Houston Chronicle: Microsoft's game plan bound to fail

[shipwreck]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/steffy/3500225.html

In this valuable article from the Houston Chronicle, the author visits a seventh grade classroom.

HOW many of them, I asked, wanted an Xbox 360? Every hand in the room of seventh-graders shot up. Even the teacher's.

Then I asked how many wanted to pay $400 for it. Almost every hand went down.

The game console may be cool, but it's just too expensive, they said. They think the games are overpriced, as well. Microsoft, which makes the Xbox, jacked the average game price by about $10 from the earlier Xbox version.

In a few months, the students at W.I. Stevenson Middle School told me, both the games and the console would cost less, Sony would be coming out with a new Playstation, and the cycle of hype would start all over again.

Okay, now what seventh grader would say they wanted to pay $400 for it?

[GizmoGC]

Some kids think $400 is a ton of money, like an entire months pay for their parents. What was that article suppose to prove? Kids like videogames but don't want to pay alot (Since they have NO jobs).

[Mr Unoriginal]

Wait until that reporter asks about the PS3. Those kid's heads will esplode!

[KaneRobot]

What was that article suppose to prove? Kids like videogames but don't want to pay alot (Since they have NO jobs).
I have a fairly well-paying job and I don't want to pay $400, let alone $300. At least 300 is one of those possible expected numbers for a new system. $400 is creeping along that 3DO territory.

[terribledeli]

Some kids think $400 is a ton of money, like an entire months pay for their parents. What was that article suppose to prove? Kids like videogames but don't want to pay alot (Since they have NO jobs).

Exactly. Kids are morons. They have no concept of money. I used to think $200 was alot of money, then I realized I could earn that at a fast food restuarant in a week.


The chronicle is a shitty rag. I'm glad I canned my subscription years ago.

[dserafin1986]

I have a fairly well-paying job and I don't want to pay $400, let alone $300. At least 300 is one of those possible expected numbers for a new system. $400 is creeping along that 3DO territory.

The 3DO was $700 when it dropped

[rabidmonkeys]

Well, c'mon folks, it is the Houston Chronicle. We all know they are a pinnacle of video game journalism.

[jetblac]

I got a ps2 for xmas in 2000.
I wouldn't have brought one for myself for years afterwards. samething with SNES. it doesn't matter much it cost now and who can afford it. it's "When they do get it, They are going to make a load of dough off this software!"

[uzumaki_star]

Wait until that reporter asks about the PS3. Those kid's heads will esplode!

:rofl: This is just so silly of an article to do something like this.

[Scorch]

What a stupid method of survey. They could ask the same thing about cars, houses and prostitutes and get the exact same result.

[PittsburghAfterDark]

I wonder if the "bound to fail" considers that people are willing to shell out twice that price on eBay to get their hands on one. Hmmmm, nope.

The 360 is going to do just fine. The $400 bundle is the best value in gaming history IMHO for what the hardware costs and the value of the accesories.

Launch games have been fantastic in comparison to consoles past. Considering I have 8 of them I think I know a little bit about the subject.

[mmn]

Holy shit! I better sell off my Microsoft stock, now. Without that classroom of seventh graders, MS could go out of business. Thank God for Loren Steffy.

[y2jrevolution]

I love the way they say that Microsoft jacked the prices of the games by $10.00 when first party games are the only ones that have not gone up.

[javeryh]

$400, while not a ton of money, is a lot of money to spend on a video game console.

[neudog]

You gotta love those little idiots...hahahaha! Best thing about it is that due to Bush's "No Kid Left Behind" program we will be able to ask the same group when they're eighth grader the same thing about the PS3 and Revolution.

[mario23air]

Game prices have been a lot higher than this in the past. I remember paying $70 ($69.99) for Act Rasier 2 for SNES back in the day.

[javeryh]

Game prices have been a lot higher than this in the past. I remember paying $70 ($69.99) for Act Rasier 2 for SNES back in the day.

The original Actraiser was worth $70 back in the day though - it's still better than most of the crap out there today...

[shipwreck]

The original Actraiser was worth $70 back in the day though - it's still better than most of the crap out there today...

*Walks into a room full of seventh graders*

"Who here thinks Actraiser is better than most video games released today?"

*Kids look around confused and don't raise their hands*



Sorry, javeryh, the seventh graders have spoken.

[Freshwillis]

Phantasy Star was $80 when it came out.

[savestheday888]

$400 is a lot of money for the average joe, but they did pack a ton of accessories into the box.

[Michaellvortega]

Stevenson Middle School is a school for the mentally challenged FYI

[javeryh]

*Walks into a room full of seventh graders*

"Who here thinks Actraiser is better than most video games released today?"

*Kids look around confused and don't raise their hands*



Sorry, javeryh, the seventh graders have spoken.

True. I can't argue with that... :cry:

[Esperado]

Omg, seventh graders don't want to spend 400 dollars, its gonna fail since their obviously the only age demographic. Who will want their 360s now?

[RedvsBlue]

Hmm, I wonder what these 7th graders would have to say about a $300-400 mp3 player, cause I'm almost positive that would fail as well. OH wait, someone forgot to tell the rest of the world that the iPod is a failure, if only more of us listened to this class we'd all be playing those plug and play video game machines.

[munch]

*Walks into a room full of seventh graders*

"Who here thinks Actraiser is better than most video games released today?"

*Kids look around confused and don't raise their hands*



Sorry, javeryh, the seventh graders have spoken.

:rofl:

[gunm]

I have a good job, but I don't want pay $400 for a game console, either. Does that mean the 360 is going to fail? Of course not.

It's good to know that if anyone ever needs a back up job in the South, the Houston Chronicle will hire just about anyone.

[Brak]

It's cool to be the naysayer!

[neudog]

Stevenson Middle School is a school for the mentally challenged FYI

No disrespect to the kids, but this drops the credibility and overall respect for this paper, not that they had much to begin with. Most would have done a case study in multiple schools, but not the Houston Chronicle. Almost makes me ashamed of being a Texan.

[62t]

$60 is high when you consider they are using the same dvds from the orginal xbox. If PS3 games cost more moeny, it would be a little more understandable since it is using a new media.

[Mr Unoriginal]

$60 is high when you consider they are using the same dvds from the orginal xbox. If PS3 games cost more moeny, it would be a little more understandable since it is using a new media.

Do you honestly think that the cost of games is based entirely on the cost of the media it's printed on?

[jeffreyjrose]

Loren Steffy is the Chronicle's business columnist. His commentary appears Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Contact him at loren.steffy@chron.com.