Microsoft takes hatchet to YouTube clone

Admitting Failure 2.0

Microsoft plans to “significantly scale back” its Soapbox service, the would-be YouTube challenger it launched in 2006. Whatever that means.

Speaking with Cnet, Microsoft vice president Erik Jorgensen said that Soapbox’s YouTube-like user-generated video setup is just too expensive considering the state of the economy. But he didn’t exactly say how Microsoft plans to cut the service’s costs.

We’ve asked Microsoft to explain Jorgensen’s statements, and all it gave was more hemming and hawing. “We don’t have anything specific to announce about Soapbox at this time,” reads a statement from the company. “We are currently evaluating what the Soapbox brand means to MSN and how it relates to our content strategy.

“Online video is a key part of the MSN experience. Today, MSN Video has 35 million unique users each month, who watch 250 million video streams each month. We remain committed to delivering amazing experiences for consumers while at the same time keeping a keen eye on our business objectives during this tough economic climate.”

Read more: theregister.co.uk