Microsoft refers to core audience as "Sweaty thirty year olds in Metallica t-shirts"

[Epictank of Wintown]

All I have to say to everyone in this thread, just about, is the following:

The spectacular amount of QQ here is astounding. Cry more, please, and continue to have ridiculously thin-skin and get offended at every sort of even remotely offensive thing that comes out of some talking head's mouth.

It amuses me. Your tears and impotent rage power my doomsday device.

 

[TheDrunkNinja]

that prefers to think of their consumers as herds of sheep, easily duped into giving them even more of their money.

You just described, like, every company.

Not really. Either way, the "herds of sheep" thing was just to add some spice to my spot-on accusations of "barely-legal" and "near-monopoly" business practices.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

So Microsoft are cunts.

In other breaking news, the sun has been discovered to be warm.

 

[oppp7]

Most of the nerds I know are neckbearded overweight guys so...

 

[Nwabudike Morgan]

All I have to say to everyone in this thread, just about, is the following:

The spectacular amount of QQ here is astounding. Cry more, please, and continue to have ridiculously thin-skinned and get offended at every sort of even remotely offensive thing that comes out of some talking head's mouth.

It amuses me. Your tears and impotent rage power my doomsday device.

Gamers have a tragic tendency to reinforce stereotypes.

that prefers to think of their consumers as herds of sheep, easily duped into giving them even more of their money.

You just described, like, every company.

Not really. Either way, the "herds of sheep" thing was just to add some spice to my spot-on accusations of "barely-legal" and "near-monopoly" business practices.

So, what do you play games on that is made by a company that doesn't see you solely as a source of income?

 

[WrongSprite]

What's wrong with that? He's right. I'm sweaty, I'm wearing a Metallica t-shirt, it's just the age which is a bit off.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Wait why are we getting upset about this?
Microsoft said that gaming isn't for Sweaty 30 year olds in Metallica T shirts. How is that a bad thing?

There's been a steady uphill battle to prove that "gamers" aren't a bunch of socially retarded morons with the attention spans of Ritalin kids. So why does this statement suddenly make people upset?

Because microsoft said it, and the internet hatemachine is so blind by microsoft hate it canont even tell when its being defended.

"Gaming's not just for sweaty thirty year olds in Metallica t-shirts".

I've highlighted the part that makes this an offensive statement to the core audience, because the word "just" is what implies that that is their current demographic.

This could have been worded a thousand ways that wouldn't have been so divisive. If they want to be Nintendo, that's fine, but they probably shouldn't burn the bridge...especially since they're not even half way across it.

 

[Nwabudike Morgan]

Also I'm in my early 30s, sweaty because my A/C is broken and all my windows won't open. They're off on the shirt, though, mine says "Gupta Family Reunion 2007" on it.

 

[thahat]

No, we're sweaty twenty year olds in Dragonforce t-shirts.

-thinks about this-
and everything a bit younger with anoying voices/to much natural affiliation to be healthy.
or slighlty older and a good sense of humor XD

 

[Epictank of Wintown]

Also I'm in my early 30s, sweaty because my A/C is broken and all my windows won't open. They're off on the shirt, though, mine says "Gupta Family Reunion 2007" on it.

Three for four will get you signed in the Major Leagues, so that's pretty good.

 

[Nwabudike Morgan]

Also I'm in my early 30s, sweaty because my A/C is broken and all my windows won't open. They're off on the shirt, though, mine says "Gupta Family Reunion 2007" on it.

Three for four will get you signed in the Major Leagues, so that's pretty good.

I guess I'm hardcore then. Time to get angry over nothing, I guess.

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

Im I the only one who dosnt give a shit?

 

[Veldt Falsetto]

I'm not succumbing to this. Honestly people, don't react. It's what they want.

Why would they want their core audience to be pissed at them?

I don't know, but I'm reminded by the famous phrase, "any media attention is good media attention." Or something like that.

That phrase is wrong. I highly doubt that getting your core audience pissed at you will get them to buy more of your stuff. There's a difference between trolling and just being retarded.

You've got to understand that there's far more profit for Microsoft in the casual games industry than sticking to the core. Cracking a joke at the expense of your fans and customers isn't much to them if it makes people willing to fork out money for that shit.

I realize that, but "hardcore gamers," by which I mean people who buy Halo instead of Wii have been fueling Microsoft for years. What the man insinuated is that if you're not a casual gamer and if you aren't interested in Kinect, you're probably a sweaty 30 year old wearing a Metallica t-shirt. Once the novelty wears off in a couple years or if the Kinect isn't the big hit they hope it will be, their casual audience wont want it, so their basically insulting their past and probably future fanbase. I'm not insulted, but I'm astounded that they would use such bad business tactics.

Pretty much I mean, Nintendo didn't come out and say, oh everyone who bought the Gamecube was a loser but come look at the Wii, you can play it too!

 

[The_Deleted]

I hope this is one of those things where they realise they've fucked up and the dude apologises afterwords. I don't require penance or anything I just like to see douchebags like this brought down a peg by their superiors.

Sadly I doubt the gaming community will boycott Microsoft or anything because of this so there will be no repercussions from insulting their core audience.

The gaming community has made the XBOX360, an unreliable, rush released console, a huge success... I think M$ will be fine.

 

[Tom Phoenix]

To be honest, I could hardly care less whether or not he was complimenting or insulting the core audience. All I know is that when Microsoft realises that the oversaturated market they entered isn't as profitable as they thought it was while Nintendo is busy stealing their existing audience, I will smile.

 

[Singularly Datarific]

Nooo, hardcore gamers are shouty 12 year olds.
Sheesh, at least get your stereotypes right.

 

[TheDrunkNinja]

that prefers to think of their consumers as herds of sheep, easily duped into giving them even more of their money.

You just described, like, every company.

Not really. Either way, the "herds of sheep" thing was just to add some spice to my spot-on accusations of "barely-legal" and "near-monopoly" business practices.

So, what do you play games on that is made by a company that doesn't see you solely as a source of income?

Ahem.

Barely-legal and near-monopoly business practices.

Microsoft has been skirting above the law for years now. Any idiot can understand that a company that makes profit is just doing it's job. What it should not do is screw over everybody else in the process. This is why monopolies are illegal. In order for the economy to thrive, there needs to be a difference between an accounting profit and the normal profit in a company in order to keep everything in check, and the prevention of barriers and heterogeneous products, which encourages a one seller market, helps keep everything regulated. Microsoft, on the other hand, does not hold these ideals in high regard and, therefore, acts as it will in this matter, resulting in the manipulation of the marginal revenue which segregates a section of the profits in the price and quantity relationship. The result is, Microsoft=$$ and a near-monopoly is created.