Sun, Nov 09, 2008 | 15:55 GMT
Don Mattrick: I invented Avatars
In an interview with OXM, Xbox boss Don Mattrick has claimed that he personally invented the concept of Avatars. In 1991.
The section from the chat in full:
DM: I’m claiming to have invented avatars! I did 4D Sports Boxing! Do you know what 4D Boxing was? Hey, you should be writing this! That was me.
We know what 4D Sports Boxing was. It was published by Infogrames, wasn’t it?
DM: Accolade was the first to publish it, and Infogrames published it in Europe. But write this down! “Don Mattrick invented avatars for the industry.”
Does creating 4D Sports Boxing really count as “inventing avatars”, Don?
DM: C’mon! It’s human, it’s in 3D, it has a face… it was genuinely the first time there was something human-shaped in 3D! Look it up!
Draw your own conclusions. There’s more through the link.
10 
Posted in: Hot, Microsoft, Xbox 360
Tags: 4d sports boxing, avatars, Don Mattrick, oxm
10 comments
#1
Hunam
09/11/08, 2:57 pm
I can’t stand this guy.
#2
Quiiick
09/11/08, 3:38 pm
… me too! Terrible person.
#3
Esha
09/11/08, 3:49 pm
Are we supposed to be taking him seriously? I really can’t tell. I have the feeling that he’s the kind of person that would say something like this until he had some large following of fans believing his every word. Then he’d blurt out something like “Ha, you actually believed that? What a band of buffoons.”, quickly adding “Nah, I kid, you’re all right.” after.
I know I can be gullible, but even I’m not that gullible.
#4
wz
09/11/08, 4:29 pm
I invented girls. Write that down, vg247!
#5
Psychotext
09/11/08, 4:55 pm
It’s a joke… just like the Cliffy B “15 year old boys” thing.
#6
Hunam
09/11/08, 5:48 pm
I took it as a joke. I just don’t like him. Then there is the whole growth inside the company comment that pissed Bungie off when he delayed the Recon announcement.
#7
Gekidami
09/11/08, 9:41 pm
This week in douchbaggery: Rob Bowling! Don Mattrick! Cliff Bleszinski! Come on down!
#8
Syrok
09/11/08, 11:50 pm
God invented avatars for he created man in his own likeness.
#9
ShakaCarnage
10/11/08, 9:49 am
I loved Peter Moore. Dom Mattrick shouldn’t be doing interviews. Run the business and let Shapstick do the talking.
#10
No_PUDding
10/11/08, 1:23 pm
Psychotext, is that really humour to you?
I just think both those instances are weird. Ofcourse avatars were about in 1991, but the Wii wasn’t, so it hadn#’t been proved successful. And Microsoft famously won’t take risks.