After sitting down with Microsoft’s state government affairs folks to talk politics and gaming, I started asking them if they’ve been trying to get Barack Obama into games.
Obama made a splash with gamers earlier this month when he said in an interview that the last game he played was Pong. Did Microsoft shoot a 360 straight out to him the second they read that, I asked.
No, not that anyone knows of.
What about here in Denver. Did they set up a console in his hotel to give him something to relax with.
No.
But, it turns out Microsoft did.gift someone. Actually a lot of someones. A bunch of the nearly 4,500 delegates in Denver each got their own Democratic National Convention branded. The idea is that attendees will eventually be able to download speeches and political videos. The Zunes are also pre-loaded with content including, I’m told, one game.
And the RNC folks are getting one too Gizmodo discovered.
No, Microsoft didn’t manage to have an Xbox 360 snuck into Barack Obama’s room.
The Clinton’s didn’t spend their pre-speech prep early this week playing team deathmatch Call of Duty 4.
Delegates didn’t forego Joe Biden’s rowdy all-nighter (I hear some of the Black-Eyed Peas and Snoop Dog were there) to catch some time with Gears of War 2.
Gaming amidst one of the biggest political gatherings of the year is a little more staid, make that a lot more staid.
One of the only public appearance by the monolithic video game industry at the week-long Democratic National Convention in Denver this week was by Microsoft and its Xbox 360.
Microsoft’s State Government Affairs folks set up shop in a back bleacher section of the Rocky’s Coors Field during Tuesday’s A Day at Coors Field. Their demonstration area was packed with flat screen televisions, Xbox 360s, copies of MLB 2K8 and of course one large couch.
“Where better to talk about families and games then in the living room”, Fred Humphries told me as I sat down to chat with him. Humphries, managing director of state government affairs for Microsoft’s US Legal Corporate Affairs, flew into Denver to help oversee Microsoft, and the Xbox’s, showing at the week-long convention.
