New Xbox Video Game Console Aimed at Moms and Daughters

By Sarah Clark
sarah.clark@theanimationschooldirectory.com
Animation School Directory Columnist

Aiming to tap a larger share of the video game console market, Microsoft is attempting to make the Xbox more appealing to women.

The New York Times reported on Oct. 11, 2005, that Microsoft "hopes to win a bigger share of the market from the PlayStation 2, the top-selling console made by Sony, by promoting a more family-friendly image for the new Xbox."

The new Xbox will be in stores on Nov. 22, just in time for the holiday season.

Will women buy into this marketing strategy? Some say the Xbox video game console will be a tough sell to females. The New York Times reports that many industry analysts question whether women will ever view an Xbox as something more than a video game console designed for young males.

New Features

In an effort to change the female outlook on the Xbox, Microsoft has added new features to its popular video game console. The Xbox 360 can double as a DVD player, play music from an MP3 player, and display digital photos on a TV. But the question remains whether these features will persuade women to pay $300 or more for an Xbox.

Games for Girls

Microsoft's marketing strategy also features more family-oriented games that can be played on the video game console, rather than those of the shoot-em-up variety that typically appeal to boys. One of the new video games is called "Kameo," which features a fairy princess who transforms into different creatures to protect her kingdom. The game is designed to appeal to girls as much as boys.

If this effort to bring females into the video game console culture works, it could be the beginning of more marketing efforts to appeal to the interests of an all-but untapped segment of the video game market.

Sources:

The New York Times, "A Game Console for the Rest of Us"

About the Author

Sarah Clark is a freelance writer based in Virginia.