Microsoft AU’s David McLean talks the talk

Microsoft should be thankful to David McLean, their regional director of home and entertainment division in Australia. Despite of the onslaught that the Xbox 360 has been facing because of tough competition, the oldest of the three next-gen consoles seems like it is holding on just fine Down Under.

With the holiday season now in full swing, people could be expecting more from Microsoft Australia. And they should. This is the annual “crunch time” for companies, so to speak. At any rate, McLean recently sat down with gaming site PALGN to talk about their product’s region-coding, price drops, and console delays.

During discussions such as this, it is almost impossible to veer away from competition talk. While the PS3 is expected to be region free, McLean explained that this matter is up to the developers. He said, “As a platform holder, we encourage our game publishers to make their own decision on regional coding. If a games publisher wants to make a region free game, then thatÂ’s their choice.”

Talking more about games, the official shared that they are feeling confident with their Christmas roster of titles. Aside from enumerating various X360 exclusives, he somehow mentioned that Gears of War and Viva Pinata serve as cornerstones for their holiday campaign:

Our Christmas lineup is incredibly strong. From our first party studios we have two titles that, for me, really showcase the power and diversity of the Xbox 360 platform. Gears of War is an intense, cinematic action shooter that pushes the hardware further than it’s been before On the other hand, Viva Pinata is a bright and colourful virtual playground that people of all ages can enjoy.

Regarding HD DVD, McLean confirmed that the add-on will be debuting there early in 2007 with a price tag of AU$ 249.95 (US$ 195.80). The device will be bundled with a copy of Peter Jackson‘s King Kong as well as an Xbox 360 Media Remote. He then boasted about their policy on giving consumer choices:

We realize that not everyone is interested in HD movies, so we feel it’s important to give consumers the choice. We’re not forcing people to pay for something that they may not even want. If you want to watch HD movies, then this is obviously great value for money. If you don’t then that’s great too, you still have a fantastic games console to enjoy.

Microsoft should be thankful to David McLean, their regional director of home and entertainment division in Australia. Despite of the onslaught that the Xbox 360 has been facing because of tough competition, the oldest of the three next-gen consoles seems like it is holding on just fine Down Under.

With the holiday season now in full swing, people could be expecting more from Microsoft Australia. And they should. This is the annual “crunch time” for companies, so to speak. At any rate, McLean recently sat down with gaming site PALGN to talk about their product’s region-coding, price drops, and console delays.

During discussions such as this, it is almost impossible to veer away from competition talk. While the PS3 is expected to be region free, McLean explained that this matter is up to the developers. He said, “As a platform holder, we encourage our game publishers to make their own decision on regional coding. If a games publisher wants to make a region free game, then thatÂ’s their choice.”

Talking more about games, the official shared that they are feeling confident with their Christmas roster of titles. Aside from enumerating various X360 exclusives, he somehow mentioned that Gears of War and Viva Pinata serve as cornerstones for their holiday campaign:

Our Christmas lineup is incredibly strong. From our first party studios we have two titles that, for me, really showcase the power and diversity of the Xbox 360 platform. Gears of War is an intense, cinematic action shooter that pushes the hardware further than it’s been before On the other hand, Viva Pinata is a bright and colourful virtual playground that people of all ages can enjoy.

Regarding HD DVD, McLean confirmed that the add-on will be debuting there early in 2007 with a price tag of AU$ 249.95 (US$ 195.80). The device will be bundled with a copy of Peter Jackson‘s King Kong as well as an Xbox 360 Media Remote. He then boasted about their policy on giving consumer choices:

We realize that not everyone is interested in HD movies, so we feel it’s important to give consumers the choice. We’re not forcing people to pay for something that they may not even want. If you want to watch HD movies, then this is obviously great value for money. If you don’t then that’s great too, you still have a fantastic games console to enjoy.