XBOX, I'll explain Forbes.
04/06/2001 5:25:25 AM MDT Albuquerque, Nm
By Dustin D. Brand; Owner AMO
Let me clear up the Forbes April 02, 2001, Next-Gen Consoles article for you.
American made Microsoft is entering a market previously dominated by the Japanese; Game Consoles. In the interest of writing down the truth, I wrote the following article in the direct response to negative press resulting from an accurate Forbes Article. The afformentioned article should be read in its entirety before proceeding.
It's been a long, yearly, and ever lasting debate between my friend Mike and I on several things relating to the Game Industry in general, be it PC Games, or Home Video Games and their systems, yet we have no trouble understanding 1 key thing, the Software is soooo important.
As I was writing my last XBOX article (listed at the top of the bottom of this page), I had to mention the Forbes article, obviously supporting my facts. I didn't pick this article apart, piece by piece, but rather choose to quote it at the end of the article, AFTER I had, hopefully supported my facts with enough background.
The debate is simple, it's all about the games ultimately, but what makes them popular, number 1 selling, and top 10 titles are important, however all debates must be supported.
Forbes may have seemed unfair to Nintendo, after all they have been a successful video game maker, and video game system maker, however 1 thing which is undeniable is the fact that Nintendo markets to Kids, that is Children below the age of 13, and they do so successfully.
Forbes isn't a Video Game magazine, thank god. Forbes is however an extremely well liked and well respected Business Magazine, with great columnists, not journalists in your average sense, but experienced editors and writers of Business data and information. One site, which will go unnamed (but isn't Forbes) wrote an article directly following mine, on the Forbes article saying Forbes has no idea what they're talking about, even reverting to name calling.
This unnamed site, which seems to awfully regularly bad talk Microsoft, even on their own Un-Official Microsoft XBOX site, and does so with striking consistency following positive press like the Forbes article which support what the XBOX is all about. It is for this reason that I wish to clear some things up.
The Microsoft XBOX is not for kids, that is 13 and younger, neither is the Sony Playstation 1, or 2. Both Sony and Microsoft have chosen to market their systems at the larger, and growing rapidly market of late-teens and adult gamers. It is for this sole reason Nintendo is so different than Sony or Microsoft, or EVEN Sega. Nintendo has repeatedly proven itself as a market dominator in the market for video games for kids. Nintendo virtually owns the
market of the handheld game system, and is currently doing that again with the "Game Boy Advance".
Beyond owning the handheld gaming market, Nintendo created that ever popular kids game, which is now in it's 3rd movie. This kids game has spawned more than 4 top selling editions of itself on the Nintendo 64 alone. However, this kids game didn't bring in the most profit in software form for Nintendo, yet it did bring in the most profit for Nintendo in the Movie theatres, and in Card Games and licensing Fees; this drives to the exact point Forbes makes, without actually saying it like that. Forbes, like I have, has seen the black and red ink that is Nintendo. This market data which describes Nintendo as a company in detail, shows without a doubt Nintendo's strength is in the Elementary School and Pre 13 yr old kids. This is obvious only to those who do not wish to convince themselves the opposite. Without pure market figures, financial facts and the demographics to match, yes Forbes would be ignorant saying Nintendo is in the market for Kids.
The facts remain however, Forbes wasn't wrong, in any sense. While I admit that is hard to understand for some without some charts or graphs with the market data, it is the truth, and you don't have to take my word for it, just pay more attention this next time around for Nintendo.
Microsoft Xbox Web-Site
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