Microsoft's Mysterious Monday Meeting

By George Ponder
published

Microsoft is holding a press event in Los Angeles on Monday, June 18th. That much we do know.

What we don't know is why Microsoft is holding an event on Monday.

The invitation distributed by Waggener Edstrom, Microsoft's PR agency, reads,

"You are invited to an exclusive Microsoft Media event in Los Angeles, California on Monday, June 18th. Doors open at 3:30 p.m."

We can say with confidence and confirmation that this isn't a Windows Phone event. That press event will be held  two days later in San Francisco (which we'll be in attendance at). But what could it be?

Xbox related? Maybe more information about Xbox Music?  Maybe something SmartGlass or Windows Tablet related? Could we see a few Windows tablets revealed? Maybe Microsoft has changed it's mind and is going to buy Nokia after all? Okay... that one might be too much of a stretch.

At this point, your guess is as good as ours.  Should we hear anything definitive we'll pass it on. The nice thing about this mystery is that we don't have long to wait for the event.

Source: ZDnet (opens in new tab)

George Ponder
George Ponder

George is the Reviews Editor at Windows Central, concentrating on Windows 10 PC and Mobile apps. He's been a supporter of the platform since the days of Windows CE and uses his current Windows 10 Mobile phone daily to keep up with life and enjoy a game during down time.

103 Comments
  • Are any of you going?
  • No, it's a bit out of our range (topic wise) and truth be told, I'm already traveling that day to SF.
  • Are you hiring? I'll go.
  • Did you get invites? Cause if you didn't we can be 100000% sure that there isn't going to be anything related to WP.
  • Spoke with Microsoft PR directly. It has nothing to do with Windows Phone. Most people seem to think it's media releated--Xbox Video, WinRT tablets and/or the more extravagent Microsoft buys Hulu. You have to think about the location: LA. 
  • Thanks for the clarification :)  I hope it's windows RT related! Although it would be interesting to see if MS can finally find a solution to the whole TV problem...
  • Buying hulu would be great.
  • I live in LA, so if you need someone to be an honorary WPCentral contributor, I can help!
  • I'm betting on tablets.
  • I don't think so, it wouldn't be in LA if it was tablets.
    It's gotta be entertainment related.
  • Your guess not you're ...
  • Lol correcting grammar
  • Mysterious Apple event, the press flips out. Mysterious Microsoft event, the tech press will ignore it or get the info wrong.
  • I read on one of the sites that it's Windows tablets RT. Just have to wait and see.
  • Nokia tablet maybe! That would be sick!
     
  • Anything Nokia would be saved for Nokia World come September. We'll be there for that though as WP8 phones will likely be shown too.
  • +1
  • Maybe.....Microsoft bought Corning (makers of Gorilla Glass), Dolby labs and Nikon.
    Ok ok maybe that's a log shot.
  • LOL, that would be cool!
  • Dolby is wack
  • Brier Dudley from the Seattle Times' tech beat guesses that they're buying Hulu
    http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleysblog/2018436...
  • I'd be happy to pay for Hulu Plus if there was a Windows Phone app.
  • I'd be happy to pay for Hulu Plus again if they had all non-Plus content and got rid of the commercials. :-/
  • Hulu Plus has 2 million subscribers and is already installed on most platforms. It would be a smart play to buy Hulu Plus like they did with Skype. Otherwise MSFT has to do the hard work to get Xbox Video installed on other devices.
     
    They could even do bundle deals where you subscribe to Hulu Plus, Xbox Live, Xbox Music, and Skype Premium.
  • That doesn't seem like a wise purchase... But I'm saying that as it's US only and completely unknown elsewhere.
  • I think it is a wise purchase. Microsoft doesn't have a video subscription or free-ad supported service to respond to YouTube/Amazon Prime/Netflix. Microsoft controls the living room in the US so it would make sense to make Hulu Plus their platform as they've done with Skype.
     
    Hulu is a very strong response to YouTube. Google is struggling to legitimize YouTube into something like Hulu, but Hulu is already there and gets tons of traffic to it's site for video.
     
    Microsoft can bundle Xbox Music and Hulu Plus with Xbox Live or Skype service. Anything that substantially increases Microsoft's strength as a platform agnostic service provider is a good move in my opinion.  Given the importance of Xbox to Microsoft now, Hulu Plus is a very complimentary service to own.
  • "Brier Dudley from the Seattle Times' tech beat guesses that they're buying Hulu"
    He just updated and confirmed it's *not* Hulu :-/
  • Its too bad, I really liked the idea. There's always the possibility that the inside source is wrong, however.
  • Seattle Times is reporting it may be Microsoft purchasing or entering into strategic partnership with Hulu.
  • As noted on Mary-Jo Foley's ZDNet blog it could be a buyout or major deal with Hulu. I'll guess they're buying them.
  • Now MJ is speculating a Kindle Fire 7" tablet competitor running WP7 ...the rumors are flying tonight!!
  • Nook with WP8!
  • Doesnt this baby look like a young steve ballmer
  • hahaha, yes. holy shit, it really does!
  • OMG that is sooooooooo young Steve Ballmer!!!
  • Maybe they bought Nokia. Hopefully ita not about yammer. They need to buy Nokia and rim, and combine rim and Nokia to take over the regular and enterprise market
  • If they bought Nokia, why announce it in LA? Makese no sense. Think entertainment.
  • Get real! They aren't buying Nokia
  • Why wouldn't they buy Nokia? Seems like a smart thing to do to me. They were once the worlds leader in cell phones. And I understand what you're saying Rubino. I suppose maybe they bought The Lakers... Lol
  • They *could* buy Nokia, but if you do, you're immediately pissing off the other hardware partners (Samsung, HTC, etc) and why would you want to sour those relationships just when they're starting to grow? Not a good idea right now.
  • Smartglass early would be awesome.
  • I agree!
  • I thought that it would be about smartglass as ign.com were announcing that Microsoft would be holding a conference. And they don't talk about windows phones or the windows operating systems.
  • I would like it to be that they have a partnership with RIM. Wishful thinking.
  • Not just partnered buy them... And buy Nokia.
  • they are going to give all wpcentral users windows phone devices and windows 8 tablet :P
    my guess a partnership with a company
    if this is a big announcement then we have two big products for microsoft windows with all it services and xbox E3 gone then its windows and if its windows related then windows phone and xbox  going to get a piece of the cake
  • It would be nice if MS buys or partners with Rim. Seeing Kevin on the Windows team would be cool.
  • A Windows Phone with a BlackBerry keyboard would be a killer device.
  • Geez give up with BlackBerry is dead. Windows phone killed it. Also BlackBerry keyboard sucks anyway with there small buttons. Unless you have small hands lol
  • Nokia w8 tabs!
  • +1
  • +1
  • You guys use the best pictures!
  • Ahhh, what an exciting time to have a preference for this wonderful ecosystem. All the possibilities...
  • If it's Hulu I imagine its a partnership not a complete buy like google wants, they want the rights to the media too. Willing to overpay buy the studios don't want that.
  • Zune pass for tv?
  • Ah dude, that would be amazing. Zune pass video!!! +1 my friend
  • Sinofsky as new CEO?? Ok a big stretch.
  • Maybe they are announcing a partnership with Facebook in response to the recent WWDC. "All Windows 8 devices and wp8 devices will and additional 'drop down' start screen that is engaged by pressing a new 'F' key which is in the Facebook font. This secret 'drop down' start screen will be full of tiles completely composed of only your contacts on Facebook. The code name of this "Face penetration". Take that Apple!!!
  • Lol @ face penetration :D
  • Xbox music + Hulu + Barnes & Noble: flat fee for all uses across different devices. Its a pipe dream I know.
  • Tablets on Monday, Phones on Wednesday. Reactions and amazements on Thursday and Friday. Unofficially Microsoft Week
  • And the battle with all the AndTrolls and iTrolls that'll be here all week
  • im with alot of people here. its got to be content based. I dont think Hulu. its obviously something no one would expect. maybe they are going in with a studio to produce original content. kind of like what netflix did. maybe a amazon phone running windowsphone OS.
  • Halo Movie? Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.
  • They tried that...and it didn't work. Microsoft didn't work well with the movie companies, if I recall.
  • Its most likely that stupid yammer announcement.
  • Here's a long shot. Maybe they bought Epic Games.
  • No mention of Xbox Video at E3, so my guess is that will be the announcement. And my hope is that it will include a fee schedule that allows a bundle for my Zune pass and Xbox live service into a single payment.
  • Haha I am going there. Glad be in LA
  • Engadget says it's windows rt tablets
  • My guess is it has to do with XBOX and Windows RT. What would be sweet is if they announce a 10" RT tablet at $399.00 NOT TIED to some wireless carrier.
  • The WRAP reporting Microsoft branded tablet... :)
  • I highly doubt that one. That would be quite a skap in the face to Nokia and other tablet OEMs as well.
  • Well they could be releasing an intel based tablet running Windows 8 rather than Windows RT, so they wouldn't directly be competing with Nokia although they would compete with OEMs like Toshiba, Asus, HP, Acer and so on.
  • Maybe you know something I don't but how do we know if Nokia will be building Intel or ARM based tablets? I'm hoping they build both and I'm really hoping they build an high-end Intel based tablet for one and if so I'll buy one as soon as it is available.
  • Everyone else has taken my good ideas. so I'll go out in left field with something absurd and ridiculous. Microsoft is going to buy RedBox, just to cover their bases with the offline crowd.
  • http://majornelson.com/2012/06/14/xbox-changes-strategy-for-gamescom-and...
  • My guess.. MS is starting there own movie studio to produce their first movie... Halo: The Movie :D
  • Ha ha. What a lovely baby! Perfect expression!
  • Any webcast?
  • I hope its a partnership with Hulu. Seems like the best way to get them to put out a WinPhone app. They had to buy Skype to get it done.
  • Mashable is reporting that Microsoft is launching an "ipad killer". Whatever that supposed to mean. To me its more rumor but what else is there to do this weekend?
     
    http://mashable.com/2012/06/14/microsoft-is-launching-an-ipad-killer-rep...
     
     
  • Ina Fried is saying the same thing - does this mean they've lost confidence in their hardware partner Nokia?
  •  Small world
  • Why would Microsoft hold a press conference to tell people they bought out a company makes no sense.I think Microsoft has something up their sleeve :)
  • Maybe they'll announce the next Xbox
  • Please be this ^. I've been holding off buying an Xbox after the e3 announcements only because the new one isn't that far off. Seems unlikely though.
  • I've read about an MS branded tablet a few times.
  • My Guesses:
    1) NOOK tablet to compete with Kindle.
    2) Hulu or Netflix buyout
    3) Microsoft branded Tablet announcement
    4) Steam buyout
    5) RIM / Nokia buyout. (probably not Nokia yet because they do have a 5 year deal that can wait)
    *** BONUS GUESS: They are buying OLYMPUS since they are really in the gutter. OLYMPUS and NOKIA can combine their IP and engineering quality to create something spectacular for Windows.
  • Anyone wanna take a stab at where you think the location's gonna be?
    My money's on here: http://nokiatheatrelalive.com/ :D
  • All about windows 8 tablets.
  • Hope its something good like Xbox music and videos details
  • Microsoft buys Hulu? That would be great, but for everyone outside the states of no interest :( . So I bet it's going to be Hulu
  • Like the folks at Engadget predict, Microsoft may be releasing information about their own in-house table to compete with the iPad. That seems logical because they recently applied for a patent to a mag-safe type power connecter - Now why would a software company apply for such a patent if it weren't to produce its own hardware???
     
    Lets hope its something along those lines because i really loved ZUNE (Even though it failed) and I would love to get my  hands on a Microsoft built Windows 8 tablet/PC
     
  • Maybe Microsoft had enough and buying Apple and Google. All future versions of iPhones and Androids will now run Windows Phone 8
  • Windows need there own branded hardware. Forget all this partnered stuff
  • Looks like Microsoft is going to announce Windows 8 Tablets. MS manufactured and branded Win8RT Tablets. Check the below link
    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/news/hardware/Microsoft-plans-to-unveil-iPad-rival-Report/articleshow/14144867.cms
  • Could this be anything to do with MS buying Yammer?  Yammer are SF based apparently, so maybe not unless the negotitations are being held in LA?
  • sorry link i posted was to same story
    .
  • Maybe MS is finally going to reveal a decent marketing firm that can bring WP into the mindset of current Apple, Google, and feature phone users!!!! Marketing is WP'S biggest "weakest link" not apps, features, or hardware. For the average consumer a NL900 is more smartphone than they will ever need,,, they just dont know about it yet.
  • Here's a stab in the dark...the new NFL stadium in LA will be named "Microsoft Stadium"
  • I reckon it's an annoucement that in 3 months from today we'll see W8 released for desktop, tablets and mobiles (WP8). I think Xbox is due for an update at the same time.