Xbox 360 Europe: Beating PS3 in Non-Gaming
Marketing mode set to fully on. Entertainment is re-invented. Xbox 360 owners are 25+
It's coming up to Xmas, so marketing teams are upping their games. Try this from Microsoft in Europe. We are introduced to one Martin Olausson, Director of Digital Media Research at a company called Strategy Analytics.
In a Microsoft press release, Martin says, "Xbox 360 continues to pull ahead of the competition when it comes to delivering on a complete home entertainment experience and we think that Xbox Live currently is about 12 to 18 months ahead of its main rival PlayStation Network when it comes to offering service and content beyond traditional games."
Then the marketing team goes absolutely over the top with the fact that the Xbox 360 is actually, "Reinventing entertainment". This is attributed to Chris Lewis, vice president Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Europe. He continues, "European consumers are very discerning and demand a connected entertainment experience. That’s why we focused on providing content that is right and relevant for them and entertainment beyond just gaming..."
Are you European? Have you demanded a 'connected entertainment experience'? Tell us in the Forum. In fact, are you non-European and haven't demanded a 'connected entertainment experience'? We'd like to hear from you as well.
We then finish data from an "April 2009 Microsoft Internal Research Study". This 'study' exclaims that "This reinvention of entertainment has already seen a shift in where the Xbox lives in the home, with the majority (60%) of Xbox consoles now becoming integrated into the family living room. It has also caused a shift in the Xbox customer base as now 35% of Xbox customers are women and 64% are over the age of 25."
Soak that lot up and you get to the key points, which are:
- 10 million "consumers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa in just four years" have got Xbox 360s.
- Xbox 360 remains the only console showing positive year-on-year growth in 2009 so far, both across EMEA as a whole and in each of the 5 main markets within the region (UK, FR, DE, ES, IT) – Microsoft estimates based on Gfk ChartTrack data.
- 35% of Xbox 360 users in EMEA are women.
- 64% are over 25 years old.
- 60% of Xbox 360s are in the sitting room (even we can't work out what 'fully-integrated in the sitting room' really means').
The first two points are good strong stuff, we're sure you agree. So, why the requirement for the hyperbole?
In a Microsoft press release, Martin says, "Xbox 360 continues to pull ahead of the competition when it comes to delivering on a complete home entertainment experience and we think that Xbox Live currently is about 12 to 18 months ahead of its main rival PlayStation Network when it comes to offering service and content beyond traditional games."
Then the marketing team goes absolutely over the top with the fact that the Xbox 360 is actually, "Reinventing entertainment". This is attributed to Chris Lewis, vice president Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Europe. He continues, "European consumers are very discerning and demand a connected entertainment experience. That’s why we focused on providing content that is right and relevant for them and entertainment beyond just gaming..."
Are you European? Have you demanded a 'connected entertainment experience'? Tell us in the Forum. In fact, are you non-European and haven't demanded a 'connected entertainment experience'? We'd like to hear from you as well.
We then finish data from an "April 2009 Microsoft Internal Research Study". This 'study' exclaims that "This reinvention of entertainment has already seen a shift in where the Xbox lives in the home, with the majority (60%) of Xbox consoles now becoming integrated into the family living room. It has also caused a shift in the Xbox customer base as now 35% of Xbox customers are women and 64% are over the age of 25."
Soak that lot up and you get to the key points, which are:
- 10 million "consumers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa in just four years" have got Xbox 360s.
- Xbox 360 remains the only console showing positive year-on-year growth in 2009 so far, both across EMEA as a whole and in each of the 5 main markets within the region (UK, FR, DE, ES, IT) – Microsoft estimates based on Gfk ChartTrack data.
- 35% of Xbox 360 users in EMEA are women.
- 64% are over 25 years old.
- 60% of Xbox 360s are in the sitting room (even we can't work out what 'fully-integrated in the sitting room' really means').
The first two points are good strong stuff, we're sure you agree. So, why the requirement for the hyperbole?
Companies:
Microsoft
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PS3Owner 13 Nov 2009 12:01
1/1
These Press Releases from MS are just redicilous, "We think that based on our own internal research you should all go and buy a 360" - wow shocking findings from the 360's Marketing Director there! They should just STFU and let the games and services do the talking.
It's amazing how much stick Sony used to get for being arrogant when they used to issue these self promoting press releases, but nobody minds when MS does it. Also one would assume that all those fanboys that bought a 360 on the basis it was a games console and vowed never to buy a PS3 because they disliked how Sony were marketing it as a none-gaming device will now have to sell their 360 for the same reason?! It's funny how quickly things change - I seem to recall Microsoft making a big thing about being a games console and that they disagreed with Sony's media-hub approach, yet here they are a couple of years down the line trying to backtrack and argue that they are more a media hub then Sony!!! Obviously they decided Sony's direction wasn't such a bad one afterall!
Does this random guy from a random analysis firm have any basis for his argument beyond the Microsoft pay cheque sticking out of his back pocket? What exactly does Xbox Live offer that makes it 12-18 months ahead of the PS3 when it comes to none-gaming elements? Maybe 12-18 days - i.e. until the Video Store launches in Europe.
Let's have a look at the PS3's non-gaming credentials: Blu-ray playback, check; DVD playback, check; CD playback/ripping, check; DIVX certification, check; PC Media streaming, check; MP3 storage/playback, check; Music Video streaming, check; TV Catchup services; check; Digital TV playback/recording (PlayTV), check; Photo storage/oraganising/playback/printing, check; Full web browser, check; Video Conferencing (PSEye), check; Remote Play (PSP/Mobie), check; Folding@Home, check; Virtual Interactive Online Community (Home), check; Video on demand movie/tv rental/purchase, check; Facebook integration, rumoured-check; Karaoke (SingStar), check; Quizzes (Buzz), check; near silent operation for the living room, check;
I'm sure I've missed some but that covers the main ones I think, I'm not seeing a lot that Xbox Live does that the PS3 doesn't, but I am seeing a lot in that the PS3 does that the 360 doesn't! From a non-gaming perspective there is not a lot to justify the Live fee IMO, if you were a non-gamer wanting a media system for your living room the PS3 is a no-brainer surely?
They can continue to trumpet the value of Live for gaming, and may even have a case that the PSN is 12 months behind in the gaming online stakes, but when they start arguing the 360 is a better media hub for Europe they just look stupid... In fact you could argue the reverse is true and the 360 is 12-18 months behind the PS3!
It's amazing how much stick Sony used to get for being arrogant when they used to issue these self promoting press releases, but nobody minds when MS does it. Also one would assume that all those fanboys that bought a 360 on the basis it was a games console and vowed never to buy a PS3 because they disliked how Sony were marketing it as a none-gaming device will now have to sell their 360 for the same reason?! It's funny how quickly things change - I seem to recall Microsoft making a big thing about being a games console and that they disagreed with Sony's media-hub approach, yet here they are a couple of years down the line trying to backtrack and argue that they are more a media hub then Sony!!! Obviously they decided Sony's direction wasn't such a bad one afterall!
Does this random guy from a random analysis firm have any basis for his argument beyond the Microsoft pay cheque sticking out of his back pocket? What exactly does Xbox Live offer that makes it 12-18 months ahead of the PS3 when it comes to none-gaming elements? Maybe 12-18 days - i.e. until the Video Store launches in Europe.
Let's have a look at the PS3's non-gaming credentials: Blu-ray playback, check; DVD playback, check; CD playback/ripping, check; DIVX certification, check; PC Media streaming, check; MP3 storage/playback, check; Music Video streaming, check; TV Catchup services; check; Digital TV playback/recording (PlayTV), check; Photo storage/oraganising/playback/printing, check; Full web browser, check; Video Conferencing (PSEye), check; Remote Play (PSP/Mobie), check; Folding@Home, check; Virtual Interactive Online Community (Home), check; Video on demand movie/tv rental/purchase, check; Facebook integration, rumoured-check; Karaoke (SingStar), check; Quizzes (Buzz), check; near silent operation for the living room, check;
I'm sure I've missed some but that covers the main ones I think, I'm not seeing a lot that Xbox Live does that the PS3 doesn't, but I am seeing a lot in that the PS3 does that the 360 doesn't! From a non-gaming perspective there is not a lot to justify the Live fee IMO, if you were a non-gamer wanting a media system for your living room the PS3 is a no-brainer surely?
They can continue to trumpet the value of Live for gaming, and may even have a case that the PSN is 12 months behind in the gaming online stakes, but when they start arguing the 360 is a better media hub for Europe they just look stupid... In fact you could argue the reverse is true and the 360 is 12-18 months behind the PS3!