Microsoft News Tracker

Leaving aside the the wacky new name of “Wii,” Mike Musgrove speculates at the Washington Post that Nintendo may be on to something with their upcoming video game console - it’s sole objective is actually playing games:

It’s almost a radical thought in the video game industry these days: What if a new game console were actually just about the games — and not about having a zillion other multimedia features?

That’s the question posed by Nintendo’s new console, scheduled for debut later this year. The Wii — pronounced “we” — does not feature scorchingly advanced technology, compared with its rivals, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 3. And, unlike the competition, the device does not push a DVD replacement technology or strive to be the living room’s all-purpose media center.

It’s almost as if Nintendo is sometimes in a different industry than Microsoft and Sony.

Maybe it’s the game industry?

Scot Hillis at Reuters observes that Microsoft’s disappointing 3Q earnings report is causing turmoil that extends beyond Wall Street in Microsoft profit miss may be latest blow to morale:

Microsoft Corp.’s share price may not be the only casualty of the software powerhouse’s surprise earnings miss.

It might also hit company morale, becoming the latest gripe of employees who are already disillusioned with product delays and a once high-flying stock that has stagnated for the past three years, analysts said.

“There are some folks who have been there for a long time and who will resent the way things are being run as a bureaucracy. And maybe they were there for the big stock run-up and they’re seeing the stock not move now,” said Matt Rosoff, analyst with Directions on Microsoft.

“If you think things are not being run well, then yesterday will lend credence to your arguments,” Rosoff said.
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Minimsft, a popular blog run by a Microsoft employee who advocates a drastic slimming-down of the company, lamented the results, exclaiming: “Yee-ouch! Right in the kisser!”

Wryly remarking on the idea that Microsoft could eventually pull out of the doldrums, the anonymous author wrote: “It is always just a few quarters out. For what, the last five years?”

Head on over to MiniMicrosoft yourself to get the full flavor of the anonymous venting going on.