Microsoft Corporate VP Says Xbox One Can Reshape Marketing

[MrHide-Patten]

So far Sony' s marketing stratergy of just letting Microsoft dig their own grave is working well for them. Xbox One step forward, two steps back.

I only hope Sont takes this backlash on board and leave the PS4 relatively ad free.

 

[Callate]

If Microsoft was full of people who spoke frankly and off-the-cuff, going wildly off the message their corporate masters wanted to present, that would be one thing. If Microsoft was full of people who were rigidly on-message, steering every question back to a narrow script of pre-approved answers, catchphrases, and corporate double-speak, that would be another.

It's the combination of the two that's threatening to drive me absolutely @#$%ing bonkers.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

Whoo, glad to see the snarky, biased comments have already arrived.
Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is.

The big deal is that Microsoft have a device that can record everything that happens in whatever room you place it (usually main living room) and sends all that information to marketers, and they themselves have no bloody idea of how they are going to use this information. They tell the public privacy is their top priority, then they tell their shareholders Xbox One is designed for advertising. Then they tell their customers Xbox One isn't designed for advertising, then they tell their potential advertisers basically all our personal information is up for grabs.

Meanwhile they are patenting adverts that won't turn off until you interact with them (see McDonalds spoiler above) and DRM for movies/games depending on how many heads they can see in the room, and they have not yet stated that 24 hour check-in won't worm it's way into the console at a later date!


These things are what the big deal is about, and they are a big deal. This is a device with the potential to invade the personal privacy of our homes like no other device in history, and the makers of it are openly flaunting our personal data to advertisers and marketers, while telling us they won't do that?

That is something I won't stand for, and I'm pleased to see other people feel the same way.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

Another example of over bloated companies contradicting themselves.

You'll never understand them, you can just try to deal with them if you choose.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

So the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Not surprising really. And while the left hand is trying to reassure consumers, the right hand is jerking off advertising companies. Joy.

No words can describe my feeling.

You might as well emboss this onto the Kinect at this point.

Only instead of watching for thoughtcrimes it's to sell you sh!t.

Personally given a choice I'd rather have it watching for thought crimes.

 

[Verlander]

Wasn't going to buy one, so no biggie. Haven't been keeping up though, do you need an X Box Live account to play? I know they dropped the compulsory online check in.

As for Kinect always on... no thanks. Tempted to buy a PS4 to make a statement, but I can't go back to PS Controllers.

 

[Gorrath]

Whoo, glad to see the snarky, biased comments have already arrived.
Why are people still so against them?

I am biased, and happily so. I am biased against companies that talk out of both sides of their faces on a near-constant basis, promising me one thing while promising the exact opposite to someone else. I am biased against transparent BS and companies treating their customers like they are too lazy or incapable of even basic reading comprehension. I am biased against companies that sell me a product who's features are not designed with me in mind, but that of its advertising partners, and then pretending as if it's the same as a company that gives its product away for free. And finally, I am biased against companies that try to monetize every facet of their product without regard to how badly that will effect my experience as a user.

 

[asap]

Do they think Halo is really that good? This stuff makes the WiiU look decent.

 

[Vigormortis]

I can honestly say, the ease and casualness with which that Microsoft VP basically described spying on their users and then selling those users personal info to other companies so that those companies can exploit the Xbox One to target their advertisements genuinely disgusted me. It's appalling. It's even a bit frightening.

I know there are a lot of companies that have similar practices, but the audacity of Microsoft to just come out and say it in public, and so shortly after they just got done saying the thing won't be for adverts, is flabbergasting.

What...the...fuck...Microsoft? Just....what the fuck?

Why are people still so against them?

No. The real question is: After the near continuous string of bullshit surrounding the Xbox One, since it's reveal, why are people still defending them?

THAT'S the question that has me baffled.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.830193-Xbox-One-Is-Not-Designed-With-Advertising-In-Mind-Microsoft-Says

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.830418-Microsoft-Corporate-VP-Says-Xbox-One-Can-Reshape-Marketing

Please make up your mind, Microsoft. I don't know which reason I should be mad at you for anymore.

Why pick and choose? Go the gluttonous route. Pick 'em all!

This is one of the rare occasions where being greedy might actually be a good thing. ;D

 

[loa]

At this point I guess you will be statistically correct in most cases if you just assume everything microsoftian to be a lie.
That means I'll just do no business with them until I get reliable info from someone who doesn't constantly lie to me.

 

[loc978]

I think I'm starting to feel sorry for Penello in this. Working Microsoft's PR must be a fucking nightmare. I wonder if he knew he was lying, or if he's just their next fall guy...

Either way, this is unsurprising... though you'd think they would realize some consumers now pay attention to what is said in advertising conferences and are willing to raise a stink over contradictions.

 

[Aardvaarkman]

Whoo, glad to see the snarky, biased comments have already arrived.

What's biased about them? So far, they have addressed the facts of the matter. Microsoft says one thing, then contradicts itself. What's biased about calling that out?

 

[synobal]

Microsoft is genius, creating the adbox a system where people actually pay to get advertised and spied on.

 

[Living Contradiction]

Okay, if a company wishes to give away something without expecting cash in return, yes, I can see that company taking information on the recipient and selling that information. After all, the company has to make book somehow.

If a company wishes to charge for a product, fine by me. Whatever is in the box didn't magically appear in the company's lap, so it's only fair to ask for value.

However, if a company wishes to charge for a product and then not only expect information on the purchaser but a constant, steady, unending stream of information on that purchaser and anyone who enters that purchaser's home, said company can sit on a spike and rotate. Especially if that company lies about the practice, certainly if the company's product is of dubious quality (remember, we live in an age where Microsoft views day one purchasers as unofficial beta testers), and definitely when there will be another product out there with a lower price, less invasive manners (yes, Sony might sell a gamer's purchase information, but that's all Sony'll get), and at least a moderately better advertising campaign.

Mr. Gates, please come and tell your company to stop. I realize that you're busy being obscenely rich elsewhere but this is beyond stupid. It's sad.

 

[RicoADF]

Whoo, glad to see the snarky, biased comments have already arrived.
Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is. Of course it's going to reshape marketing, for better or for worse. The service bases and customer feedback influencing the product so far has proven that.

To be perfectly frank, the majority of Microsoft are making the best of the bad situation they were given. They're removing things based on customer feedback (DRM restrictions), adding new things just because (headset), bettering the product at high cost (CPU boost)...
Seriously, they're fixing all the shit their bosses made them push out. Why are people still so against them?

FYI, overclocking the hardware costs nothing, their just telling the CPU that its allowed to go faster. I'd also note that doing so generates more heat and thus both shortens its life, reduces stability and increases the risk of RROD repeat. I wouldn't thank them for that.

 

[DarkhoIlow]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.820366-Xbox-One-Designed-With-Advertising-in-Mind

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.830193-Xbox-One-Is-Not-Designed-With-Advertising-In-Mind-Microsoft-Says

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.830418-Microsoft-Corporate-VP-Says-Xbox-One-Can-Reshape-Marketing

Please make up your mind, Microsoft. I don't know which reason I should be mad at you for anymore.

I wanted to link the same threads and I found it extremely funny.

Microsoft have always intended to do advertising through the Xbone dashboard so this is nothing new.

 

[-Dragmire-]

In the speech, Mehdi hinted at the possibility of Xbox One user data being made available for market research. Trade publication Advertising Age published a report based on the speech over the weekend. The report said Mehdi's speech addressed possibilities in increasing consumer expectations for production values in advertising due to Xbox imaging technology. Examples included gamification of advertising and consolidating attention that is currently spread out among several technologies (games, TV, and internet). Mehdi said the Xbox One could help in understanding a consumer in the "360 degrees of their life."

My life contains 360 degrees of Fuck You!

[sub][sub][sub]I'm honestly not that angry as I don't plan on getting an X1 but I don't care for the idea of taking advertising to the extreme in general.[/sub][/sub][/sub]

--------------

I propose a new rule Microsoft, every time you make a public statement, you must read and understand the previous 30 days of public statements. Upon doing so, if your new info counters previous info, explain your reasons why that is.


This, at least, might make their statements mesh a bit better.

 

[thewatergamer]

Wow even more reasons not to buy this thing with kinect, heck Im still not buying it period, and nothing microsoft is saying is helping me change my mind, maybe if they dropped Xbox Live gold, and then sold the kinect seperately I might pick one up a few years from now

But seriously nothing that microsoft is saying is changing my mind, in fact its making me more angry at them

 

[Talvrae]

And now, they put themselves again a position to make me say i won't buy it... Wow Microsoft really can,t handle how to sell your console much?

 

[ckam]

In the speech, Mehdi hinted at the possibility of Xbox One user data being made available for market research.

Did I read this right? Isn't that what a lot of potential consumers are afraid of?