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Microsoft to make more 'family focused' games


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Microsoft to make more 'family focused' games

 

Michael French November 16, 11:23am

 

 

Plans to complete with Wii using Rare-developed games and by introducing new casual titles

A report on Dow Jones Newswires says that Microsoft is looking to compete much closer with the Nintendo Wii and its wider, family audience by creating more family-focused video games.

 

In a bid to raise 360 sales further, Microsoft Asia-Pacific's Alan Bowman said the company plans to cater for different age groups, naming cartoon-based titles and word-puzzle games as specific types of new titles the firm wants to introduce.

 

"A key strategy for us is to give broad choice for people. You need to provide content which broadens your base of users from core gamers to different age groups," said Bowman.

 

"We're doing a lot in broadening the content for the Xbox 360."

 

UK studio Rare is key to the push, he added, saying the studio was already developing new games for wide audiences.

 

"Now they're starting to produce games with very, very broad appeal," Bowman said. He added: "If you look at Guitar Hero, it's something which can be played by the whole family, by kids, males, females, adults.

 

http://www.developmag.com/news/28819/Microsoft-to-make-more-family-focused-games

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Well if they decided not to be so damn stubborn and stop wasting millions on trying to get exclusivity of certain games and just have one console that plays all games, we wouldn't have to split our selection 3 ways.

 

It still comes down to money being made and money being lost. That's business for ya.

 

I highly doubt that Sony, M$, and Nintendo would drop their consoles. Even the rumors with Apple and Samsung wanting to release their very own console, I don't think ANY company would want to have just ONE single console available for the general public.

 

Having ALL the companies combine their Knowledge and Technology to build the Ultimate Console, is very unlikely. Whether they would make more money or not, I think they would rather stick with their own creations.

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Normally competition is good for the consumer, but since the consoles don't play each other's games, this current 3-way race is terrible for gamers. No matter which system we choose, there's going to be games that we want to play but can't unless we plop down $1500 for all three systems.

 

Honestly the best thing that could happen for console gaming consumers would be if one of the three companies just totally annihilated the other two. I'd prefer it to be Xbox, but I'd just be happy to be able to own one console and play every great game that came out.

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Why don't they just get it over with and merge into one super console.

 

Never hope for that. Competition is the drive for people to create excellent consoles and games. No competition generally results in lackluster titles or hardware. Example: Past Maddens. The NFL title was exclusive for EA and they never did anything. 2K announces a football game and then Madden 08 turns out to be an incredible game.

 

I prefer having all the competition out there. Pushes developers and companies to make the best.

 

Bull. Shit. BULLSHIT.

 

What are they, Nintendo now? I got my 360 for the Halo games, for the Gears of War, for the Bioshocks and Assassin's Creeds of the gaming world.

 

Somehow, I don't think this will end well.

 

Why does it matter? Having a wide array is good. You can't tell me Kameo and Viva Pinata weren't incredible games? We need more games like that and hey more family games could mean that.

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Never hope for that. Competition is the drive for people to create excellent consoles and games. No competition generally results in lackluster titles or hardware.

 

While this is true in general, there are always exceptions. Plenty of competition is bad for the consumer. Examples - VHS/Beta, HD-DVD/BluRay. Personal computing took off in the 80's and 90's because Microsoft destroyed their competition and everyone was running Windows so developers could make software that ran on 95% of computers out there.

 

Competition in hardware is generally bad for the consumer when each company's offering is mutually incompatible.

 

If Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft all made consoles that could play each others' games, competition would be great. Or if they allowed other companies to manufacture consoles that could play their games (which would allow Microsoft to get out of the hardware business that isn't their core competency anyway). As it is, all competition gets us is a choice between buying all three or feeling envious every time a Super Mario Galaxy or a Resistance: Fall of Man comes out.

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The good:

More funding for the hardcore market gained after producing generally cheaper family-orientated titles (much like Ubisoft already does with the DS).

 

The bad:

Certain fat cat developers wonder why they bother spending tens of millions developing the next Gears, when they could just make 200 Fisher Price titles for far less.

 

Crocket hit the nail on the head regarding competition.

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Banjo Kazooie, anyone?

 

It was announced, I remember seeing a trailer up on the site here...

 

Banjo threeie Thread

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFwNdZ7lr_Y]Banjo Threeie Trailer[/ame]

 

 

 

On the whole Super-Console Thing

 

The reason completing cpanies do not combine is for a simple reason, why give up your "winning" technology (aka Microsoft for winning the Gaming race) when you can make double and triple then the competition. Plus if they all merged together they could charge $300 a game because there would be no other company to sell games cheaper! You always need competition!

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The reason completing cpanies do not combine is for a simple reason, why give up your "winning" technology (aka Microsoft for winning the Gaming race) when you can make double and triple then the competition. Plus if they all merged together they could charge $300 a game because there would be no other company to sell games cheaper! You always need competition!

 

No one's saying the companies should merge, just that it would be better if consoles were cross-compatible.

 

Look at DVD's. There are at least 20 companies that can make a DVD player, but no matter which brand you buy they run the same discs. There are lots of players with different features, and price competition is pretty cutthroat. The biggest winner is us, the consumers - you can now get a DVD player for $20 at Wal-Mart.

 

Imagine if you could only buy DVDs built for your specific type of DVD player, and not every movie came out for all different types. Someone with a Toshiba DVD player wouldn't be able to watch the same movies as someone with a Samsung. Would you be cheering for competition then?

 

Of course, you don't have to imagine this scenario, because that's exactly what's happening with HD-DVD and Blu-Ray.

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