NPR: In the Video Gaming Battle, Microsoft May Have Just Blinked

In the Video Gaming Battle, Microsoft May Have Just Blinked

Believe it or not, moms have just become the prime targets for the video gaming world.

Bloomberg reported over the weekend that Microsoft, following the lead of Nintendo, has decided to focus more on moms and the "casual gamer" -- basically, anyone who isn't a 15-to-34-year-old male whose sole desire in life is to destroy as many aliens, spaceships, enemy soldiers, etc., as possible, without eating or going to the bathroom for days at a time. Microsoft might even drop its price on the Xbox.

Why this shift in marketing? Because nothing focuses the mind of a business executive like the success of a rival. It's not just the wireless Wii that has vaulted Nintendo to the top of the gaming world: it's Nintendo's decision to go after all those casual gamers.

Nintendo has been particularly successful with its sports-oriented games. Using a wireless Wii stick and physical actions to control what's happening onscreen has enabled family members who might not have the thumb-button coordination of younger members to hold their own. The result is that its console outsells both Xbox and Sony's PlayStation 3 (which is in serious trouble) by large margins.

As a parent of four kids who love their PlayStation 2, I cheer Nintendo's effort to create games that appeal to the entire family. Albert Penello, director of Xbox global platform marketing, said he realizes his company also needs to start reaching out to this demographic or risk being "pigeonholed as a hard-core machine." If that fear of being pigeonholed means my family can eventually get more use out of an Xbox than our PS2, I would be more than happy to switch.

9:36 AM ET | 06-11-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

Nintendo is just dope!

Sent by Fredly | 4:04 PM ET | 06-21-2007

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