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Q&A with Graeme Boyd aka AceyBongos - Xbox Community Manager (EMEA)
GENERAL QUESTIONS:
How long have you been playing video games?
My first memory of gaming was when I was four and my family got its first computer – an Acorn Electron! I was hooked from then on really. It was like a magic box back then, and the fact that the games were so graphically primitive meant that you really had to use your imagination, which I loved. From there I moved onto an Atari ST, then during my teenage years I was really into PC strategy games like Sim City, Theme Park and Civilisation. I got into console gaming around 2000 when I lived in the US for a year and played a lot of Dreamcast. When I came back I got a PS2, then I started working in the industry!
What are your top 5 games of all time?
In terms of happy memories and time well spent I’d say the Civilisation series, the GTA series, the Pro Evo Soccer series, the Football Manager series, and the Guitar Hero series.
What is your favourite Xbox 360 game to date?
There are loads of games that I’ve loved and put lots of time into – PES, Mass Effect, Forza, PGR, CoD4, but I guess one game that has really stood out for me is Test Drive Unlimited. It wasn’t perfect, but I love driving games and I loved what Eden did with that game. It felt so new and unique and ambitious. Cruising around the island in a Lamborghini with a custom soundtrack on just felt amazing. That or Geometry Wars – still the most intense experience on Xbox 360!
What game impressed you the most last year?
Last year I would probably say Call of Duty 4. I haven’t played multiplayer as much as I would like, but the single-player game was unbelievable! I think it’s a masterclass in how a game from an established and often hackneyed genre can do new things brilliantly, and do old things so well that they feel new and fresh. The production values were consistently amazing too, so the whole thing felt like a really rich experience. Loved it. When that nuclear bomb goes off when you’re in the back of the helicopter… I’ll never forget that.
What game are you most looking forward to this year?
It’s got to be GTAIV. I’ve always been a huge fan of the GTA games since the first one on PC, and since they’re developed in Scotland I feel quite patriotic about them! Not only do I love the creation of these huge city environments and the freedom to explore them, I think Rockstar are such a smart developer – some of the satire in the games is really clever and adds to that overall sense of enjoyment and immersion. They also seem to have a knack of getting the current cultural climate spot on, so I’m interested to see just how GTAIV will inform and influence pop culture. Of course, there’s the added bonus of exclusive content coming for Xbox 360 too...
Oh! And Rock Band. Cannot WAIT for Rock Band…
Other than gaming, what other interests do you have?
Funnily enough I don’t have much at the moment because I’m doing a marketing diploma in the evenings, and that’s really hitting my free time. Boo! When I can I obviously get my gaming in, and I’m quite into film and music too. But I guess my main pastime away from gaming is football – I play five-a-side as much as I can and eleven-a-side for a Sunday League team in West London. We get beat a lot – I usually mention it on the blog! I support Aberdeen FC and obviously Scotland too, and I love watching the Premiership as much as I can.
XBOX COMMUNITY MANAGER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS:
Tell us more about your role as Xbox Community Manager?
My job title at Xbox is Community Manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. I work at the Microsoft European HQ in Reading with the rest of the EMEA Xbox team.
My job is all about representing the community to the wider Xbox team. So whenever we’re working on something new it’s up to me to communicate what the community would think of it, and suggest ways to get the community more involved. That means I also get to do lots of cool stuff directly with the community like working with community sites across Europe like Monster, writing my blog at www.AceyBongos.com, and trying to help people out as much as I can.
Recently I’ve also been working more with the community teams around the world (Like Major Nelson, TriXie, the GamerScore Blog guys and Jaken Bear from Canada) because we’re all keen to make our community work more ‘global’.
What does this position specifically entail on a day to day basis?
An average day for me is getting to the office about 9-9.30 (depending on the motorway traffic), getting sorted out, checking the emails, and trying to post the new Marketplace stuff on the blog. The biggest challenge at work is that we have quite a lot of meetings so sometimes it’s hard to fit in other stuff! I might spend some time speaking to our third-party team about getting community Q&As with developers, planning events for our Xbox Community Network websites, then sitting down with the Xbox LIVE team to talk about upcoming Marketplace content and things that are happening. We’ve recently started working on Inside Xbox and that’s a big focus now, so I’m spending a lot of time on that. And then there’s the editorial on Xbox.com. I’ve got a few plans for more stuff coming up, but I’m starting to wonder where I’ll fit it in!
How long have you been the Xbox Community Manager/working for Microsoft?
Almost two years now – since June 2006.
We know you used to work for print press as a staff writer, was it easy making the transition from magazine to the role you are in now? What made you choose to partner with Microsoft specifically?
So writing on Computer and Video Games Magazine was my first job in the industry, and from there I went on to be News Editor on CVG.com and then Online Editor for www.oxm.co.uk . Moving to Xbox made sense because I was already working exclusively on Xbox 360 and it was an amazing opportunity to try something new and work more closely with the community. It was kind of a strange transition because it was a very different job and the working culture at Xbox is very different to what I was used to. If you can imagine how many people work at somewhere like Xbox, and then Microsoft, you can imagine how many emails and meetings you have all the time! It took me a while to figure out when I could actually find time to do any work! I got used to it pretty quickly though and I absolutely love it now, no two days are the same and there are always 5 exciting things coming up!
Do you think your job has changed much since the launch of Xbox 360?
Well, I wasn’t at Xbox itself for the launch, but I think the community has definitely evolved a lot since then. The community features the Xbox 360 brought in have really helped grow and support the community, and also allowed the community to be a much bigger and more important part of the Xbox 360! We’re at the stage now where the community is so large and powerful that it’s becoming increasingly important to the entire Xbox team, so I have to do a much better job of collecting, communicating and responding to your feedback and ideas.
Looking at the community aspect of Xbox 360, how important do you think this is for helping to build a successful gaming product?
I think it’s crucial, especially for the long-term success of a console. People might buy your console, but unless they feel there’s a reason to keep coming back then they’ll just leave it sitting on the shelve. Obviously great games are a big part of that, but if you don’t have an exciting community to play those games with then you’re missing something. And with everything being online these days, the community becomes even more important. Xbox LIVE is essentially about playing games online, but it’s actually about getting together with people around the world, and sharing your experience.
You've been likened to the very popular Major Nelson, and somewhat tagged as Europe's equivalent so to speak, what do you make of this, and do you think you can prove to be as informative as he is, now you have the inside Xbox tab on the Live Blade? Is the tab going to develop further this year?
It’s hard to compete with Major Nelson! He’s a legend and has done an absolutely amazing job – I think it’s fair to say that he has revolutionised the way console manufacturers talk to their consumers. Do you think PlayStation would have launched ThreeSpeech or the PlayStation Blog if Major Nelson hadn’t come first? So to be compared to him is a compliment, but I totally understand that I have a long way to go to be as influential or as informative as him. We’re doing a lot of work just now to try and work together with all the worldwide Xbox community teams to make our community more global.
As for Inside Xbox, this is something I’m really excited about. We had a bit of a slow start over here in the UK and we got lots of great (although not always positive!) feedback from the community about what they wanted from that. I hope people have seen it improve recently, and the next step for us is to start providing much more local content. That may or may not mean that my face will be on it, but don’t let that put you off…
Could you give any advice to readers who might be interested in a similar career as yours, is it as glamorous as it appears and what are the pros and cons?
Well, I would say that I was very, very lucky to end up here. I have a degree in English and Film Studies from Aberdeen University, and when I finished that I went on and did a postgrad in Journalism at Napier in Edinburgh. I was just getting back into games hardcore at the time and I really didn’t see myself working on a newspaper, so I though ‘why not try to get onto a games magazine?’. Luckily I got it and here I am.
My advice to anyone who wants to do it would be to decide what you’re interested in (marketing? Publishing? Programming? Design) and then get some relevant and specific qualifications. Loving and playing games isn’t enough, but you do need that too of course! Imagine just how many people would love to work in the games industry – they’re your competition!
And I don’t know about glamourous! But there are a few perks, especially when you’re a journalist. The thing I think people don’t realise is that you have to work really hard – it’s not just about playing games all day, although I wish it was!
INDUSTRY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
What is your opinion on the future of the Xbox brand, do you think Microsoft has cemented itself as much as the Playstation name in the public domain?
I think since the launch of the Xbox 360 we’ve done a really good job of making the Xbox brand more widely known. The PlayStation brand has been so powerful for so long now that tackling that is a huge challenge, but I find it really encouraging when I hear people talking about gaming and saying ‘Xbox’ rather than ‘PlayStation’. Like when you hear Chris Moyles talking about playing Call of Duty on his Xbox, or you see people playing Xbox on soap operas! I think that’s only going to get better, even with the PS3 putting in a really strong challenge.
It’s also important to remember the strength of the Nintendo brand now – they’ve done some amazing work with both the DS and the Wii, and in terms of taking their products to a new audience they’ve been amazing. I don’t think it’s just good PR when you hear about Wiis going down a storm in OAP’s sheltered housing and so on. But in terms of a strong brand among gamers, I think Xbox has really proved itself.
What's your opinion of the PS3, do you own one, and do you think console rivalry is healthy for the industry?
I don’t own one. At first I thought it was far too expensive for me personally and I wasn’t all that excited by any of the launch games. Then since the price came down it’s a little more appealing, but I’m still not interested in any of the games. A lot of the multiformat games currently seem to be getting better reviews on Xbox 360, and some of the old PlayStation favourites like Gran Turismo have stronger competition now from stuff like Forza and PGR. I’m also not a fan of Metal Gear Solid! That said, console rivalry is definitely a good thing for the industry, and it’s really interesting to see how strong the PS3 sales have been recently. I can’t wait to see how Home and Little Big Planet go down as I think they’ll be really important for PS3. It’s an interesting time! But again, don’t forget the Wii! I think Nintendo has taught everyone a thing or two about doing something new and brave and unique, and doing it well!
From a community standpoint what differences are there between Microsoft and Sony?
Well, I think Xbox has a brilliant track record of connecting with the community. That’s what Xbox LIVE is all about, and if you think about a lot of the features of the Xbox 360 they all have the community in mind. Then when you think about Major Nelson, the GamerScore Blog guys, and all the other people we have working with the community in mind, I think it’s pretty clear how committed we are to listening to and communicating with the community.
PlayStation on the other hand hasn’t really had the same kind of community history, partly because the PS1 and PS2 came along before online services. They’ve definitely come a long way though. Apart from a few mis-steps (All I Want For Christmas is a PSP, anyone?) I think they’re doing much better, especially with stuff like Three Speech and the PlayStation Blog. Like I mentioned before, Home and Little Big Planet are both going to be crucial to the development of the PS3 community. If they can make them work then we’ll be in for a stiff challenge!
What is your opinion on the Hardware failures which have dogged the Xbox 360? From a community angle,do you think the whole issue has left a sour taste in consumers mouths, regardless of any extended warranty updates?
Obviously no-one at Xbox likes to hear about Xbox owners having problems with their consoles. It always pains me when people tell me they’ve had to call support, and I’d genuinely like to apologise to anyone who’s had any problem with their Xbox. But I think the warranty extension showed that we are keen to tackle any problems, and everyone on the Xbox team is committed to providing good service whenever it’s needed. As for whether it’s left a sour taste in consumers’ mouths, I think that’s up the individual to decide. I really hope that even if people have had a problem they still feel that the overall quality of the Xbox experience is strong enough to bring them back.
From a community angle, do you think Microsoft's strategy for releasing hardware before its rivals and at as cheap a price as possible has paid off, do you think a similar strategy could work for the next Xbox machine?
I think the Xbox strategy was to commit to a launch date and a near-simultaneous global launch, and then deliver on that commitment. To me that’s the best strategy for launching any console, and I certainly hope we follow through on that again in the future.
What do make of reports which suggest the PS3 will outsell the Xbox 360 in 2008, do you think this has been a probable outcome all along considering how popular the Playstation brand is?
It would have been naïve to assume that the PS3 wasn’t going to prove popular, that’s for sure! If you think how many PlayStation 2 owners there are out there, and how many people have grown up playing PlayStation, then it’s totally understandable that they will fancy picking up a PS3 – but I bet you they’re thinking more about the Xbox 360 now too! At the end of the day it’s all about choice for the gamer, and I think for the first time in years the gamer has the best choice available. You haven’t mentioned the Wii again, but it’s still selling like hot cakes too! The challenge for Xbox is to keep making the best games available, keep supporting the best community in gaming, and keep working on the overall experience to make it more appealing than the competition!
The Xbox 360 sales seem to be overshadowed by the PS3 in Europe, what's your view on Microsoft's marketing strategy for the region?
That’s a big question! I think that from the launch of the Xbox 360 we’ve shown a commitment to Europe by launching the console worldwide and not making people wait, and I can say that Europe is a real focus for the whole team. We’ve already discussed the challenge created by the strength of the PlayStation brand, but it’s really up to gamers to make up their minds about the relative merits of both our marketing.
Looking at Japan, the Xbox failed to make an impact and it looks like the Xbox 360 is following suit, regardless of some positive support from Japanese developers. Why do you think the Japanese have not warmed to the Xbox brand? Is there a lesser community spirit in the region or are there other factors such as brand loyalty at work here?
It’s definitely not that there’s a lack of community spirit! The Japanese Xbox community is amazing and if you’ve had a chance to look at the Japanese version of Inside Xbox you’ll have had a glimpse of all the cool community work they do. To be honest I don’t know an awful lot about Japanese consumers or the Xbox situation over there, but I would imagine that if PlayStation and Nintendo give us in Europe a challenge from a brand loyalty point of view, that challenge must be ten times stronger in Japan.
Nintendo have come into this generation's market with an unusual device that is outselling its rivals and proving a massive hit amongst casual gamers. The Wii offers a more close knit, face to face community angle, what do you think of the Wii and Nintendo's strategy as a whole?
Ah, you finally mentioned it! I think I’ve covered my views on the Wii. I really admire what Nintendo has done by trying something new and different, and I think some of their advertising and marketing has been great, particularly when targeting whole new sections of the audience that would have never before thought of buying a console or handheld gaming device. It’s great that they’ve offered something different because choice is great. However, I do wonder just how many people keep playing their Wiis weeks and months after buying it, and how many games they actually buy in the long term. For me as a gamer I know that Xbox 360 has the games I want to play and the community I want to be a part of.
What's your view on the PS3's HOME which is due out this year and is heavily based around community, do you think Microsoft would ever consider something similar if it proves popular?
Again, I’ve mentioned Home before. I definitely think it’s important to point out that Home is essentially a collection of community features that Xbox LIVE already offers, just wrapped up in a nice graphical package. That’s not always a great thing though – do I really want to wander around a virtual world and buying sofas for my apartment, or do I just want to talk to my friends and get on with some gaming? If Home makes the experience engaging enough then it’ll be very successful, and if that happens I’m sure Xbox would learn something from it – just like Xbox learns something from every successful aspect of the games industry.
What's your take on the HD-DVD vs Blu Ray format wars?
Well, we’ve seen what’s happened with HD-DVD, and in a way I’m quite excited about the Xbox 360 HD-DVD price cut and the prospect of buying lots of cheap HD-DVD movie! In my opinion PlayStation were rightly aggressive in putting a Blu-Ray drive in the PS3 and charging extra for the privilege, since they have such a vested interest in the format. I also think Xbox was right to offer HD-DVD support as an optional extra. It’s obviously great that every Xbox 360 owner around the world doesn’t have a defunct drive in their console, and that’s a risk PlayStation took. It doesn’t change our focus with Xbox 360 – the most important thing is still the games!
3 years down the line how pleased are you with Xbox 360's performance, and more importantly how do you rate the community growth?
I think it’s great. The number of consoles we have around the world – and the number of people signed up to Xbox LIVE – is fantastic and that can only be a good thing for the community. As you point out, the more important part is how the community has grown, and I think it’s unbelievable the support Xbox has from its owners. When you look at all the online community sites, the community events, the ways the community has used and improved the Xbox LIVE data feeds online, and now the stuff that’s coming though XNA and the Creator’s Club, it’s pretty clear to me that the Xbox community has grown more than anyone could have hoped. I can’t wait to see how it evolves over the coming years!
We'd Like to thank Graeme for taking the time for answering these questions
You can visit Aceybongos blog here.
Posted By: Robert Cram
Date: 2008-03-02
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