Tina Summerford: Why the story of Xbox is so compelling 20 years later

Energy On: The Story of Xbox is a six-part documentary debuting Monday concerning the making of Microsoft’ s Xbox online game consoles.

I recorded an interview with director Andrew Stephan in 2019, and am glad to see it’s lastly popping out. I watched a preview of the whole collection, and it turned out nicely. I wrote two books concerning the making of the unique Xbox and the Xbox 360.

Opening the Xbox got here out in 2002, and The Xbox 360 Uncloaked got here out in 2005. These books have been the primary draft of historical past, as was a narrative concerning the Purple Rings of Demise, or the defects within the Xbox 360, that I printed in 2009. Again then, I needed to depend on unnamed sources for a lot of my reporting. However it’s a testomony to the passage of time and the diligence of Stephan and the manager producer Tina Summerford that this story has numerous frank testimony in it.

You get the highs of launching the sport consoles — the Xbox in 2001, the Xbox 360 in 2005, the Xbox One in 2013, and the Xbox Sequence X/S in 2020 — in addition to the lows. Peter Moore and Todd Holmdahl talked concerning the ache of the failures and the documentary explains what actually went improper with tens of millions of consoles that broke down. Robbie Bach tells why he submitted a resignation letter — one which then-CEO Steve Ballmer turned down — earlier than the Xbox ever launched. And we get to listen to the story of those that have been there initially — like Seamus Blackley, Kevin Bachus, Ted Hase, Otto Berkes, Ed Fries, and Nat Brown — in addition to many who got here after them, together with Xbox chief Phil Spencer.

Blackley has mentioned many occasions that the Xbox wasn’t a foregone conclusion. Simply because Microsoft was an enormous firm didn’t imply it was simple to launch the console. In truth, that made it more durable. And so I extremely suggest that you just watch it — regardless that I’ve simply received the tiniest of roles in it.

It’s a fairly dense story. And whereas it may appear lengthy, the 20 years that it covers have been so eventful they usually concerned 1000’s of Microsoft workers and sport builders. I talked to Summerford what it was prefer to make it. It began out as a narrative on the Xbox anniversary, and it morphed to cowl all of the consoles.

The present will air on Roku, IMDb TV, Redbox, YouTube, Microsoft Motion pictures & TV and extra.

Right here’s an edited transcript of our interview.

GamesBeat: What was your formal position in Energy On?

Tina Summerford: I used to be the manager producer for the documentary, after which I’m the pinnacle of programming on the advertising and marketing crew right here at Microsoft. I’d say I took the concept, pitched the concept internally, after which drove it by way of execution. I employed the manufacturing firm, the director. Internally, I used to be the mission proprietor, I’d say. I participate within the collection as nicely, with just a few sound bites there.

GamesBeat: I watched the entire thing. I received excited after I noticed myself on digicam.

Summerford: I used to be going to say! To start with, thanks for collaborating in it. You’ve been round a very long time. You have got a few books that definitely helped us from a analysis perspective. As part of the method, the director particularly dove closely into these, after which sitting down and speaking to us was a present. I’m glad you had an opportunity to observe it.

GamesBeat: Was it again in 2019 that you just did all the interviews? Or at the very least the E3 ones?

Summerford: It was. We had began pre-pandemic. You have been pre-pandemic. You have been one of many earliest, one of many first interviews we had performed. Then the pandemic hit. It gave us an opportunity to take a breath, really, however we stopped interviewing for a short time, simply as the entire world found out what to go and do subsequent. December of 2018 is after I began to create the pitch deck and give you the concept. I pitched it internally in February 2019, and we began doing interviews about eight weeks later. It was fairly fast.

GamesBeat: On the time I keep in mind that it was much more concerning the authentic Xbox and the anniversary that was developing. It appeared a bit stunning to me that it turned out to be a lot greater than that. It coated the entire historical past of Xbox consoles. Did you broaden the scope?

Summerford: That’s precisely proper. Initially we had thought of doing a forty five to 60 minute documentary movie. That was simply the preliminary pitch. However then the reality is, as we began to dive in and dig in, it was so clear that we had a much bigger story than we thought. We have been studying a lot. There was a lot shade, a lot coming to mild. As we thought of connecting it to the 20-year anniversary, it didn’t make sense to cease.

As we glance ahead now to what the subsequent 20 years–the place would we’ve got stopped it? We didn’t need to cease at 360. Will we cease after the unique? As we talked to individuals, some individuals who’d been right here for that entire size of time, and we began to get into conversations concerning the 360 and the One, we mentioned to ourselves, “Wow, the story simply retains unfolding. There’s a lot richness and shade there.” Then we determined, about midway by way of the method, that we didn’t need to go away all that out. It was an excessive amount of goodness for followers. We simply stored going up till the current time, to the launch of Sequence X.

GamesBeat: It was fascinating to see some individuals materialize who haven’t mentioned that a lot earlier than. That was possibly the primary time I’ve seen Don Mattrick speak about it.

Summerford: We have been very comfortable to have Don take part, for certain. It was good to listen to his perspective. A bunch of individuals have mentioned–a few of the group, as we introduced this on the fifteenth, have been curious whether or not Don–we’re purposely not together with lots of people within the trailers and stuff, so it’s an awesome shock for followers. However we have been comfortable that Don participated, for certain.

GamesBeat: How impartial does it wind up being? There’s assist from Microsoft, however there’s additionally–you guys principally curate what you need to do right here, proper? How did you navigate that half?

Summerford: It was vital to convey on a manufacturing firm and documentary filmmakers that might take us a bit out of our consolation zone and ensure that it explored what an genuine, truthful story can be. Their job was, I’d say, the analysis, numerous the Q&As, and crafting the story because it unfolded within the chair. Determining how we edit that collectively. My job with my crew was to be there to assist, to present the entry, to present assist with issues like archives. It was an attractive partnership, as a result of we each wanted one another to get to the top end result. It hopefully appears like a superb stability of each.

If we’d simply performed all of it internally, I don’t suppose we’d have gone the place we went. It was crucial to usher in outdoors storytellers which have had success diving in deep after which pushing us out of our consolation zone that little bit. That’s how the partnership labored with TEN100 and Andrew and myself.

GamesBeat: That’s the place it received fascinating, to see how frank the conversations might be. It felt just like the extra time handed, the extra individuals have been free to simply say what they wished to say, versus biting their tongues at any time when they have been speaking about…unlucky issues?

Summerford: It had the present of time. What you noticed unfold is identical factor that we noticed unveiled as we have been exploring it. We had the present of time, of 20 years from the origins. You’re proper. Most of these individuals have gone on, moved on, they usually have been excited to relive that. There was numerous shade there, simply extremely fascinating tales. However there’s a present of time. I feel if we went to do a documentary on simply the Sequence X, it might be robust to do proper now. You want time to digest it, to grasp the way it impacts you in your individual life. Time simply has to maneuver on for individuals to really feel considerably extra comfy speaking about it.

GamesBeat: It was gratifying to see sure issues coated, like the entire clip about TV, TV, TV. After which Don Mattrick’s response there as nicely. Totally different individuals saying the mea culpas about all that. Wanting again on the Xbox One, they appear to have gone again by way of that historical past and realized what it appeared like, what the optics have been like.

Summerford: Proper? Hindsight is 20/20. I’ll say, going again and–as anyone who was there and partly accountable for that second in time, like so many people which can be nonetheless right here–yeah, it’s arduous to return. However you do know that it’s the story. It’s what it’s. It’s important to come clean with it. “We didn’t nail this one. We’ve got to be taught from it.” We couldn’t keep away from it if we wished to inform an genuine story.

We leaned in and talked about it and mentioned what we discovered. Doing that was wholesome for lots of us internally. In some methods it was closure on that second. However yeah, it nonetheless hurts to observe and know that we let players down at the moment. I’m unsure when that can go away. You by no means–individuals spend their time and cash they usually have a ardour for the product. It hurts while you allow them to down. It’s emotional for lots of people. Reliving that’s arduous to observe for lots of people within the collection, and that have been right here on the time.

GamesBeat: I nonetheless really feel like individuals have been overly crucial about that. Perhaps simply the readability of claiming, “We’re going to speak about different issues you are able to do at first, after which we’ll inform you about video games at E3.” Individuals didn’t appear to grasp that. They only mentioned, “The place are the video games?” Like I mentioned, it’s optics. Someway that turned the narrative, that there aren’t any video games for this factor.

Summerford: It was forward of its time. It wasn’t that it was the improper–it definitely was the improper rollout. That was the most important lesson discovered. I feel you’re proper about that. We additionally discovered that it’s arduous to take one thing again as soon as it’s on the market. Having the ability to inform individuals, “Maintain on, we’ll be coming at E3,” that was not likely acceptable. With the web and the group being as passionate as they’re, they tell us. I don’t suppose we expect it was the proper plan. However we additionally discovered that–that was the second we discovered essentially the most how passionate the group was. It wasn’t a {hardware} challenge. It was their urge for food for one thing that we weren’t delivering but. We discovered loads about advertising and marketing and rolling out. They taught us that. Which is a present, fortunately.

GamesBeat: There was numerous frankness within the Purple Ring of Demise part as nicely. From what I keep in mind, writing about it early on in 2009, I needed to depend on numerous unnamed sources for a few of the info. The proportion of machines that have been coming off the road damaged (at one level, 68% of the machines coming of the road have been failing). The bone pile warehouse the place there was a bunch of stuff piling up. Issues that put the dimensions of the issue in perspective. Again then no one was prepared to speak about these issues. However then to see individuals like Peter Moore and everybody else referenced there speaking about these issues, and the precise reason for it as nicely, all of that felt ground-breaking to me. It’s this second in historical past that they now realized they may speak extra about. That felt like very contemporary info. Todd Holmdahl mentioned 4 out of 10 machines have been coming off the road unhealthy.

Summerford: Once more, it’s that present of time with that one. It actually was the primary time you had the totally different angles of the enterprise coming collectively and saying, “Right here’s precisely what occurred.” It was fascinating to place that part collectively. Fascinating to be within the chair and listen to what it was as anyone who was at G4 on the time and masking numerous the Purple Ring. Really, I’d simply left G4, however I used to be tremendous excited concerning the 360, after which following that and seeing what occurred. It was fascinating. This is among the elements individuals will gravitate towards, which is a solution to one thing that no one actually had earlier than.

Virtually everybody, even internally, that’s watched it mentioned, “I had no concept that’s what triggered it, and that each one of these issues occurred.” That Peter went to Steve and that Todd–you could possibly simply see in Todd’s face, see him going again to these moments and the way arduous that was. That was a second the place there have been some tears within the chairs, as a result of that was an emotional a part of individuals’s conversations that have been straight concerned with that.

GamesBeat: Did it really feel such as you received to the underside of that, so far as clarifying the historical past?

Summerford: I don’t know if an onion is an efficient instance, however you could possibly most likely do a complete documentary movie on that and go deeper by way of the layers. I feel it was the correct quantity of depth for this story. However who is aware of? Perhaps there’s a follow-up. We’ll see if individuals need to know extra. However I feel it’s the proper quantity of depth for this docuseries.

GamesBeat: Do you take a look at each of these issues as–how do they match into the general narrative of the 20 years?

Summerford: I feel the interpretation is the acknowledgment and the teachings discovered from these moments. And with out these moments I don’t know that we’d be the place we’re at present. Definitely, if we didn’t take accountability, then we’d not be studying the teachings that these moments taught us. It’s human. A model goes 20 years–when you’re innovating sufficient, that’s going to be sufficient danger. If each danger works out, you’re most likely not innovating sufficient. True innovation doesn’t come with out danger, for my part.

I’ve been in conferences at present the place we refer again to classes discovered from Purple Ring, from the Xbox One launch, and say, “Do you keep in mind after we did that then? Let’s not have one other.” We reference these. They’re part of our narrative. It’s what it’s. If we didn’t take possession, we’d be lacking the purpose of it. And so we do, one hundred pc, internally we take accountability and we keep in mind very vividly. It helps us in what we do transferring ahead.

GamesBeat: I nonetheless suppose that some individuals don’t fairly get sufficient credit score. People like Invoice Gates or Steve Ballmer, who have been prepared to lose $4 billion to ultimately get to the place we’re at present, with billions in revenues per quarter.

Summerford: It was clear, as you noticed within the collection, that they performed an important position within the creation of it and the early years. That’s the story, proper? They have been there to greenlight it and again it, put the cash behind it. That they had an important position within the creation, and I feel hopefully that ought to present by way of.

GamesBeat: Are there explicit issues that you just pull out of the collection, trying again?

Summerford: I don’t know what this appears like, however I’ll say, I’ve by no means been extra proud to work for this firm as I’ve been after I’ve been fortunate sufficient to go and discover this story, to understand not simply the origins, however the journey over the past 20 years. The fervour, the individuals. You wanted that group of personalities in the way it all got here collectively.

I additionally didn’t notice myself how tough it was to go do that at Microsoft. The appreciation you’ve for that entrepreneurial spirit in an organization like this, people who find themselves prepared to go try this, made me really feel extra pleasure for the corporate as I discovered these tales, discovered extra concerning the position of a few of the early leaders and the dangers. That made it a bit simpler for me to grasp how we received to the place we’re at present. There’s an appreciation for the innovation and the imaginative and prescient that individuals had. You want the individuals behind the tech.

GamesBeat: Was there any fascinating suggestions you’ve heard from a few of the individuals concerned to date, anybody who’s seen it but?

Summerford: Only a few individuals have seen it. There’s the solid. Tomorrow would be the first time most individuals will see it. Just a few inside individuals noticed it after we did early rounds of suggestions and fact-checking. There’s a basic pleasure across the firm proper now for this popping out on Monday. Chris Capossela, our head of selling, is so enthusiastic about it. There’s been numerous assist for the innovation round storytelling and the way we’re displaying up authentically. We really feel like we made it for the followers. We’re all simply excited to get it into their fingers. Individuals can go down reminiscence lane and smile and possibly really feel a bit little bit of ache with us at occasions too.

GamesBeat: It jogs my memory a little bit of the unique Xbox programming on the E.T. sport and the online game crash. That was a superb one, I assumed. A smaller story, however nonetheless.

Summerford: The genesis of it truly is the authenticity half. We all know that’s what customers are in search of and what they need. Generally it’s arduous to get there. You’re feeling such as you’re taking a danger. However it’s what it’s. We knew that we wished to inform an genuine, actual story. I’m pleased with the story that we’re telling right here, and that we’re permitting the story to be informed. There’s numerous pleasure that goes into it. I feel followers are going to be excited to observe it.

GamesBeat: It’s most likely good timing to return out after the Halo launch. It will get a second to shine.

Summerford: We definitely need individuals enjoying Halo proper now! We don’t need something to get in the best way of enjoying Halo. It’s been a enjoyable week for certain.

GamesBeat: Are you able to remind me in what methods this will likely be viewable?

Summerford: It’ll come out on December 13. You’ll be able to watch it on Microsoft Motion pictures and TV. It’s on IMDb TV, which is enveloped on Amazon Prime. YouTube, Roku, Redbox. We’re getting broad distribution, which is numerous enjoyable.