Crude Technologies

“One of the most controversial choices at the time was whether the Xbox should have a modem in it or not. It sounds bizarre now but most people at the time were connecting to the internet via a dial-up modem.

“So the decision to add a modem in there was fought and fought and actually went all the way up to Robbie Bach. There was a big difference of opinion because at the time there were a lot of dial-up multiplayer services, and we knew if we supported that we could get a lot of people playing.

“The idea of having an Ethernet connection in your home was pretty new at that time, and not many people had it.

“And I remember that this was one of the clear demands that Robbie made, he said we were building the machine for the future, that we were going to bet on people signing up to broadband.

“Once he made that decision. No-one went back.”

An in-depth look at how Microsoft got into the console race, tracing the two years from product conception to launch.

When it comes to offshoring, if unclear expectations, miscommunication, and poor cultural fit send a simple conversation about a deadline sideways...

... what about really big stuff like:

• Requirements
• Deliverables
• Quality control testing
• Development standards
• Documentation

The implications are literally staggering.  In fact, I’d go so far as to say the fact that every outsourced project hasn’t failed is something of a miracle.  It’s a testament to having the right people who naturally and instinctually bridge these gaps through extra communication.

So what’s so hard about outsourcing?  It’s hard because of the cultural baggage we bring to the table on both sides, and neither side necessarily realizes it because of assumed interactions.  We need to be more aware of the cultural assumptions going in to projects like this, or we’re doomed to repeat them ad absurdum.

Managing this gulf in cultural expectations is a daily commitment. Shared backgrounds, frequent visits in both directions, and a culture of innovation go a long way to cross-pollinate the ideas vital to keeping more projects on track with local and offshore expectations.

We've been working with offshore developers for over a decade, and have definitely experienced many of the concerns Dave raises. But thanks to Eastern Europe's education standards and some of the most qualified, dedicated, and hardworking computer science professionals in the world, finding a local company to help you bridge the gap brings end results that are worth the effort.