Billy Gates and Micro$oft not quite the greedy corperation everyone thaught.

If MS isn't greedy then why is their console the same price as the PS3 with less hardware and why do they charge to play online? Why are all add-ons for the 360 all force people to buy only specific ones made by MS?

PS3 you get a bluray drive, WiFi, charge and play controllers, a web browser, free online gaming, can use any brand HDD, can make your own themes for free or download free ones from the web, and you can use any mic.

patriots7672

I'm sure Bill Gates made sure people knew he was giving money away.

I thought this was common knowledge.

tbolt76

Actually no, there was no press release or advertisements. When a guy has that kindof money and at his age its inevitable to start thinking "will buying another mansion make me happy? I only have the two arms, will ordering yet another custom made omega watch, have them machine every bit from solid tungsten, is that happiness? My offspring are set, the Gates name could literally not work a day for the next 10 generations and still live in luxory". I applaud those success stories when they realize life is finite so help rather than horde. But this has nothing to do with the console wars. Microsoft and Sony both have ALOT of employees that want to achieve success that eliminates the anxieties of money. Neither are greedy. They are merely business'.

Those who have loads of money arent greedy and want to help, dont need the media to know about it..

We should help others who are in need simply cause its the right thing to do and not to catch sympathy or admiration from others... Should all the huge millionaires / billionairesin thisworld give 1% each of their money to 3rd world countries / poor people around the world we'd hear about less people (mostly children) dying on a daily basis... IfGovernments focused more on helping poor people around the world instead of spending them on weapon research and development it would make a huge difference too..

With this am not saying Mr Gates is greedy, he surely does his part when it comes to charity...

But imo its more significant when an unknown middle-class worker gives $50 to a charity fund and remains unonimous than a multi-billionaire gives $100,000 and such action is covered by the whole media throughout the world..

Media sees big numbers, Media flocks to it. No fault of Gates. Most big time philantropists try to do things anonymously, but you cant fund and open a high tech school in an impoverised area without having your name somewhere. Impoverished nations tend to have corrupt regimes, it would be further damage if the true donor claimed no ownership and the corrupt regime could pacify the desperate people, claiming its their making.

Even in 1st world nations, a donor must claim ownership, by a plaque or the name of said park/library/school/hospital. IT WOULD BE UNETHICAL NOT TO. Because when people use or enjoy these facilities they start thinking who did this, and if there is no name they start thinking government, and if they start thinking government they start thinking ELECTIONS.

Hmmm, i'm drunk enough to think system wars can grasp politics and ethics law.

This thread should be closed. Bill Gates isn't the sole benefactor in a successful Xbox360. Neither is whoever heads Sony's PS3. They have employees, they have 3rd party interests, they have stockholders. Its business. Gates' private generousity is not a video game topic.

So let me get this right:

If I use anticompetitive and sketchy business practices to make myself a massive fortune, then give away some of that, I'm a hero?

Seriously?

Now, I do applaud him being generous, his fairly intelligent spending of his donations, and his views regarding what his kids will inherit [enough to do fine for life, but not hundreds of millions each] ... but it doesn't negate his past history.

I bet if you totalled all the court judgements against MS [Europe, US, elsewhere] - you'd come up with a figure well over 10 billion dollars. Is illegal activity which is fined that sum [and that's just the cases won, and brought] somehow cleared by giving a bit more?

Not in my book. I applaud him really trying to make a difference ... but couldn't he also have made a huge difference by not extracting that excess cash from consumers in the first place? Why is he better at spending our money than we are?

[QUOTE="sexy_robot_man"]

[QUOTE="patriots7672"]

If MS isn't greedy then why is their console the same price as the PS3 with less hardware and why do they charge to play online? Why are all add-ons for the 360 all force people to buy only specific ones made by MS?

PS3 you get a bluray drive, WiFi, charge and play controllers, a web browser, free online gaming, can use any brand HDD, can make your own themes for free or download free ones from the web, and you can use any mic.

araksik

And at that time, a PS3 cost about 840 dollars to make

What MS does with its money does not negate what they do to make it.

DaBrainz

If MS isn't greedy then why is their console the same price as the PS3 with less hardware and why do they charge to play online? Why are all add-ons for the 360 all force people to buy only specific ones made by MS?

PS3 you get a bluray drive, WiFi, charge and play controllers, a web browser, free online gaming, can use any brand HDD, can make your own themes for free or download free ones from the web, and you can use any mic.

patriots7672

It's been mainly the Marxist / Communist whom have made the greedy evil claim; free market capitalists never had a problem with B. Gates. He & his wife have certainly given much in the way of sweet charity.

free market capitalists never had a problem with B. Gates. SecretPolice

[QUOTE="SecretPolice"]free market capitalists never had a problem with B. Gates. IronBass

No acting at all if an American to whom the constitution means much.

I guess I'll infer your one who criticised him for being very successful and fall under the categories I spoke of.SecretPolice