Playing Games
For a country of pragmatists, the XBox 360 won't cut it
SPIEGEL ONLINE: What's Microsoft's view of the German gaming population?
Lewis: Clever fun is right up there in terms of priorities. We do very well with our strategy game franchise "Age of Empires" there. You've got a huge, enthusiastic following for that genre. We are very specific about understanding what's important in each marketplace, and Germany's a great example of that.
Blab blah blea blea blah. Microsoft actually has the absolute worst-performing video game platform out there, and it's getting worse with this new model. They reputedly lost €120 on each XBox sale, which they were hoping to make up with software and peripheral sales. Mostly due to the fact that XBoxes are basically what you're using right now to read this page, but, oh yeah, stripped of that versatility (have you ever taken a long look at an XBox? They're basically huge hard drives), it didn't really happen. Middle-aged men bought it so they could play NCAA Football, but no one else saw the point in buying a stripped-down computer with no fun games.
So now, everyone pays for Microsoft's mistakes, and you'll be the first in line if you shell out €400 for an XBox 360. If you're not a gamer (and still reading this), why should you care? Well, because as a European, Microsoft is trying to bitch-slap your market. It doesn't understand why Europe isn't okay with this -- Microsoft is, after all, the world's most public and renowned monopoly -- and that's why it's having competition issues with EU courts. I bet they don't understand why their game line is underperforming, either.
I have this theory that Germans are too smart for Microsoft's naked marketing techniques, and will either own a PC or a platform that is actually fun, like the Playstation. Yeah, it's expensive, but to gamers, it's worth the price. In fact, I remember there being some strategy game for the PC that lets you manage the accounts for a corporation, that was a smashing success in Germany. So what's Microsoft going to do to win over their "most critical geography," come out with four more of those? They have unlimited clout, so there's no excuse for how they're screwing with you, meine Freunde.