidently leaked the documents, it's Phil Spencer himself. Cultivating an image as a regular guy with a passion for gaming, nothing he says from now on can be taken seriously. He's a liar caught with his pants on fire, whose interest is in market domination whic){kind=link}
A reader is angry at comments from Xbox boss Phil Spencer, about acquiring Nintendo, and what they say about Microsoft’s approach to gaming.
The Microsoft leaks remind of a notorious and hilarious speech that former CEO, Gerald Ratner, of the high street chain Ratners, gave at the 1991 Institute of Director’s annual conference. Wanting to impress the esteemed and wealthy audience, and distance himself from such inferior product, in his speech he describes it as ‘total c**p.’
In one of the greatest satires in history, the most memorable line is towards the end of the speech which you can watch in full here.
‘We even sell a pair of earrings for under a pound. Gold earrings as well. And some people say, well, that’s cheaper than a prawn sandwich from Marks & Spencer’s. But I have to say, the sandwich will probably last longer than the earrings.’
The value of the chain plummeted by around £500 million and a little over a year later he lost his job.