Microsoft: Xbox 360 Made for Families, Not Gamers

[Tom Goldman]

Microsoft: Xbox 360 Made for Families, Not Gamers

Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer has made it clear that he wants the Xbox 360 to be seen as more than just a box that plays games.

To Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer, the Xbox 360 is not a videogame console. This designation appears to be too limiting for Balmer, who says that he hopes Microsoft's efforts can make the world see the Xbox 360 as a "family entertainment center" instead.

I don't know about you, but when I hear "family entertainment center" I think of a restaurant arcade [http://www.daveandbusters.com/] where an 8-year-old can go off and play skee-ball to try and win a fun-sized Snickers while his parents have a few drinks over a plate of coconut shrimp, not the Xbox 360. Balmer sees things differently, telling USA Today: "Xbox isn't a gaming console. Xbox is a family entertainment center."

The basic idea is that Microsoft wants to extend the life of the Xbox 360 by making it something that every member of society would want to own, not just someone that wants to play games. "It's a place to socialize," he added. "It's a place to watch TV. We have Hulu coming. It's the only system where you are the controller."

Avatar Kinect [http://www.amazon.com/Kinect-Sensor-Adventures-Xbox-360/dp/B002BSA298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295312806&sr=8-1]. Balmer says he wants features like this to make the "average 15-year-old girl" as excited about the Xbox 360 as the "average 15-year-old boy."

"My wife used to say, 'No, no, that's the machine the boys use,' and now she says, 'Yeah, I want to go watch movies. Let's go play the dance game,'" Balmer said. "It opens up accessibility to family entertainment because with the Kinect, you control these systems with your body, with your voice. We've opened up the world of content in TV, movies. You just sit there and say 'Xbox' or 'play movie.'"

I've got to disagree with Mr. Balmer. Until anyone would actually buy the Xbox 360 for the primary purpose of doing something other than playing games, it is a gaming console. The other features are nice, but I'm not sure they make the Xbox 360 a "family entertainment center" yet.

Source: USA Today [http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/bartiromo/2011-01-17-bartiromo17_ST_N.htm]

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[Sneaky Paladin]

Seriously? Xbox was marketed from the beginning as a game console. Trying to radically change it's image now sounds like a bad move.

 

[SovietSecrets]

I can still play games on it right? I don't want to spend time with my family bonding over the 360 .

 

[Jadak]

All the "gamers" that intended to get one probably already have, so whatever, they might as well start trying to push harder on the family market instead.

 

[Velocity Eleven]

the 360 isnt a games console the same way FF13 isnt an RPG

 

[VanityGirl]

My 360 collection says it's not made for families.
*looks at Gears, DoA, Assassin's Creed, Red Dead, GTAIV, various others*

 

[thenumberthirteen]

While I agree that it's primarily a gaming console I just want to say one thing. My PS3 has been broken for about 4 months now. I sent it off to be fixed last week not because I wanted to play games on it (to be honest I've grown to prefer my PC), but because my mum likes to use it to record TV shows and watch things on the BBC iPlayer that is built in.

 

[Sneaky Paladin]

the 360 isnt a games console the same way FF13 isnt an RPG

I can't tell if you're saying if it is a games console or not. I'm honestly sorry if this comes off as stupid.

 

[CitySquirrel]

As long as they still make games for it, it can be whatever he wants it to be.

 

[viranimus]

Seriously, that is a horribly incorrect and inaccurate representation. Its basically cornball 50s ideology of what a family is.

More common today is seeing a teenage boy have to come to his mom for help in getting achievements unlocked in CoD, while Dad is stuck repairing the family computer because of a virus picked up from the teenage daughter playing on a WoW private server.

Ok maybe thats not an accurate depiction either, but its certainly just as close as the naive notion being set forth from MS

 

[New Troll]

The direction Xbox keeps heading (or at least wanting to head) and I do NOT forsee me buying Microsoft's next system.

 

[Metal Brother]

"I've got to disagree with Mr. Balmer. Until anyone would actually buy the Xbox 360 for the primary purpose of doing something other than playing games, it is a gaming console."

I bought my 360 for the primary purpose of watching on my new HDTV videos stored on my home network. Playing games was a "nice bonus" but was far, far away from my main reason to buy it.

Three years later the 360 is used 80% or more for "family entertainment" and 20% or less for playing games. Although most Escapist staff and readers may spend most of their time playing games, it may also be useful to keep in mind that if you only talk to gamers, your perspective may be a little skewed.

 

[kuyo]

I get enough family bonding during tornado alerts.

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

Ooo, now he's done it...

Didn't he promise us that the 360 wouldn't be catering for kids once kinect came around, a while back?

Someone needs to call him on this shit.

 

[Uber Waddles]

I cant hear the CEO, Im far too busy chainsawing people in half.

*stops for a second*

Family oriented eh?

 

[mjc0961]

Yeah, I can see why he would want to go after that market. Basically this is his version of "It only does everything", except it isn't self parody because the device in question keeps having features removed during said advertising campaign. And if he wants to go after that market now, fine. Just make sure I still get some games with more depth than jumping around to collect tokens or embarrassing myself under the guise of "dancing" and we won't have any problems, Mr. Balmer.

the 360 isnt a games console the same way FF13 isnt an RPG

I can't tell if you're saying if it is a games console or not. I'm honestly sorry if this comes off as stupid.

That's okay, neither can I.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

*Facepalm*
NO! YOU DON'T WANT TO BE A FUCKING WII!

The direction Xbox keeps heading (or at least wanting to head) and I do NOT forsee me buying Microsoft's next system.

xbox is turning into 90s metallica...

 

[garfoldsomeoneelse]

"The Xbox 360 is not a gaming console, it is a companion, lover, live-in maid, private chef, nanny, doctor, mechanic, spot-welder, and anti-personnel weapons platform."​

 

[Manicotti]

the 360 isnt a games console the same way FF13 isnt an RPG

I can't tell if you're saying if it is a games console or not. I'm honestly sorry if this comes off as stupid.

My interpretation of the statement is that neither of them live up to its given label. The 360 is terrible for gaming, and FF13 is terrible at being an RPG. I disagree with the former statement - the Kinect is terrible for gaming, sure - but that's as much sense as I can make of it.