First Xbox One TV Spot Forgets About Games

[thenumberthirteen]

Ok. This is stupid, but one thing I want to clarify here. Did that guy have a 60" TV and his XBox outside?! Maybe his house is made of glass. I'm weary of setting up my radio outside while gardening let alone having thousands of pounds worth of tech on my veranda. One stiff wind in the wrong direction and that TV will topple over like a sail.

On Topic: When you have only 30 seconds for an ad you don't want it bogged down with showing off ALL the features it can do. I'd understand if this was one in a, simultaneously running, series of ads showing off the different features within a theme (football, movies, games, music, TV, etc), but I don't know if that's the case.

 

[Saltyk]

And I just checked the ad on Youtube. I was curious about the comments and whatnot. It has twice as many dislikes as likes. And the comments seem to be largely negative towards the ad and console.

Yeah, I'd say this was a perfect PS4 ad.

This is what fascinates me about Microsoft. All those changes weren't made because something inside their heads clicked and they finally realized how wrong they were. The changes happened simply as a response to the public outcry. But they didn't learn anything from it. They simply reacted. They still don't understand. They still think this is the way to go. This is what people want and this is how the console should be advertized. They didn't actually shift their focus AT ALL. They simply changed some of the things to be like Sony in order to be more competitive. They didn't try to do better. No, they did just enough to resemble Sony's business model. And I'll bet you all of those changes will be reversed at some point after the console's been released.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. To undo all the horror, you need a Day One Patch. Which is a great thing, if we're being honest. Before I even get to play my games that I just bought, I have to patch my system! Best idea, ever.

But I am far from convinced that they won't Day 360 Patch it all back in. I know at least one friend who has expressed that he may buy it after a year. But he's wanting to make sure they don't patch it all back in. In the meantime, he's getting a PS4.

Watching Microsoft is like watching a car accident. It's amazing and horrible, but you can't look away. You just want to know what they say next.

 

[The Great JT]

A video game console where the ads don't show off games?

YOUR CONSOLE IS BAD AND YOU SHOULD FEEL BAD!

 

[Tumedus]

I am an NFL fan. That commercial was a total failure.

First, from the being nitpicky about stupid things category, he turns it on (oooh voice commands) with the game already in progress and other fans already on the couch. This would NEVER happen. If it was 5 minutes to kickoff and your TV wasn't on, people would have left already. It may seem a dumb detail, but to me it makes the whole thing lack authenticity. It should have turned onto some pre-game coverage. Then in future cuts you can show the people enjoying the game.

But, in terms of selling it, there were no features that promised to enhance my NFL watching experience. They were there, if you were really observant or paused the video, but they did nothing to highlight them. Things like the "my roster" menu. The scores across the league, current fantasy leaders. All the stuff that I might care about integrating into my gameday watching, but they said nothing about it.

You aren't going to sell me on a product by showing me things that I either have no interest in during the game (skype), or the cliche football room party stuff that requires only a TV, large bowl of chips, and some beer.

And, yeah, would it have been so hard to show a guy playing Madden for like 2 seconds. That would have fit better with the Skype cut.

 

[Lieju]

I can see why they'd want to advertise the box differently to different consumers, but I don't think this does such a good job at it for those people.
'Skype', really? That's one of your main selling points?

They would probably be interested in some sports-games as well, even if they're just an afterthought in the ad.
I mean, looking at that I'd think they're selling the tv. Do they even show the box?

I can't see how that ad would make anyone want to buy it.

They were there, if you were really observant or paused the video, but they did nothing to highlight them. Things like the "my roster" menu. The scores across the league, current fantasy leaders. All the stuff that I might care about integrating into my gameday watching, but they said nothing about it.

I know nothing about fantasy football.
Does the Xbone offer anything that you can't do on your computer or tv already?

 

[Something Amyss]

They really couldn't have made one in addition or just before this for its primary function?

Although the primary function of the Xbox One is debatable at this point

See, you caught it. It's no longer a gaming system, and the focus on "everything but games" highlights it.

 

[Vanbael]

I'm sorry, but I'm piggy backing on a satellite TV deal. If I wanted good football coverage, I could get it for less than a XBOne. Why BOTHER!? I'll probably cost extra anyways to get NFL service.
And fantasy football...sorry nerds but I need to weigh in on this: Fantasy Football takes AWAY from the sports experience, you are cheering for one team but then you have those players that you want to do good. It suddenly becomes a management issue and less of a leisurely experience. And if you wanted the ultimate multitasking setup, use your god damn PC. I've heard of services that do the same god damn thing, without taking up the TV screen. Do you friends want to give a shit about that 'team'? Most likely, NO! So seriously, stop selling football and SELL THE VIDEO GAMES!

 

[Something Amyss]

I know nothing about fantasy football.
Does the Xbone offer anything that you can't do on your computer or tv already?

Well, it offers access for people who think computers are "so gay."

We're a technophobic culture that probably does welcome a magic box to play our totally not nerdy fantasy games on.

 

[weirdee]

like a lot of people have said, i am not sure if there is a market for people to buy a game machine when they don't necessarily want one, but perhaps they're trying to work an angle like the wii did?...although the wii was still selling games...

 

[walrusaurus]

I dont think this ad says as much about Microsoft's lack of focus on games as it says about their inability to find an effective way to market/sell Kinect.

What i find shocking in thst video isn't the lack of a statement about games (what are they going to put up there "IT PLAYS GAMES"? Kind of a weak marketing slogan), but that it doesn't showcase the Kinect whatsoever when there is such an obvious opportunity. All the needed to do was have a 3 second spot of a guy using motion controls to throw a 'football' and having it reflected on something that looks like madden on the screen. They surely would have tried something like that, I can only assume they couldn't find a way to get it to read clearly. Thats a massive problem for them considering Kinect is microsofts only real argument for why someone should buy an Xbone instead of ps4.

 

[UnnDunn]

iPhone TV Spot Forgets About Phone Calls


Apple's new photo-centric iPhone ad focuses on the camera and video recording but excludes phone calls.

Back when the iPhone was originally announced there were some who took issue with the fact that Apple's presentation of its new phone was somewhat light on actual calling. In the years since, the company has made some arguable moves to rectify this. That said, if the device's recent North American TV spot is any indicator, it may still have some lessons to learn. While the ad does a fine job of highlighting features like photos, video recording and sharing, phone calls aren't mentioned once during the course of its sixty second run time.

Now granted, the point of this particular ad is to highlight the iPhone's photo related functionality to capitalize on the Instagram-fueled photo sharing craze. That's perfectly understandable, especially considering the fact that Apple has spent considerable oodles of money to beef up its camera functionality. That being the case, it takes an arguable PR risk in excluding phone calls completely from ads like this. This is potentially exacerbated when you consider that many of the features boasted by the ad are things that a lot of people already have access to. Personally, I'm not going to shell out $500 for photos and video recording. The promise of a new, more powerful phone, however? That's appealing. Then again, I live in a fairly phone-centric bubble. What do you think? Did Apple mess up with this ad or did it hit the money shot?

Yeah, the original article is just as stupid.

 

[RJ 17]

To me this ad represents one of the main problems that gamers had with the console when it was first announced: no one was really interested in all the bells and whistles tacked onto the console. One of the marketing points for the XBone is that it isn't just for gamers, but rather it has so many uses that people completely uninterested in gaming could be interested in with this all-in-one device. The problem is that $500 is one hell of a steep "convenience charge" just to have all these things rolled into one device considering the fact that most non-gamers already have completely free access to all the extra features of the XBone, as such they're likely not going to be wanting to drop that kind of cash just to get something that does all of those things. All someone needs is a laptop and a TV (things that are quite common these days) and they've essentially already essentially got an XBone.

This is why such an ad campaign isn't very effective, and why they should be focusing on the games rather than the features. Gamers are going to want to buy it because it plays games, not because you can watch football and use Skype. They're basically completely neglecting their target market in an attempt to capture a new market that is very unlikely to want their product.

 

[ClockworkUniverse]

iPhone TV Spot Forgets About Phone Calls


Apple's new photo-centric iPhone ad focuses on the camera and video recording but excludes phone calls.

Back when the iPhone was originally announced there were some who took issue with the fact that Apple's presentation of its new phone was somewhat light on actual calling. In the years since, the company has made some arguable moves to rectify this. That said, if the device's recent North American TV spot is any indicator, it may still have some lessons to learn. While the ad does a fine job of highlighting features like photos, video recording and sharing, phone calls aren't mentioned once during the course of its sixty second run time.

Now granted, the point of this particular ad is to highlight the iPhone's photo related functionality to capitalize on the Instagram-fueled photo sharing craze. That's perfectly understandable, especially considering the fact that Apple has spent considerable oodles of money to beef up its camera functionality. That being the case, it takes an arguable PR risk in excluding phone calls completely from ads like this. This is potentially exacerbated when you consider that many of the features boasted by the ad are things that a lot of people already have access to. Personally, I'm not going to shell out $500 for photos and video recording. The promise of a new, more powerful phone, however? That's appealing. Then again, I live in a fairly phone-centric bubble. What do you think? Did Apple mess up with this ad or did it hit the money shot?

Yeah, the original article is just as stupid.

No, given that the ad is trying to get people to buy a $500 Xbox so they can watch TV on their TV and use Skype (stuff almost anyone buying an Xbox can already do, and anyone who can't can get much, much cheaper), this is more like an iPhone ad that ONLY talked about how you can use it as a phone. Oh, and it mentions how you can use voice commands too, but given that remote controls already exist and are more reliable, I don't think most people are particularly enthused about that.

 

[fwiffo]

They really couldn't have made one in addition or just before this for its primary function?

Although the primary function of the Xbox One is debatable at this point

As Adam Orth explained, the xbox one will be similar to a vacuum cleaner.

ie. something that collects dust

 

[Easton Dark]

They really couldn't have made one in addition or just before this for its primary function?

Although the primary function of the Xbox One is debatable at this point

As Adam Orth explained, the xbox one will be similar to a vacuum cleaner.

ie. something that collects dust

No, it's a water cooler.

That collects dust.

That doesn't sound so refreshing when you think about it.

 

[Roxas1359]

But then, we live in a world where people honestly got confused as to whether or not the Wii U was a new console or just a tablet that works with the old one, even though it was clearly stated that the Wii U had hardware capabilities that surpassed the original Wii. So that may be too generous of a presumption of intelligence from the average consumer in modern times. >_>

Problem with that was that Nintendo actually never showed the console in any of their ads here in the US. All the ads here just show the controller and they were just marketing the controller, and the Wii definitely had a lot of peripherals put out for it so it's no wonder people wouldn't know, plus not to mention that the name is so similar to the old console that it doesn't seem to differentiate much. Nintendo has even said that they realized that they actually advertised the controller more than they did the actual console itself, and honestly Nintendo's marketing hasn't been really up to snuff at all this generation when you compare it to the "Wii would like to play" ad campaign they had for the Nintendo Wii. Microsoft on the other hand has just been shooting themselves in the foot with each step they take. While Sony doesn't need to do any advertising because Microsoft is honestly doing their damned best to make the PS4 look better in every way, so why not capitalize on that free advertising.

 

[RandV80]

Well it's going to get ripped on by gamers, but as this is a US add I'd imagine football fans outnumber gamers. Really the effectiveness of this add depends a lot on how many football fans don't already have these other features yet, and what sort of disposable income they have. Microsoft has given us plenty of ammunition to bash the Xbone but gamers are just coming off as whiny here.

 

[RJ 17]

-snip-

I'm pretty sure his point was that the XBox name is pretty well known in the US for its ability to play games, thus needing to say "this game console plays games" is somewhat redundant.

But then, we live in a world where people honestly got confused as to whether or not the Wii U was a new console or just a tablet that works with the old one, even though it was clearly stated that the Wii U had hardware capabilities that surpassed the original Wii. So that may be too generous of a presumption of intelligence from the average consumer in modern times. >_>

The problem is that UnnDunn is making a false equivalency argument. The message of the MS commercial is "We have a new product that will do this, this, and this" in an attempt to gain people in a market that's not part of their target market which is - or at least should be - gamers. The iPhone commercial is saying "Ours is the most preferred product of its kind" in an attempt to get their target market - people that use smartphones - to pick up theirs. That's the key difference between the two commercials: the MS one implies a shift in target market/audience while the iPhone commercial plays to its current target audience/market.

UnnDunn fails to realize that MS's shift alienates gamers while the iPhone commercial panders to smartphone users.

 

[ClockworkUniverse]

-snip-

I'm pretty sure his point was that the XBox name is pretty well known in the US for its ability to play games, thus needing to say "this game console plays games" is somewhat redundant.

That does make sense, but it's still different, since the Xbox commercial is pretty much trying to tell people to buy the Xbone because it lets them do something they can do just fine without it.

 

[FootloosePhoenix]

Ewwwww. I can't imagine anything that would turn me off of the Xbone harder than that short of seeing the machine advertised as a means to bludgeon kittens to death. I mean, I wasn't interested in it in the first place, but I hate sports and seeing football be the absolute focus of an ad for what's supposed to be a video game console makes me cringe. I understand there are people who enjoy both sports and video games, heck I wouldn't care if they'd at least been advertising Madden and the like, but for me personally...this is just awful. I'm not sure if I'd get along with the sort of person who thinks this is a good thing.

Well Microsoft, I guess we'll see if primarily non-gamer sports fans are really dumb enough with their cash to pay $500 (plus Gold) for a fantasy football machine.