Q. Why launch a Generation 9 console?
MS. WINKINSON: I'm going to object to asked and answered. I think you asked him the exact same question.
Q. How much money did Microsoft invest to develop and launch the Generation 9 Xbox console, ballpark?
A. I don't have a good answer for a specific amount that we invested, maybe a billion dollars.
Q. Why -- what is your understanding of why Microsoft invested a billion dollars to compete with a Generation 9 console after it had lost the console wars?
A. There are three billion people who play video games on the planet. The industry is about $200 billion in revenue, all up, most of those players playing off of console. For us, we felt we had an opportunity to help connect player and creators of games, and the creators of the games are building games on our console. Without having a console in market, you'd really have no developer engagement to help us connect players' engagement across all devices.
Q. Given that, what you just said, is having a console offering a necessary part for Microsoft Gaming to compete in the gaming industry today?
A. No.
Q. How does that reconcile with what you just said about needing to offer a console for developers, et cetera?
A. Keeping our console relevant and engaged with developers, I believe gives us the best opportunity to be relevant in the future of gaming, but there are other options that you could take, other strategic decisions you can make that are not continuing to build the console.
Q. The decision that you have made as the leader of Xbox/Microsoft Gaming that Microsoft Gaming should continue and will continue to invest in console; is that right?
A. We're continuing to invest in the Xbox console, yes.
Q. Okay. And why are you continuing to invest in Xbox console despite your conclusion that you lost the war?
A. Because our console -- we have developers that focus on our console platform and we believe that we have the opportunity to make games that are running on our console available to more players across more devices.
Q. So, in your view and understanding of the strategy for gaming, you have chosen to continue offering an Xbox console into the future as part of your strategy, correct?
A. We have chosen to continue to build Xbox consoles as part of our strategy, correct.
Q. And I take it, am I correct, that your objective in continuing -- one of your objectives in continuing to offer consoles is to do so in a manner that makes as much economic sense for Microsoft as you can, correct?
A. In our inroads in the gaming industry all up, yes.
Q. Have you discussed a launch date for Gen 10 Xbox console?
A. We have roughly talked about 2027 or 2028 as potential launch years.
Q. Do you expect Sony to launch a Gen 10 console in that same 2027 to 2028 window that you mentioned?
A. I think my expectation is they will likely ship earlier than that. And I would expect that Nintendo would also launch their next console earlier than that as well.