The marketing geniuses at Microsoft have done it again.
Looks like that super cool Halo 360 bundle (which DID NOT include a copy of Halo 3) was only the beginning. Now, we have… the Xbox 360 UNO Edition?!? (complete with live sex chat!)
In what will replace the “core,” we have the exciting “Xbox 360 Arcade” pack! It’s $279, and comes with an incredibly useful 256mb memory card, wireless controller, HDMI, blah blah blah, and wait, wait … no, no hard drive, don’t be silly, but you do get…..
(Drum roll…)
FIVE FULL XBLA GAMES!
This, my friends, is pure genius.
What a resourceful way to sell more systems! Let’s not pack in a great game like BioShock or anything decent that would really sell, let’s include all the crappy games that nobody cares about!
Check it out:
1. Feeding Frenzy
2. Luxor 2
3. Boom Boom Rocket
4. Pac-Man Championship Edition (by far the best of the group)
5. Uno
What a GREAT way to show the uninformed consumer all the cool things you can play on your new hi-definition gaming console! That’s right, this is the best the 360 can do, or at least that’s what the layman will think. PacMan: CE gets an honorable mention, but Feeding Frenzy and Uno? Come on!
The purpose of this “great deal” is to appeal casual gamers, but they’re doing it all wrong! Microsoft’s trying to show off the Xbox 360 with its weakest link. Hellloooo??? That’s like trying to sell a big SUV by shouting how great it is at guzzling gas! The included games (and I use that term “games” loosely here) use MAYBE one tenth of the 360’s processing power! Wow. Let’s shoot ourselves in the foot right out of the starting gate!
Good job team!
I can just hear the moms’ this holiday season ask “Does it come with any games?” and then I’d have to cringe when the always knowledgeable salesperson says, “Yes! It comes with Pac Man and a few others.”
<shudder>
Soccer moms out there who this is obviously targeted for will not understand what a “XBLA” is. To them, they will think it’s the same as a full price retail game.
What’s even worse, is that for some of the REALLY clueless customers, they’ll think they’re getting FIVE great games, when in reality they’re getting a bundle most gamers, wouldn’t pay for and won’t play for more than a month… tops.
Either way, this plan will backfire. People will either look at this bundle and be unimpressed by what it offers, or they’ll buy it and be disappointed later. I know it’s cheaper, and yes, Microsoft is trying to grab back some of the market stolen by Nintendo, but this isn’t the way to do it.
If Microsoft really wants to appeal to a bigger crowd, they need to push their strengths, not their weaknesses. They need to properly advertise the how much fun the GOOD games really are. Instead of packing in XBLA titles, throw in Viva Pinata, and have a Mom and daughter playing on the cover, or even a dad and son figuring out where to put a portal in Portal! Anything’s better than this load of arcade garbage.
Way to go Microsoft! You’ve successfully done the exact the opposite of what you wanted. Instead of drawing in casual gamers, you’re pushing them away again. Brilliant!
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8 responses so far ↓
1 DarthVicious82 // Oct 24, 2007 at 4:31 am
If you want to appeal to the casual game market, why not a Scene It! “home entertainment” bundle. At least then you could show off the HD video. Then again…Core/Arcade purchasers are the same people that hook-up the component cables and leave the video switch on SD.
2 Kanbei // Oct 24, 2007 at 7:13 am
if they are that cheap (ie small family) they should just get a wii anyway, Its marketed to them.
Better priced games for em in the long run too.
(1 n64 game+ 1 wii game = 60$–1Xbox360 game= 60$
3 Doc // Oct 24, 2007 at 9:03 am
Somehow I think they have a lot more research on this pack than you’re giving them credit for. Frankly, I think it’s a great idea to introduce the system at a digestible price to people that might otherwise be intimidated by the price tag. You want to sell an M1 tank to a bird hunter, Microsoft is selling them a shotgn that can be converted to an M1 tank as they get more and more comfortable with what the system can do. I just don’t see how this is a big deal.
4 Lono // Oct 24, 2007 at 10:07 am
Doc is all about defending Big Corporations lately…
5 AriesDog // Oct 24, 2007 at 11:09 am
You forget that Microsoft’s biggest games are all M-rated. Since this box is geared towards families it makes sense. It was launched at Toys-R-Us in Times Square. Somehow I have hard time picturing most 8-10 year olds being able to play or handle the subject matter Bioshock, Orange Box, or Halo 3. Unless you’re part of the Slick clan. Mr. and Mrs. Slick took baby Supa to Texas Chainsaw Massacre instead of E.T., biker bars instead of Disneyworld, and abandoned factories instead of playgrounds.
6 Moore’s Replacement Making Himself Right at Home // Dec 5, 2007 at 3:00 pm
[...] is why the introduction of the Xbox 360 Arcade version was genius. Despite Supaslick’s criticism, it’s the perfect fit for those people who are too adult for the Wii and too poor for a PS3. [...]
7 DimWit // Dec 14, 2007 at 2:04 am
Well its good that Microsoft have 360 at a lower price but it is going to be one hell of an issue at XMas. PS3 will have lowered its price which means its sales will end up being higher then 360’s but 360 cant realy afford o lower because they will loose alot of money. 360 did freat at the start but sony have always out done every other console in the end.
8 commander121 // Jan 1, 2008 at 2:37 am
mum and dad arnt going to pay top dollar for little to timmy to ruin his eyes only the hardcore and and if they can lower the price little timmy might get his 360
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