Rumor: Microsoft killed "secret" cross-gaming project between PC and 360

Rahul Sood, founder of Voodoo PC and now CTO of Hewlett Packard's gaming business, has wrote on his blog rumors of Microsoft killing a secret project which would've allowed console and PC players "to interact and battle over a connected environment".

According to Sood, reliable sources told him Microsoft canned the idea after testing showed PC players "destroy" the console player "every time".

Oh dear.

"This project was designed to allow console gamers and PC gamers to interact and battle over a connected environment," wrote Sood. "I've heard from reliable sources that during the development they brought together the best console gamers to play mediocre PC gamers at the same game... and guess what happened? They pitted console gamers with their "console" controller, against PC gamers with their keyboard and mouse.

"The console players got destroyed every time. So much so that it would be embarrassing to the Xbox team in general had Microsoft launched this initiative. Is this why the project was killed - who knows, but I'd love to hear from anyone involved --- what happened?

"Those of us who have been in the gaming business for over a decade know the real deal. You simply don't get the same level of detail or control as you do with a PC over a console."

According to Sood, the goal was to "bridge Xbox gamers with PC Gamers so they could play against one another in games like Unreal, or Gears of War".

"This was all part of their Live strategy, and had Microsoft just stuck to their guns and made it work, PC Gaming might be in a much better position than it is today," he said.

"It's a real shame that Microsoft killed this -- because had they kept it alive it might have actually increased the desire of game developers and gamers alike to continue developing and playing rich experiences on the PC which would trickle down to the console as it has in the past.

"Instead they wanted to keep an old business model alive, and as a result they are (all) getting attacked by the most unlikely competitor.. Apple. Had they allowed something like this to take place then perhaps the desire to have the best platform would still be there.

"Perhaps the scale of the PC would have allowed Microsoft to get away from the hardware business and focus on their core, software. Perhaps we could have finally integrated the Xbox into the PC.

"Game developers follow the money. This isn't a labor of love."

We've contacted Microsoft for comment on this massive rumor.  We'll let you know if someone gets back with us.

Via CrunchGear.

Thanks, ffronw.