Xbox and women don’t mix too well. Despite Microsoft’s PR hyperbole about wanting to reach new markets (read ‘the ladies’) we all know that the company’s Corporate VP ‘of games’, Peter Moore’s ideal consumer is a young, male college graduate, who's also a sports fan and who enjoys playing Madden online with his buddies.
In other words, a jock. Moore admitted as much himself in an interview earlier this year.
Despite making noises about broadening the appeal of Xbox to the fairer sex, Moore is also reported in today’s Washington Post, which states that, “the coming lineup of games for the [360] system features mostly the same old violent, guy-oriented titles that have long given the industry a bad rep.”
Gears of War, which SPOnG has played and can confirm is truly going to be up there as one of our games of the year, is hardly being marketed to female gamers. This is not a sexist attitude on behalf of Microsoft, merely a calculated commercial strategy. And if there are ladies out there who have a deep love for visceral, violent action games, then please tell us more in the forums.
To be fair, Microsoft’s superb Pokémon-a-like Viva Pinata, is going to broaden the 360’s appeal amongst younger gamers – but will they be able to market this and other similar titles well enough to encourage the mums to get involved in playing the game with their children?
The Post news goes on to heap praise on Nintendo for managing to convert a writer/photographer called Tracey Clark, a mother of two girls, ages 8 and 3 and writer of a well-known blog about motherhood-related issues. The Clark family doesn’t own any game consoles.
Nintendo rocked-up to Clark’s drive last month in a truck containing four large-screen televisions and four Wii consoles, to let the Clark family and friends spend the day playing Wii.
Previously unsold on videogaming, Clark told the Post this week, “I think it’s fantastic marketing…moms are who spend the money; moms are the ones who go shopping for their kids.”
SPOnG quizzed Nikki Sharpe on this issue, a friend and mother of four boys from the ages of eight up to sixteen, who expressed a similar opinion when quizzed about the Xbox 360 and the Wii, telling us, “I don’t really know anything about the Xbox 360. My eldest has a PS2 and wants a PS3 whenever that comes out.”
She continued, “I’m actually looking forward to playing Wii with all the boys when it comes out, which is a first. I’ve never personally had any interest in computer games whatever, but this one looks a bit different, a lot easier and like it might be more of a laugh for us all to play together.”
SPOnG just spoke with Rob Saunders, Nintendo's UK PR manager, who told us that the company will be announcing their trade marketing plans with details of how they intend to appeal to the mothers of the UK later next week.
In other words, a jock. Moore admitted as much himself in an interview earlier this year.
Despite making noises about broadening the appeal of Xbox to the fairer sex, Moore is also reported in today’s Washington Post, which states that, “the coming lineup of games for the [360] system features mostly the same old violent, guy-oriented titles that have long given the industry a bad rep.”
Gears of War, which SPOnG has played and can confirm is truly going to be up there as one of our games of the year, is hardly being marketed to female gamers. This is not a sexist attitude on behalf of Microsoft, merely a calculated commercial strategy. And if there are ladies out there who have a deep love for visceral, violent action games, then please tell us more in the forums.
To be fair, Microsoft’s superb Pokémon-a-like Viva Pinata, is going to broaden the 360’s appeal amongst younger gamers – but will they be able to market this and other similar titles well enough to encourage the mums to get involved in playing the game with their children?
The Post news goes on to heap praise on Nintendo for managing to convert a writer/photographer called Tracey Clark, a mother of two girls, ages 8 and 3 and writer of a well-known blog about motherhood-related issues. The Clark family doesn’t own any game consoles.
Nintendo rocked-up to Clark’s drive last month in a truck containing four large-screen televisions and four Wii consoles, to let the Clark family and friends spend the day playing Wii.
Previously unsold on videogaming, Clark told the Post this week, “I think it’s fantastic marketing…moms are who spend the money; moms are the ones who go shopping for their kids.”
SPOnG quizzed Nikki Sharpe on this issue, a friend and mother of four boys from the ages of eight up to sixteen, who expressed a similar opinion when quizzed about the Xbox 360 and the Wii, telling us, “I don’t really know anything about the Xbox 360. My eldest has a PS2 and wants a PS3 whenever that comes out.”
She continued, “I’m actually looking forward to playing Wii with all the boys when it comes out, which is a first. I’ve never personally had any interest in computer games whatever, but this one looks a bit different, a lot easier and like it might be more of a laugh for us all to play together.”
SPOnG just spoke with Rob Saunders, Nintendo's UK PR manager, who told us that the company will be announcing their trade marketing plans with details of how they intend to appeal to the mothers of the UK later next week.
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Comments
rascal 13 Oct 2006 16:56
1/5
My female buddy Pauline has a "deep love for visceral, violent action games". I've tried to get her to play cute games like Mario and Zelda but she's having none of it. When she sees virtual characters blasting each other her eyes light up and she wants some of it. She's actually lovely, not a true violent bone in her body. She owns an Xbox, PC and almost bought a Gamecube after I let her zombie mash in Resi 4 on mine. She's also 53.
Seriously, there is a market here consisting of middle aged females who are going through the change and have had a s**t day at work. Someone needs to wake up and start aimming these bloodfests at these relatively placcid, independent women who love their cats and hate their men.
Seriously, there is a market here consisting of middle aged females who are going through the change and have had a s**t day at work. Someone needs to wake up and start aimming these bloodfests at these relatively placcid, independent women who love their cats and hate their men.
DoctorDee 13 Oct 2006 18:25
2/5
Cheeky Rascal wrote:
women who love their cats and hate their men.
My wife!!!
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PreciousRoi 16 Oct 2006 12:21
3/5
My buddies wife would only play Rainbow Six...never really figured out why, but that was her favorite...she also fed our entire LAN group delicious food, since Super eats enough for a small army, and its just about as easy to feed a slightly larger one, just takes a bit longer...so we always had to work in some Rainbow, even when we really wanted to play Halo 2 all day and night. No one was more disappointed that the latest Rainbow was a "best of"...
RiseFromYourGrave 17 Oct 2006 00:28
4/5
my girlfriend is eclectic, she likes naming animals in harvest moon as much as watching yourself get disfigured and mutilated on quake 4
Joji 17 Oct 2006 15:11
5/5
That's cool about Rainbow Six, Precious. Atleast she had a go, how did you talk her into that? Maybe she might like Ghost Recon AF, or more imminently Rainbow Six Vegas (if it has those GRAF touches, I'm so buying it). I completed GRAW the other day, damn fun stuff.
With regards to the mums biz, I think its great that Nintendo are going out that far to show females especially they have nothing to fear from gaming and Wii.
Next stop: get them to program that video timer, without Videoplus...lol.
I helped raise my niece and gave her a good education is games from my collection, now she'll play anything from Nintendogs and Burnout to GTA or Half Life 2. Only thing she won't play is Resident Evil series, but she doesn't mind watching me play though. 'Don't mind if I do, thanks luv (me takes the pad from her).'
With regards to the mums biz, I think its great that Nintendo are going out that far to show females especially they have nothing to fear from gaming and Wii.
Next stop: get them to program that video timer, without Videoplus...lol.
I helped raise my niece and gave her a good education is games from my collection, now she'll play anything from Nintendogs and Burnout to GTA or Half Life 2. Only thing she won't play is Resident Evil series, but she doesn't mind watching me play though. 'Don't mind if I do, thanks luv (me takes the pad from her).'