Well, now it's time to grab your
party hats as we celebrate the
20th birthday of Microsoft's Xbox,
the gaming console that literally
changed the game in many ways.
One of the leaders who created
the system 20 years ago lives
right here in Puget Sound.
Here's my chat with Robbie Bach
about the legacy of the iconic Xbox.
Well before we get into gluten free Robbie,
I cannot believe that Xbox is turning 20.
This is I can't believe.
I mean, I think I still have the
original plugged into my TV right
at this moment, but you actually
led the team that created it.
Tell us about that.
Well, it was obviously an exciting process.
We had a great team.
It was like many startup things like this,
completely crazy a very nerve wracking
but you know in the end of the day
people brought things together and
the excitement you see when you get
to Times Square for the launch event.
I won't forget that November 15th
ever and I see people walking
out and excited with the product.
I mean, that's the it's the best feeling
it really had to have been.
Are you good at Gotham Racing
Gotham project? 'cause? No,
so this is the funny admission and you know,
I worked on that business for 10 years.
I don't play video games
and I'm horrible at it.
So the team the team would
only let me demo if they were
trying to make fun of me so.
That's alright, I won't challenge
you to a race, but I will ask
you what you think the impact
or legacy of the Xbox has been.
Well, I think the thing it ushered
in is this idea of social gaming.
People forget that when Xbox launched,
broadband didn't exist,
it was just coming into the market.
The idea that there was a social network.
This was 2002 when we launched Xbox Live.
That's before Myspace.
It's before Facebook.
And that is now the place where people
meet their friends and they play games.
And they have fun.
And that to me,
is an achievement that will
last for a long long time.
And the Xbox team has taken
it obviously to to new
levels to the next slide.
I mean, I think Halo and the
everyone with the headsets.
I mean it was just kind
of a game changer in that.
Pardon the pun.
But really incredible,
and you work for Microsoft for 22 years.
How did that impact the way you
think about innovation now? Well,
I think the thing it taught
me is that taking risks.
Is something you have to be able and
willing to do if you're going to innovate,
you have to kind of look around the corner,
take a risk that you see something
that's meaningful and do it.
I mean, right now I've become an author.
I'm getting ready to publish
my my first fiction novel.
I mean, who would have thought I
would have done that and it's scary,
but those risks are are absolutely
worth taking and you know, Microsoft,
Amazon and others take him every day
and that's why they're successful.
Let's talk about your new novel.
The Wilkes insurrection.
It's a contemporary thriller.
Yeah, so this is a a character driven novel.
It started with a bunch of characters,
but it's really got a combination of action,
dark web, some political intrigue,
and an anarchist who's trying to take
apart a country that's already pretty
divided and that's the blue in which we
are inserted in it as a key character.
Major Tamika Smith.
She's my protagonist and she is.
She's awesome, and so it's it was just
really fun to do something creative.
It's getting really good early reviews and
I hope people get a chance to enjoy it.
It sounds like it may dip into some,
you know, ripped from the headlines,
things we see today.
What do you hope people get
from the book? Well, I it does
deal with some headlines from the day,
some of which I wrote before
they actually happen,
which is a little bit surreal,
but the thing I hope first of all is,
you gotta love the thriller when you
read the book, you get to the end.
You have to say, wow, that was fun.
It was fast paced. There were twists.
I didn't expect that and then the second
thing I hope is you get to the end.
When you say wow, I learned something.
And if I can pull off that little trick,
I will feel like OK.
The book was successful.
Well, it sounds like you
had a very successful life.
I'm sure the book will be just
as successful. Thank you,
Robbie so much for your time.
It was a pleasure talking to
you. Thanks for having me on and good
luck with the minis. Thank you, cheers.
So it's pretty cool. We wish him
the best of luck with this book,
but we want to talk about
video games right now. Derek.
What is your favorite video game?
Tetris is probably got the
most hours on it. Yeah, yeah.
I'm here friend yours Super Mario.
I, although when you said textures, I mean
I've been playing Tetris on my Gameboy.
Well, I don't play it on the Gameboy anymore,
'cause I didn't work, but I love Tetris.
That is like the most
relaxing game there is for me.
But Super Mario is my favorite and
we actually asked this question
on the social media website.
Our new day at Facebook page and
on my Facebook page will look out
for our new day Facebook page.
For these kind of questions,
a lot of people said Pacman
Miss Pacman there for the win.
Yeah, lot of friends of Super Mario.
Nobody said Tetris, which is shocking to me.
That is, I mean that is shocking.
Space Invaders, Centipede,
Galaga, one person said Tony Hawk
remember when that came out.
That was an Xbox
there was PlayStation,
PlayStation, PlayStation,
Space Invaders, NHL, EA Sports games,
stuff that is a hard game.
The two thumb and that one is pretty.
Difficult for that. Yeah, frogger.
OK, Legend of Zelda link to the past
Dean I know the executive producer
over there is a Zelda fan.
OK, last one I had to.
I had to point out 'cause my friend
Robin mentioned it Oregon Trail.
Do you all remember that loved Oregon?
Try always died of dysentery.
Yeah, always starvation I did.
It was the worst all right.
So if you still want to share
your favorite video game,
please join in on the conversation
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