Xbox turning into a childish plaything?

[lostzombies.com]

Just wondering why we have moved into a very young childish style for the brand, especially avatars?

I understand the avatar system but why make it seemingly targetted at 5-8 year olds? I remember when the update first was launched, my 6 year old niece ran into the room thinking that I had turned the Wii on when she heard the music.

I remember the days when the xbox was a beast of a gaming console built for gamers. It seems that the trend now will be that the console will be an entertainment system for families.

Of course the line that will be given is that gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry so needs to reflect its audience. But GAMERS made the gaming industry into the powerhouse that it is now. This worrying trend of trying to give the 360 a Wii-makeover is only going to push the real and hardcore gamers (the ones who made the xbox product so successful) away from the brand and to whatever console shows itself to be a true gaming console.

The xbox (or PS3) will never be able to beat the Wii at it's own game. Nintendo went in that direction because they decided they couldn't compete in the traditional gaming market anymore.

The 'smaller' traditional gaming demographic made playstation and xbox what they are and into the multi billion business it is. It seems foolish to risk alienating that group in an attempt to take the Wii's crown as 'alternative family friendly system'

Please, please don't let this product turn into a Bieber box, keep it as an X-box.

 

[Harlemura]

Who cares?
Avatars are there for a second or two when you sign in, with the right settings you can get straight into a game without even seeing them.
It's not like their happy little mugs are the face of your Black Ops dude.

At least I'm assuming you play gritty, "real" games like Black Ops because you consider yourself too good for games actually aimed at children.
Because you're so darn manly and we should all bow down to you.

EDIT:
Tided up my grammar because it went a bit poo.

 

[Hippobatman]

Gears of War 3, Bulletstorm, Rage, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Dead Space 2, Dragon Age 2, Homefront etc. says otherwise.

I doubt the industry will turn its back on 'core gamers'. We are, after all, the ones who spend most of our money monthly on new games. That's my theory, anyway.

 

[badgersprite]

Every gamer who wants to buy the Xbox 360 probably already has one. Since there's no chance of a new console generation in the immediate future, that means the only way Microsoft can attract a significant new share of purchasers is to appeal to a new demographic. And, like it or not, games aren't exclusively for grown up, hardcore gamers, and gaming never has been. What were you playing on consoles as a kid? Do you think no kids should be introduced to the modern equivalent of Spyro, Sonic or Rachet and Clank? Those games were great. 5-8 year olds enjoyed them and that didn't make anybody lesser for it. And thanks to those titles, a whole generation of kids grew up to become gamers.

I guess I can understand where you're coming from, but it just sounds kind of reactionary to me, since, even though I may joke about it, I seriously can't see how expanding the demographics for a gaming system is anything other than a good thing in the long run.

 

[Jazoni89]

I do think the xbox is targeted for the younger demographic such as older kids and teenagers while the ps3 is popular with adults such as myself.

Hell even my seven year old cousin got a xbox at Christmas.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

Calm down Mr. Conspiracy because you're not really helping the problem by acting this way. Microsoft just wants to appeal to a wider audience is all, it's a standard business thing. A company has established an initial target demographic now that that has been successful they want to try and see if more people will take a liking to it.

 

[GiantRaven]

What's wrong with videogaming being orientated towards younger users as well as older users?

 

[PurpleLeafRave]

Gears of War 3? Yea...no.
More fun is not the same as more childish.

 

[Vladu]

I'm with you, OP, in all truthness. There was nothing destructive about your post, you showed a valid point, and I'm kind of leaning towards thinking the same.

The only "smug assholes", and I'm not insulting, I'm copy-pasting, is the vast majority of who answered back to you so far, only to cuss you, which makes me very sad.

 

[Jazoni89]

Gears of war 3? Yea...no.

yeah, and it most of the people getting it will be underage.

(xbox 360 - serving gory and violent games to kids since 2005)

 

[Taxman1]

"Video games are toys, and a toys main audience is children."
-Moviebob's TGO (Totally messed up the quote)
That sums up my feelings.

 

[Irridium]

The people running about spewing the title of 'GAMER' as something of a title of superiority aren't exactly helping anything. Your last sentence, "Bieber box" only further supports the idiocy behind your sentiment.

The system is trying to appeal to a wider audience to rake in the dough. The Wii had a great success, so the other systems are trying to emulate that. Don't worry, you can still get your UBER HARDCORE GAMER GAMES, but a wider audience will also be drawn in.

What he said. And besides, Core gamers are still a huge-ass audience. Publishers would have to hate money to brush all those potential sales aside.

Plus, the xbox wasn't built for gamers. The last gaming console built for gamers was the Dreamcast. After that, consoles turned into multimedia devices.

And yes, gamers made the industry. And now the industry is making games for all kinds of gamers. A gamer is someone who plays a game, end of story. To imply that a gamer is different completely contradicts the whole "gamers are normal people" thing. There isn't a special name for people who watch movies, or listen to music, or read books, so why the fuck should there be one for people who play games?

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

Video Games are toys (and a form of creative expression I know I know). Toys are for children and adults alike. So when wasn't the xbox a childish plaything?

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

the real and hardcore gamers

Spoiler

Other than that....

I have to quote Yahtzee: "There's a difference between a kiddie game and fun for the whole family". That's what MS is doing, making it more cartoonish so children prefer it over other consoles.

 

[Woodsey]

*cough*Buy a PC*cough*

But in all seriousness, change platform then. It seems to be massively slowing down anyway, and MS seem to be losing the plot a little bit - I saw a list of their owned development studios and it's a rather depressing(ly small) list.

 

[Irridium]

The people running about spewing the title of 'GAMER' as something of a title of superiority aren't exactly helping anything. Your last sentence, "Bieber box" only further supports the idiocy behind your sentiment.

The system is trying to appeal to a wider audience to rake in the dough. The Wii had a great success, so the other systems are trying to emulate that. Don't worry, you can still get your UBER HARDCORE GAMER GAMES, but a wider audience will also be drawn in.

What he said. And besides, Core gamers are still a huge-ass audience. Publishers would have to hate money to brush all those potential sales aside.

Plus, the xbox wasn't built for gamers. The last gaming console built for gamers was the Dreamcast. After that, consoles turned into multimedia devices.

And yes, gamers made the industry. And now the industry is making games for all kinds of gamers. A gamer is someone who plays a game, end of story. To imply that a gamer is different completely contradicts the whole "gamers are normal people" thing. There isn't a special name for people who watch movies, or listen to music, or read books, so why the fuck should there be one for people who play games?

If by "multimedia devices", you mean stuff that does anything more than play games? Yeah, the Gamecube would have been the last one of those.

I was talking about the last console made, marketed, and had games made for, "gamers". As in the last console for "the hardcore".

 

[EcHoFiiVe]

Well think about it this way. I don't know how old you are, but I'm sure at least most of the people who have posted on this started gaming at an early age, probably around the age of 7-10. I had the same beginning at age 6. What brought me in was the cartoonish and fun feel of it. Xbox avatars are the things drawing younger kids into gaming, and the violent, explosion ridden games full of death and Master Chiefs are what keep you there as an older gamer. Why deprive kids of the opportunity to get into a fun hobby by putting a sign on the door saying "You must be this tall to play"? Seems nonsensical to me. In terms of the fiscal gain, the Wii's crushing sales over the PS3 and Xbox speak for themselves in terms of the effectiveness of a cartoony feel.