For those who don’t know, Graeme Boyd (aka Acey Bongos) is the Social Marketing Manager for Xbox in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). He is one of the presenters at the Xbox press conference for E3, and often teams up with Major Nelson to release important news. I got to speak with him at E3, and he also happens to be a really awesome guy.
First of all, sorry to all for not taking a selfie with him – you know I’m terrible with that stuff. He really is a rad guy, and that Scottish accent is just far too adorable. I first caught up with him at a hands-on event from Xbox where we raved to each other about amazing games we’d played. Then, thanks to our very own local Xbox rep Graeme Selvan, I managed to grab this interview with him the following day:
For those who aren’t inclined towards video, Acey (aka Mr. Bongos as Darryn liked to call him) explains how excited Xbox is to have a date and price for South Africa. He says how wonderful the console will be when it comes because it will have all the original launch games, plus all the fantastic games that have released in the past year. For those who listen, while he speaks clearly he does definitely have an accent – this prompted me to ask about the Kinect voice commands. It’s one of the big selling points for the Xbox One, and he explains that the Kinect understands him, and will probably understand all of us here in South Africa. Finally, he said that he would love to come down and visit us here in SA, that he’s heard about rAge and would love to come join us. How cool would that be!
So, I know some of you have felt abandoned by Microsoft and Xbox, but they do know about us and they do want to make us happy. I really believe that they are trying, it’s just a question if it’s too little, too late. Have you already switched to PS4, or are you anxiously awaiting the launch of Xbox One in September? I will probably end up with all the consoles, but that’s sort of a requirement in this line of work. Or are you all too busy playing on your PCs to even notice?
Last Updated: June 20, 2014
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 20, 2014 at 11:36
But first, lemme take another selfie
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 20, 2014 at 11:36
Sorry, what?
Monado
June 20, 2014 at 11:36
That is one lekker name. Bongos…hehehe, I just want to say bongos all day
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 11:37
People in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina felt abandoned. I think a more apt word is ignored or maybe forgotten. I any case better late than never. Kudos to the dozens that managed to hold out as long as the did
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 20, 2014 at 11:42
*they
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 11:43
you missed *in
*fixed :p
Kensei Seraph
June 20, 2014 at 11:56
did.*
While we’re going for corrections we might as well add in punctuation.
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 11:57
I’ve got verbal diarrhea again.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 20, 2014 at 12:29
I think “ignored” is a better word for us (the creatures on the boner tip of Africa). Remember how long it took for South Africa to get a local version of xbox live? And even to this day, our version of xbox live is just pitiful. Those that moved over to local live from their US or UK accounts were screwed over – let’s not beat around the bush. And prior to that, we had content not being available to us, because of restrictions in other countries or apps not even working because… our Ips point to Africa. And let’s not forget the latest faux pas.. Titanfall?
All these factors should be weighed up by those precious few South African bonerbots who are waiting for a boner.
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 12:35
It will be very interesting to see if Titanfall bundles with the XBOX One will be available here.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 20, 2014 at 12:51
That would be hilarious.
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 20, 2014 at 11:37
I’m delighted in the way he says delighted!
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 11:38
I find it amazing
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 20, 2014 at 11:39
HAI
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 20, 2014 at 11:39
HAI
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 20, 2014 at 11:40
HAI, in before you!
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 20, 2014 at 11:43
That’s what she said.
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 11:44
So he’s in and you’re not?
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 20, 2014 at 11:46
At the same time no, thankfully.
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 20, 2014 at 11:47
HALLELUJAH!
1 – NOT AT THE SAME TIME
2 – YAY I’m in
MrChinwag
June 20, 2014 at 11:44
Meh . not phased about the Xbox. something tells me 70% of all the apps will work or not be available. just like everything else.. SA Itunes Store, PSN, all these digital stores have like half the content compared to its American or EU counterpart.
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 11:46
Guess we will have to wait for September to get the full picture?
MrChinwag
June 20, 2014 at 11:49
That is true. but i bet u a grand taht full picture will not be in 1080
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 20, 2014 at 11:51
Depends, are you talking about the games or the TV 😉
MrChinwag
June 20, 2014 at 11:53
if ur able to play games and watch tv at the same time (why u’d wanna fucking do that is beyond me) then surely u cant be able to watch CSI Miami in 1080 will playing titanFail in 720? that will blow up u tv
Sk3tz0
June 20, 2014 at 11:58
Agree.. Why would u wanna watch TV and Play games.. I can see it now.
GAMER 1: HA dude i owned u. u n00b!
GAMER 2: NAH AH I was watching So you think u can dance i got distracted.
GAMER 3: HA u both n00b i was watching myself bang ur mom on twitch. Go HOME ya n00b
xbox switches off.
Kensei Seraph
June 20, 2014 at 11:59
Gamer 3 would probably be given extra points in the CoD match they’re playing.
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 11:59
I’m offended that you would call the gamers.
Kensei Seraph
June 20, 2014 at 12:00
them*
It’s not really verbal diarrhoea since you’re typing.
Maybe carpal diarrhoea?
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 12:08
Maybe I need more coffee?
Kensei Seraph
June 20, 2014 at 12:12
Might be you’ve had to much coffee.
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 20, 2014 at 12:18
I too think this is the case
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 12:19
*too 😛
Is there such a thing?
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 11:54
XD
Kensei Seraph
June 20, 2014 at 11:53
I’ll get a PS4 eventually, when funds allow.
I should probably have a look at my PS3 backlog some time…
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 20, 2014 at 11:54
LOL, what?
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 11:57
Best apparently.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 20, 2014 at 12:01
That boner delusion! 😛
Rince&exhale
June 20, 2014 at 12:02
ish the besh conshole!
Kensei Seraph
June 20, 2014 at 12:02
‘ith tha puwwer oh tha cluud.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 20, 2014 at 12:03
Bout… tha cluud is tha liiiieeyyy!
Kensei Seraph
June 20, 2014 at 12:04
Na, tha cluud is tha futor!
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 20, 2014 at 12:19
tha cluud is tha futor? duuffuuuq!
Brett Gunter
June 20, 2014 at 11:54
Sadly Xbox, for me it is a case of too little too late and I have begun my adoption into the glorious PC master race.
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 20, 2014 at 11:55
Welcome brother!
Brett Gunter
June 20, 2014 at 11:59
It’s good to be home 🙂
Sk3tz0
June 20, 2014 at 11:56
Only Master race that exist is the Durban July
Brett Gunter
June 20, 2014 at 12:00
I will have my beast up and running in time 😉
Kensei Seraph
June 20, 2014 at 11:58
This is a glorious time to begin your initiation.
Both Steam and GOG are having their ritualistic sales.
Brett Gunter
June 20, 2014 at 12:00
My wallet is painfully aware of this fact 😛
MrChinwag
June 20, 2014 at 12:04
U’ll be highly dissapointed in the end.. All a PC is good for is Pirating Music and working out ur budge on excel when u can afford that new upgraded CPU/GFX Card becasue the one u bought 9 months ago now out of date and u shiney new discounted game off steam cant play
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 20, 2014 at 12:06
You know you are talking aaptwak right?
PC also teaches you to spell better
Sk3tz0
June 20, 2014 at 12:09
PC give u the Patience and Disciprine .. to master Freecell
Kensei Seraph
June 20, 2014 at 12:12
Hm… is that why I haven’t upgraded my PC in 4 years?
Not enough time on excel.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 20, 2014 at 12:19
And minesweeper… don’t forget… minesweeper.
Tauriq Moosa
June 20, 2014 at 12:48
Mein Kraft.
GooseZA
June 20, 2014 at 11:57
I was keen to pick up an XBone. But then I saw the trailer for Bloodborne. And I’m a huge Dark Souls fan….
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 11:58
I passed on DS2 but Bloodborne looks awesome. Plus you have guns now! (If I remember the trailer correctly)
GooseZA
June 20, 2014 at 12:00
Dark Souls 2 was great. I’d say 1 was probably better, but 2 is definitely worth your time. My first playthrough took me about 84 hours and I loved every second.
CAE9872
June 20, 2014 at 14:15
I don’t recall seeing guns (not that I was paying full attention); I did see cleavers though! And LOTS of blood…and gore.
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 14:33
I’ll have to look again then
Brian Murphy
June 20, 2014 at 15:19
The protagonist carry’s a dual action cleaver/halberd type thing, and a shotgun in his other hand. You only saw him press it up against the head of an enemy in a cutscene in the trailer.
Brian Murphy
June 20, 2014 at 15:19
Yeah, the dual action meat cleaver, and a shotgun.
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 15:36
SWEET!!!
Tauriq Moosa
June 20, 2014 at 12:48
“I was keen to pick up an XBone. But then I …”
Ah thank gods. Thought it was going to end up with arrows and knees.
Rince&exhale
June 20, 2014 at 11:58
Ah eye, da Hexbosh his a hella mashhhen. Ye all gonna luv eet whin sha lenches!
CAE9872
June 20, 2014 at 14:14
I see what you tried to do there…it didn’t work!
cookiemonster
June 20, 2014 at 12:14
I’ll be honest , I was looking forward to this.
But I felt a chill when the LOOOOve was denied to me by “MicroSoft”—dicks!
Xcalibersa
June 20, 2014 at 12:20
Nope.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 20, 2014 at 12:21
Where’s Pieter Kruger? Someone email him.
Sk3tz0
June 20, 2014 at 12:25
He be standing at the entrance calling every one n00bs for not importing it like he did
Labey-Kun
June 20, 2014 at 12:46
LOL!
Rags
June 20, 2014 at 12:24
Well they are up against tough competition here.
TV TV TV TV TV SPORTS SPORTS TV TV TV TV SPORTS
We’ve been having it! It’s called DSTV.
Veeash Lala
June 20, 2014 at 12:26
Sounds like everybody’s trying to polish a turd. I’ve loved my xbox360 since day 1 because it did everything it was supposed to perfectly and anything above that, well it did an Ok job. Sony dropped the ball with ps3 for me personally, the way cross platform games ran but moreover the controller. However they listened to the masses and did their homework and gave us such a brilliant gaming console that does one major thing and does it oh so well. I’m even planning on using my DS4 controller over cable on my ps3 to finish up a few titles.
To answer ur question, yes I bought a ps4 and I’m not going to bother with the XOne for a good few years.
Jonah Cash
June 20, 2014 at 12:31
Exactly what you said, I had three 360’s and I loved them all…. The last 1 I sold to get hold of the PS4 and I am overly happy!! Xbox 360 was better to me than my PS2(my opinion), but ever since they started the Bones PR they just made me more and more pissed and now I am back with Sony!!
Veeash Lala
June 20, 2014 at 14:13
Yep and that was what Sony did some time ago too. I’ll never forget how Nintendo Gamecube shelf space was taken up by crappy ps2 titles. Sony marketing. Kudos to them for the turn around.
Tulipdame
June 20, 2014 at 12:26
I imported and it cost me less than local pricing is going to be. I am enjoying Watch Dogs on the One amd have finished Wolfenstein and Dead Rising 3.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 20, 2014 at 12:31
Pics or it didn’t happen!
Tulipdame
June 21, 2014 at 07:34
Are we allowed to post pictures like that? You know, of our collections or consoles or whatevs.
Mark Treloar
June 21, 2014 at 08:39
Have a friend who got someone visiting the us to buy him the Titanfall Xbone. Total cost with extra controller R5000.
Xcalibersa
June 20, 2014 at 13:13
Good luck
Viking Of GabeN
June 20, 2014 at 12:31
What’s that Xbox one…. meh… *logs back into steam*
In all honesty though, It had damn well better be at its best in September, Sony has had a huge headstart in the local console market….
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 20, 2014 at 12:31
I’m waiting for your nick to change to Gaben of Gaben!
Viking Of GabeN
June 20, 2014 at 13:00
Gabenception…. although… That honour falls to he who GabeNs the hardest… probably @Admiral_Chief:disqus
Viking Of GabeN
June 20, 2014 at 13:01
He should change to “Admiral Chief GabeN of GameN” 😛
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 20, 2014 at 13:10
Perhaps we can convince the Admiral to become Chief Gaben of Gamen!
Viking Of GabeN
June 20, 2014 at 13:10
Let us form a choir of voices! The People will be heard! 😛
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 20, 2014 at 13:13
For his Gaben is the strongest.
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 12:36
You fool, no one ever logs out of Steam
Viking Of GabeN
June 20, 2014 at 12:59
I’m at work…. so can’t spend all day on Steam… also HAI.
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 13:02
HAI!
Fugly Gamer
June 20, 2014 at 12:38
YaaaaaaaY so when people in SA want to play the launch games MP there will be almost no one else on the servers because it was almost a year ago that the game was launched *note sarcasm in post*
FoxOneZA
June 20, 2014 at 12:40
It’s going to come down to games, pricing and launch bundles.
Raiden will have to wait until 2015 though.
Labey-Kun
June 20, 2014 at 12:47
At least we won’t have launch problems xD and I was waiting for the Xbox One to release I am too much of a Halo fan xD
Tauriq Moosa
June 20, 2014 at 12:49
Still don’t get the point of this machine (being sold here). Let alone a year later. Exclusives should – and indeed are not – sufficient reason (for me) to acquire this.
FoxOneZA
June 20, 2014 at 13:46
The Xbox 360 was sold here a year later and the PS3 was sold here 9 months later.
CAE9872
June 20, 2014 at 14:11
Correction – the 360 was sold much later than one year. Launch in UK (PAL) was Dec 05 (I know I imported it) and here in SA it was at least 2007 if not early 08.
PS3 on the other hand was launched within a week of the UK launch which was April 2007. The US was something like Sep 06.
*shakes head* no I dont know how I know that stuff either!
Martin du preez (D4RKL1NGza)
June 20, 2014 at 13:25
MS: “Fuck everyone outside of murica”
*sees the Kaz train obliterating everything in sales*
Ms: “tier 2 countries,we love yooooouuu!!! Remember our song?”
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 20, 2014 at 13:39
Shame, now Tier 2 is important.
Mating call FAILED!
PS: When luring a mate, you should also throw in a seductive dance with your call.
Martin du preez (D4RKL1NGza)
June 20, 2014 at 14:30
I believe it’s called “peacocking”
house_hero
June 20, 2014 at 13:54
No thanks.
MS Da Boss
June 20, 2014 at 14:07
“Switched to PS4” Whahahaha!
CAE9872
June 20, 2014 at 14:18
Arrrggghhhhh…I know I want one, but I know I don’t need one!!! At the very least the completionist in me will be happy if I buy one! Arrrrrggggghhhhhh….
Sk3tz0
June 20, 2014 at 14:36
It’s official I’ve decided Im going to Buy a Xbox one with kinect.
So it can watch me play my Ps4. 😛
HisDivineOrder
June 20, 2014 at 14:52
Kinda sucks Microsoft took almost a year to release in so many parts of the world even AFTER they excised the Kinect, which was ostensibly the reason for the delays.
Brian Murphy
June 20, 2014 at 15:27
I wouldn’t imagine it’s necessarily feeling abandoned by Microsoft, that’s the issue here. It’s a less capable machine, for the exact same price as the more powerful machine. They’ve made some moves thus far this gen that is a serious cause for concern among gamer’s. And they _really_ have no excuse for waiting this long for releasing in SA. Especially after we KNOW that they slowed down production on One’s because stock was building up around the world.
Total botch job, really. Why should anyone completely overlook the last 7 months, just because they’ve decided to make some changes to their policy ONLY out of sheer terror at what’s happening to the advances in the industry they made, during Gen 7.
If this were a case where they just removed the paywall for all the APPS that Gold required (prior to the change), without having any kind of outside influence, that would be for gamers. If they would’ve discussed the DRM idea, Kinect bundling, checking in with the internet connection daily etc… and scrapped it during the R&D phase because it wasn’t good for gamer’s…that would’ve been for gamer’s.
Changing all of these policies because nobody was interested in buying your product is not ‘for gamers’, it’s ‘for investors’. It will take more than a handful of exclusive titles, to change public perception and earn back their trust. And it’ll sure as hell take longer than 7 months. Microsoft should be prepared to be playing from behind this entire gen, because there’s really no reason to suggest that they’re going to earn back gamer goodwill that quickly.
That having been said, hopefully, in Gen 9, they’ll have learned these lessons, and won’t repeat mistakes of the past, much like Sony learned from their mistakes with the PS3 and applied them to the PS4.
Mark
July 12, 2014 at 19:34
If Microsofts Azure servers aren’t going to be in time for Xbones launch in S.A. Then why bother getting one?