Microsoft Looking For Xbox Moms

WillAffleckUW writes "In a New York Times article republished here in International Herald Tribune, Microsoft says it is desperately seeking moms to play XBox games, and has a marketing campaign for women gamers. Apparently not satisfied with its target audience of 17-24 yo males, they are even giving away thousands of free consoles on the radio. Most analysts doubt that the FPS and combat-heavy XBox gaming selection will sell well to women though." From the article: "This time, Microsoft is planning a wider attack. Brochures being sent to major retailers like Best Buy prominently describe the 360's ability to double as a DVD player, play music from an MP3 player through a television's speakers and even display digital photos on a TV. Its game functions, while impressive, are only part of the message."

Comments

Nintendo Leads Again

[OpMindFck]

There's been much talk of the declining video game market. Especially from the folks at Nintendo. Until now their plans for expanding the market have been just talk. With the revolution controller revealed, It looks like Nintendo may just be able to snag the "mother/grandparent/people-that-don't-play-FPS-gam es" market.

Could this marketing campaign just be a result of Microsoft's recognition of this threat from Nintendo?

Re:Nintendo Leads Again

[tuzzyfoad]

I'm not quite sure how the revolution controller may "snag" a demographic that has never been interested in console gaming? If anything it seems more likely to push them further away as it's yet another "new" technology that they've never encountered before.

Re:Nintendo Leads Again

[porcupine8]

Which "new" technology (they're all new to someone who hasn't used any of them) do you think is more approachable for the average non-gamer:

1) Remote control-type device that you hold in your hand. When you want something to move, you move it. When you want to shoot at (or in some other way affect) an object, you point at it and hit a button.

2) Strangely-shaped (though somewhat nice ergonomically) device with what looks like several ways to move your character; you have to figure out which to use for what, and get used to the thumb movements. When you want to do anything, you have to remember specific combinations of the many buttons.

I can totally see how the Revolution could be more approachable. I'm not entirely sure yet that I'd rather use it for traditional types of games (which for me means Mario and Zelda), but I'm definitely ready to give it a shot.

Translation

[MBCook]

Translation:

You didn't buy our last console because the games were terrible (as far as things to appeal to Moms)

You wouldn't buy our new console because the games will be terrible (as far as things that appeal to Moms)

So we are firing a shotgun-blast of pointless features we tacked on for the sole purpose of marketing bullet-points and "but Sony and Nintendo don't do ____" at you in the HOPES that SOMETHING will stick and might get you to look at buying our console.

Because you NEED a $400 DVD player (which has inferior quality to true $400 DVD players, I bet). You NEED a $400 box to listen to your iPod on your TV (because that $3 headphone->RCA cable won't work well enough). You NEED to be able to view your photos on the TV (because every digital camera in the last 5 years won't let you do that... no... wait...).

This is a STUPID marketing tactic. It's like trying to sell pickup trucks to women because they include a makeup mirror. Who would buy a pickup truck not because they needed a car of some sort, but because of the makeup mirror. No, worse: it is selling fridges to Eskimos because you can use the top of it to collect dust.

You want female gamers? Make good, fun, nice, games. There are other genres than Sports, Xtreme Sports, FPS, and Fighter. Look at Nintendo. They have the Mario games (even the Mario sports ones can appeal to women), they haver other games like Animal Crossing, and they also have things like Nintendogs.

Has it occured to you that you have pushed so far to towards 18 year old males that you no longer don't appeal to women, you are actively driving them away? I wouldn't be surprised if that was true.

It is now, and always will be ALL ABOUT THE GAMES.

Kind of pricey just to do these things.

[L. VeGas]

.. ability to double as a DVD player, play music from an MP3 player through a television's speakers and even display digital photos on a TV

I have a DVD player that cost me $30 that does all this.

Re:Kind of pricey just to do these things.

[Carrot007]

Cor what an intelligent responce.

XMBC is free.

Yeah free and there is no need for and xbox, mod chip and wireless network adaptor. (cables look messy in your living room).

Great so I'll just go to PC World and take home a free PC to run linux on then shall I?

Bah some people should think before spouting random drivel.

Re:Yeah this would work.

[badasscat]

Between tending home, taking care of the kids, ...

Or is it the married woman, who takes care of a husband..."

Dude, is it suddenly like, 1953 in here?

You realize not every woman is a housewife or a spinster, don't you?

Hallmark Channel Games

[iridium_ionizer]

Maybe the Hallmark Channel should come out with a games division. A while back I watched a movie on the Hallmark Channel with my mom (or maybe it was a 2hr long season opener show). It was called Jane Doe and it was about how a suburban housewife that secretly (even to her family) was a retired analyst for a secret government agency. Of course she gets pulled back in, and becomes so busy finding clues and evading bad guys that she nearly misses her daughter's cheerleading tryouts.

I was laughing pretty hard at some parts and so was my mother, but no doubt about it she was eating it up in spite of its so readily apparent cheeziness (and my mom is pretty intelligent). Now, doesn't the plot of that flick tell volumes about the psychology of its target audience. I mean, even the secret government agency was hidden under the local grocery store.

Bow Before Your Nintendo

[Blakey Rat]

This is Slashdot.org, in case you forgot. Just the subject line "Nintendo Leads Again" is enough for a +5 Informative or Insightful... anything beyond that is just filler.

I think I'll name this reply "Bow Before Your Nintendo" to get the same moderation response.

it's all about justifying the purchase

[truffle]

There was extensive discussion of this on the International Game Developer's Association women in the games industry mailing list. The overall conclusions of this discussion were:

Microsoft is not trying to appeal to Mom gamers, they are trying to provide information to help you convince mom (your wife, your actual mom) that purchasing an X-box 360 is a justifiable expense. Women are often the financial gatekeepers in a household. Unless you're quite wealthy, spending $300-400 on a new console system is going to involve "running it by mom". If you can tell Mom, "it's a DVD player" and "we can view our photos on it" and "we can listen to music on it" it makes it sound like more than just a game machine, it makes it sounds like a home entertainment device. This might be slightly easier to sell Mom on than "it's the next big console!"

Furthermore these same arguments can help people who are their own financial gatekeepers reach the same conclusion. Living alone? Got a job but not a tonne of money to burn? Research has shown that when purchasing an expensive item, consumers often need to come up with some kind of justification for why the purchase in question is worth it. This is in part why high-end items often have extra arguably useless features. These extra features help you build a case in your head that spending the extra money "is worth it".

Microsoft doesn't have delusions of halo playing housewives, this is all part of convincing families and individuals that the 360 is more than just a gaming machine so they'll be willing to purchase it.