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*30th Anniversary Interview with Bill Gates
"I would rather make a bet than just sit and watch"

Bill Gates
Chairman and Chief Software Architect, Microsoft Corporation
Gates entered Harvard University in 1973 where he developed the BASIC programming language. He left Harvard in 1975 to incorporate Microsoft Corp. together with Paul Allen, his childhood friend. In 1981, IBM adopted MS-DOS as its PC OS, which opened the victorious history of Microsoft. In 2000, Gates descended from the post of CEO to assume a new post of Chief Software Architect with the aim of spending more time in technology development. In 1995, his book entitled The Road Ahead made a big hit by looking into the future to be realized with high technology. Gates was born in Seattle in 1955. In 1994, he married Melinda. They now have a four-year-old daughter named Jennifer and a two-year-old son named Rory. Bill and Melinda have made donations of over US$21 billion. Gates's favorite hobby is bridge and golf.

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Q: Xbox is coming in the fall of 2001.

A: The power of Xbox redefines how people think of gaming, and allows you to do kinds of games that never would have been possible before. Fundamentally, Xbox is about fun. We expect that games you have never seen before will pull in different age groups. We think this will expand the market.


Q: So, Xbox is for men and women as well as for adults and children?

A: We want to sell it to everyone. The initial buying group will be very heavy in men from 14 to 30. These initial buyers will demonstrate Xbox to other people and word-of-mouth will get it to people of every age. The power of Xbox isn't just for the popular racing and boxing games. Its possibilities are wide open. There will be games that women like, while there will be others that capture the hearts of the elderly. Such expansion of the user base is healthy for the software industry.


Q: Mr. Ken Kutaragi of Sony Computer Entertainment says that PlayStation2 is no longer a mere video game console but a new computer entertainment equipment. Is Xbox simply a game console for the home?

A:Xbox has a hard disk drive as well as Ethernet connection for broadband access. Xbox brings the idea of having socialization and communication at the same time as entertainment. What's the most interesting thing? It's listening to other people, talking with other people, and competing with other people. All of these are possible with Xbox.



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