Posts Tagged ‘Nintendo’

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Startup Row Sham Bow raises $3M, Nintendo gets new VP

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

From every gamer on the planet, we’d like to thank you EA. Not only for making great titles over the years, but for providing a solid training ground for a large number of independent startups founded by your former employees. Such is the case with new upstart, Row Sham Bow, yet another social games development house.

Founded by Philip Holt and Nick Gonzalez, both former EA vets, Row Sham Bow has recently announced a successful round of Series A funding, to the tune of $3 Million. This round of funding was provided by Intersouth Partners.

“It’s not common to find a strong team like the one leading Row Sham Bow,” said John Glushik of Intersouth Partners in a statement. “With proven experience developing for and leading gaming companies, this team is perfectly composed to lead a company that is creating innovative games and technology that will engage audiences in new ways.”

Holt was previously Vice President and Studio General Manager of EA Tiburon, while Gonzalez previously served as Chief Software Architect at the same EA studio. Oddly enough, Gonzalez was also under the employ of Massive Inc., serving as their Chief Technology Officer. Combined, Holt, who will serve as President and CEO of Row Sham Bow, and Gonzalez, who takes on the role of Chief Technology Officer, have a total of over 32 years of online technology development experience.

“We are excited to partner with Intersouth as we launch and grow our company,” said Holt in a statement. “We believe that having a highly respected venture firm like Intersouth make its first gaming investment in Row Sham Bow not only illustrates the opportunity we have, but also demonstrates the continuing value that Orlando has as an important game development center.”

Ed. note: All seriousness aside, if you’re not already familiar with the term Row Sham Bow, do yourself a favor and have a look at what the sub-text of this company moniker is. A message to EA?

Nintendo hires new EVP of Sales and Marketing

Shifting gears from startup to long-standing player, Nintendo of America has recently announced the appointment of a new Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Scott Moffitt.

In a complete antithesis of the Row Sham Bow situation, Moffit arrives at Nintendo with no video game industry experience. Instead, he’s spent his 20+year career dedicated to consumer goods, as he arrives from Henkel Consumer Goods, where he was responsible for top shelf brands including Dial, Right Guard, Tone, and Pure & Natural. If you’ve noticed the complete overhaul of both the Dial and Right Guard brands and presentation, you’ve seen Moffitt’s work first hand.

“Scott Moffitt makes a marvelous addition to the Nintendo team,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime in a statement. “His expertise in driving growth will be a terrific asset as we build momentum for the Nintendo 3DS system and continue to reach new audiences for the Wii console.”

An interesting move for sure from Nintendo’s side. In an industry where ‘experts’ and ‘veterans’ tend to clutch to their own industry, it should be interesting to see where a consumer goods specialist takes the company. That’s not to say that there isn’t a great deal of overlap, but Moffitt’s inexperience in the industry might be seen as a detriment. With that said, it’s precisely this outside expertise that may drive Nintendo of America to new, never-before-seen heights.

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Pokemon and PSP take home the 2010 gold in Japan

Friday, December 31st, 2010

Clearly, Japanese gamers still hold Pokemon close to their hearts, as Nintendo’s Pokemon Black/White has come out on top of the Japanese 2010 top sellers list. Compiled by the ASCII corporation, and translated by 1UP, Pokemon Black/White is on top in terms of games with 4.7 million units sold, whereas Sony’s PlayStationPortable (PSP) barely nudged out a declining Nintendo DS to hold down the number one spot in hardware sales.

And it’s not just Black/White that’s keeping Nintendo on top in Japan. According to ASCII, Nintendo counts four games in the top 10 including; New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which was released in 2009. In 2010, the title moved 1.6 million units, and became the Wii’s first title to sell over 4 million units.

When it comes to Japanese hardware of choice, it appears as though there’s a war brewing on the island. Sony’s PSP took home the top honors, although by only a whisker. The PSP sold approximately 2.73 million units, with Nintendo’s DS 2.72 million units. However, the PSP was the only hardware device in the Japanese market not to see a decline in sales. The PSP saw a rise of 28 percent, with Nintendo seeing the exact same number, but in reverse. The Nintendo DS saw a 28 percent drop in sales from 2009 YoY number.

When it comes to consoles, the Wii remained the favorite amongst Japanese gamers, although sales numbers were down 9 percent when compared to 2009’s numbers, ultimately resulting in 1.59 millions sold in 2010. The PS3 saw numbers slightly lower, dropping 7.6 percent from 2009, resulting in 1.54 million sales. Of note, who seems to not be gaining any traction in Japan is Microsoft; Specifically the Xbox 360. Microsoft saw a 24 percent drop in sales, resulting in just 231,000 units sold.

The 2010 Japanese gaming market:

Japan’s Top-selling Game Software for 2010

  1. Pokemon Black/Pokemon White (DS) – 4,734,064
  2. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (PSP) – 3,163,750
  3. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) – 1,692,401
  4. Wii Party (Wii) – 1,385,541
  5. Dragon Quest VI (DS) – 1,354,841
  6. Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 (DS) – 1,305,750
  7. Tomodachi Collection (DS) – 1,112,298
  8. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii) – 931,534
  9. Inazuma Eleven 3 Snake/Bomber (DS) – 930,580
  10. Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (PSP) – 844,980

Japan’s Top-selling Game Hardware For 2010 (and unit change from 2009):

  1. PSP (all): 2,729,718 (+604,199)
  2. DS (all): 2,719,544 (-1,054,354)
  3. Wii: 1,592,563 (-155,398)
  4. PS3: 1,542,258 (-126,680)
  5. 360: 231,258 (-118,405)
  6. PS2: 83,030 (-114,116)

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Microsoft moves 2.5M Kinect thus far; Nintendo, 1.5M gaming systems in a week

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

If there is a recession going on, please do not tell the American consumers. Based on recent reports, even if times are tough, and money is tight, pixel hungry consumers are out in force.

Microsoft Kinect

Microsoft recently announced that the traditional shopping nightmare day of Black Friday has propelled sales of the motion sensing Kinect over the 2.5 million mark. This represents a global total sales figure, and has been accomplished in only 25 days. And with some quick cocktail napkin math, that breaks down to 100,000 units sold/day.

“We are thrilled about the consumer response to Kinect, and are working hard with our retail and manufacturing partners to expedite production and shipments of Kinect to restock shelves as fast as possible to keep up with demand,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “With sales already exceeding two and a half million units in just 25 days, we are on pace to reach our forecast of 5 million units sold to consumers this holiday.”

5 million units in just 2 months? Impressive numbers for sure Microsoft. To you, I can only say; Hats off. Available in more than 38 countries around the world, and 60,000 retailers, Kinect is Microsoft’s answer to the once-top-of-the-charts Nintendo Wii motion sensing controller. With Kinect, not only can you control games, but also interact with movies, music, and television, and the Kinect system also responds to voice commands.

“Kinect on Xbox 360 was a top performer at Target this weekend,” said Nik Nayar, vice president, merchandising, Target. “We expect Kinect will be a must-have gift this holiday season, so Target will continue to receive consistent shipments of Kinect throughout December. The hands-free, active gaming experience that Kinect offers is something that everyone in the family can enjoy.”

Nintendo

And while Microsoft might be on target to sell 5 Million units before the holiday season comes to an end, Nintendo also received the Black Friday bump, with Redmond reporting that consumers took home a combined $1.5 million worth of Nintendo gear over the course of Black Friday week, November 21st – 27th. Nintendo’s Black Friday sales numbers clocked in at a very healthy 900,000 units of the Nintendo DS line moving off the shelf, and with 600,000 Wii consoles destined for holiday happiness. This numbers do not reflect actual sales numbers, but are derived from Nintendo’s own internal sales estimates.

When viewed in the same Don Draper-esque math, Nintendo moved 9,000 units per hour over the Black Friday Week.

“For the past several years, consumers have decided that Nintendo defined both top value and all-inclusive entertainment, and that sentiment continues again at the start of this shopping season,” comments Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime.

Nintendo points to it’s attractive new hardware color offerings, as well as popular game/hardware bundles as primary drivers for the sales numbers. Bundles include a limited edition Mario red Wii and DSiXL, as well as orange and green DSi systems, all of which feature one iteration or another of the now 25 year old Mario franchise.

Of the past few years, we’ve predicted that the video game industry may be recession proof, and while sales numbers and associated costs have remained relatively consistent with all other forms of entertainment around them, it’s very clear that consumers are finding significant value in video game entertainment. To put a number on that value? Well … it’s somewhere around 5 million for Microsoft and Kinect, and certainly, Nintendo has nothing to complain about with 1.5 million units moved in a week.

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CES starts naming exhibitors: Nintendo’s back! Logitech already taking home awards.

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

Update: 11/24/10 – It appears as though the CEA got a bit ahead of itself, and listen Nintendo as a floor exhibitor. This is not the case, as Nintendo has only booked meeting room space at the 2011 CES.

With the coming holiday season, it’s often easy to forget that just a few weeks past Hanukah and a few days after Christmas and New Years, the largest consumer technology tradeshow happens in Las Vegas. To put a reminder in everyone’s heads, the CES has recently started revealing details about the upcoming circuit and pixel fest this coming January 6-9, 2011.

Over 35 exhibitors are expected to put their best face forward across the 9,800 square foot North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Most notable of this years exhibitors: after a 16 year absence, Nintendo will be proudly displaying products. And while our segment is naturally drawn to the online gaming and gaming related product debuts, the International CES also features just about anything that goes along with gaming, from new hardware and software, to PC and HD gaming, plasma HDTV’s, the latest in surround sound technology, and power conditioning hardware.

“With the gaming market expected to generate $20.3 million in 2010, the International CES is the must-stop hub for innovative gaming products, and will allow CES attendees to experience the future of gaming from an amazing range of innovative companies,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, events and conferences, CEA. “The Gaming Showcase at CES will feature the hottest gaming trends for the coming year.

Major exhibitors expected to make a splash at this years CES include: AMD, HP, Intel, Lenovo, LevelUp, Logitech, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nokia, Sony and more. Publishers will also be on hand including DC Comics/Warner and DreamWorks Animation. Completing the circle, top retailers including Amazon.com, Best Buy, and GameStop are all on the CES schedule.

Speaking of Logitech, it appears as though they’ve been on the top of their game this year, as they’ve recently announced that seven of their gaming related products have won 2011 CES Innovations honoree awards. Products include the Logitech Keyboard Controller for Google TV, Logitech TV Cam, Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750, Logitech HD Webcam C910, Logitech Wireless Gaming Mouse G700, Logitech Wireless Headset F540 and the Logitech Wireless Headset G930. In other words…basically their entire catalogue of gaming related goodness has taken some top honors.

“Logitech is thrilled to have seven products elevated as CES Innovation Award honorees,” said Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech’s president and chief executive officer. “These products represent Logitech’s commitment to driving innovation and giving people new ways to get immersed in their digital world.”

If Logitech’s wins are any indication of the coolness about to drop on Las Vegas, it looks like 2011 could be a very chilly year.

With Microsoft cashing in on the holiday season with their Kinect launch, Sony’s Move already on the market, that leaves only Nintendo left with a game changer. After being absent from the CES circuit for 16 years, there’s clearly a reason why they’ve decided to return. Should we expect to see something breathtaking from Nintendo? We’ll have to wait until January to find out…but I wouldn’t be surprised to see some big waves from Nintendo.

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Free to Play begins to show signs of chipping away at retail’s dominance

Monday, July 20th, 2009

According to new data released by NPD, video game sales are on a steady decline. Sales of software, hardware, and gaming peripherals fell 31 percent, down to $1.17 billion in June 2009. The month prior saw sales around the $1.7 billion mark. According to NPD analyst Anita Frazier, “this month saw the greatest year-over-year monthly decline since September 2000, when the industry declined 41 percent.” Overall, 2008 has seen sales of video games and their associated counterparts (hardware and joysticks, etc.) are down 12 percent YOY.

moneywashingtondollarAnd it’s not just the plastic wrapped shiny discs that aren’t moving off retailers’ shelves. Console sales revenues took a 38 percent hit, totaling only $382.6 million. Of the big three, Microsoft’s Xbox was the only console that actually increased sales during the month of June. Nintendo’s Wii saw a drop of 45 percent, and Sony’s (arguably overpriced) PS3 got clobbered with a 59 percent drop in sales.

And while a 45 percent drop in Wii sales might look bad on paper, Nintendo’s mobile gaming devices, the DS and DSi pulled down 766,000 sales receipts, larger sales numbers than all three consoles combined. If that wasn’t enough to cover the electric bill, Nintendo’s Wii Motion Plus accessory (an add on that makes the controller more accurate) clocked in with 374,000 units sold.

But hang on a second…haven’t we just heard that gaming is seeing a tremendous rise, partially contributed to the current economic situation? Just last week, comScore put out numbers indicating that the market had grown 22 percent in 2009, so what gives?

“Our latest gamer segmentation study suggests that more than 4m new ‘players’ have entered the games market since last year, so certainly the decline isn’t due to less folks participating in the industry,” NPD’s Anita Frazier explained.

“Some of these are new retail consumers and some are playing online for free, and others are a mix of both. The trick is to continue to figure out how to monetize all the gaming that is going on across PC, mobile devices, and video game systems.

“Certainly there is plenty of opportunity in the industry, but the rate of change in many areas of the industry presents a lot of challenge as well.”

So if the segment has seen a spike in usership, but yet, sales are slumping, where are all these people going? And better yet…where, on what, and if at all, are they spending their money?

“While some of the decline in retail sales could be a migration on the part of consumers to acquiring content via digital distribution, our reports on downloads and subscriptions reveal that it’s not yet having enough impact on the console market to be an overly meaningful factor in the retail down-turn. That said, there are increasing avenues for consumers to game, including via mobile devices, and it’s clear the industry is sorting through how to manage all these opportunities while deploying resources appropriately,” says Frazier.

Now I’m not one to pick at words (yes I am), but note that Frazier mentions only downloads and subscriptions. There are two key pieces of data that NPD is not addressing here. Browser based gaming, and in platform gaming (i.e. casual games apps on social networks). While NPD may be clocking downloads and subscriptions, there’s no indication that they’ve collected significant data on where these 4 million new gamers are going. They’re clearly not heading to the local Best Buy to drop $59.99 on the newest copy of Call of Duty, so again…where are they? My bet firmly lies in browser based, either within social networks, or directly, gaming. If that be the case, the even more important question is – how many of these new gamers, all playing for free, are or plan to make a microtransaction purchase?

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Adding free-to-play to the DSi would change the entire industry

Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

Head Honcho of Acclaim and noted advocated of the Free-to-Play business model, David Perry says that by adding free-to-play games to the recently released Nintendo DSi would be an industry changer.

In a recent interview with Matt Martin of gamesindustry.biz, Perry said that his reaction to the new DSi from Nintendo is positive, but he had certainly hoped for faster innovation coming out of Kyoto.

While Nintendo has no public plans to delve into the free-to-play world, Perry did comment that the ability to download games directly to the DSi was a good start – provided that 3rd party manufacturers don’t beat Nintendo to the punch.

“The download store is good, [Free-to-play games] would have changed everything for designers. Basically it would remove the limitations of what a handheld is capable of doing, but it would require WiFi to play those games, so maybe it’s still too early,” he offered. “I think [free-to-play] would have been a game changer, but now it’s over to Sony or Microsoft to make this move.”

“The download store will help people play and try more games, it’s a great way to allow impulse playing,” he continued. “So I think that actually will help, I’m pleased Nintendo are stepping up their game as the online store they initially launched on the Wii was terrible.”

Noting the most sizable party in the download games on the go industry; Apple, Perry says that Demo versions of games made available for the DSi would provide a distinct advantage, not only to gamers, but developers and publishers as well.

“It’s certainly where they can beat Apple if they get developers to offer demos of all games. Apple fails on the demo front where you buy first, hoping you will like them. To compete with Apple, they will need to open up free-to-play gaming.”

Also up on Perry’s DSi wishlist? Both screens having touch screen sensitivity (something that all of us have been scratching out heads about ever since the release of the DS back in …), a webcam for greater interactivity (the built in camera is nice, but still not a webcam.  Perry also believes that this camera is destined to produce a number of ‘gimmicky’ games), tilt sensing (ala iPhone), a slicker design (again…iPhone), better speakers (is anyone using their DS without headphones?), and an “Xbox Live” style service for handhelds.

Thankfully, Martin asked the question that was on my mind as well while reading about the DSi, how about a “touch sensitive Wii controller”, which Perry also added to the wishlist.  Not every player is going to have both a DSi and a Wii, but the added gaming functionality might be yet another ‘hey, that’s cool’ factor to the Wii, and perhaps boost sales based on system compatibility via the controllers.

Not quite complete with the wishlist, Perry continued with a Nintendo Cloud Server

“to host server heavy games, that make the gameplay more impressive than handheld hardware could ever produce.”

I personally have yet to get my hands on a DSi, but while tons of reviews are starting to show up across the gamescape, there tends to be some mixed feelings.  Some say it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread, while others clock in with a resounding, “yeah, and….?”

Either way you look at it, a free-to-play concept on handheld gaming systems could very well be an industry changer.  Clearly iPhone users don’t have a problem making microtransaction games purchases (myself included), so why not give developers and gamers both a fair shake at ‘free-to-play, microtransactions if you want to play more, extra levels, etc.’?  For years, games publishers have been introducing the free-to-play model on a PC platform.  Perhaps coming at the topic from the bottom up, and not the other way around might be a great way to get an entirely new generation of gamers interested in, and used to the free-to-play, microtransaction based concept.

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NPD reports that industry growth slows: Madden still drives it into the end zone

Friday, September 12th, 2008

According to NPD’s August numbers, the North American video game market only grew 9% year-over-year (August ’07-August ’08), indicating a slowed growth from previous months.  Software sales were however strong with EA’s Madden NFL 09 leading the pack; Nintendo pulling some equally strong numbers.
While 9% isn’t a massive growth rate when talking about widget sales, a 9% growth rate in the video game industry is still a commanding figure: $1.08 billion ’08, and a paultry $994.76 million in August ’07.  Hardware however, only clocked in at a 3% growth rate; $384.59 million ’07 – $394.53 million ’08.

NPD analyst Anita Frazier points out that this is the first time in 27 months the industry has seen only single-digit percentage growth.

Like the July numbers, software sales managed to beat the average improvement, rising 13% year-over-year from $489.06 million to $550.67 million.

The Nintendo DS and Wii took the top two spots respectively in the hardware sales slots, while Xbox 360 leapfrogged over the PS3, the PSP managed to beat both.

The cold hard facts:

August Hardware Per-unit Sales figures

  1. Nintendo DS – 518.3K
  2. Wii – 453.0K
  3. PlayStation Portable – 253.0K
  4. Xbox 360 – 195.2K
  5. PlayStation 3 – 185.4K
  6. Playstation 2 – 144.1K

While August wasn’t a great month for strong hardware growth Frazier comments, “The PSP and PS3 systems achieved the greatest percentage gain of all now-gen systems. The sales acceleration of these systems, combined with the recent Xbox 360 price cuts should fuel future growth of this category.”

I’m quite sure the folks in Richmond are quite happy about this.  Microsoft recently lowered the price of the entry-level Xbox 360 Arcade, which comes without a hard drive, to $199.

August Software Units Sold Figures

  1. Madden NFL 09 (Xbox 360, EA Tiburon/EA) – 1.0M
  2. Madden NFL 09 (PS3, EA Tiburon/EA) – 643K
  3. Madden NFL 09 (PS2, EA Tiburon/EA) – 424.5K
  4. Wii Fit (Wii, Nintendo EAD/Nintendo) – 394.9K
  5. Mario Kart Wii (Wii, Nintendo EAD/Nintendo) – 328.7K
  6. Wii Play (Wii, Nintendo EAD/Nintendo) – 200.2K
  7. Soulcalibur IV (Xbox 360, Project Soul/Namco Bandai) – 174K
  8. Too Human (Xbox 360, Silicon Knights/Microsoft) – 168.2K
  9. Madden NFL 09 All-Play (Wii, EA Tiburon/EA) – 115.8K
  10. Guitar Hero: On Tour (NDS, Vicarious Visions/Activision) – 111.2K

With the days growing shorter and cooler, combined with the media blitz concerning all things football, it’s shouldn’t really come as a shock that Madden is dominating the charts.  Regarding the slow growth over the month of August, sure, it IS the first time the sector has seen a single digit for the past 27 months, but I’m not quite sure it’s time to panic.  While there were 453k Wii sales, the DS clocked in at 518.3k, clearly indicating that gamers were on the go during the month.  As retailers begin to gear up for the coming holiday season, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a report coming out of Port Jefferson extolling the rise in gaming consoles and software sales in the coming months.

And the PS2…are they really still making games for an outdated platform?

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David Perry’s 33 ways to monetize games

Sunday, August 17th, 2008

David Perry recently laid out an impressive slideshow over at Business Week with 33 examples of how to monetize games.  Perry a 27 year industry veteran has over $1 Bn of retail game sales receipts to his credit, and co-founder and chief creative officer of Acclaim games.

Perry fully admits in the article that the rapid and expansive growth of the gaming industry will and should probably make his 33 ways list obsolete rather quickly.  Perry sees games that fall into the ‘social’ catagory as those with the most explosive growth and potential.  Siting an NPD Group study, Perry notes that 15% of retail game sales go to the adult ‘mature’ audience, and 85% to everyone else.  Social games are asynchonus (meaning, busy players take turns going back and forth at each other, and do not necessarily need to be ‘playing’ at the same time) and fall nicely into the mid-zone between these adult ‘mature’ gamers and all others.  In other words, covering the most amount of the market with the widest net.

Distribution methods are also covered by Perry.  Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony, former kings of brick and mortar distribution methods, have changed their tune and opened online distribution channels.  As soon as ISP penetration reaches the tipping point, Perry sees physical media such as cartridges and DVD’s going the way of the dodo bird.  The players to watch in the digital distribution battleground?  Facebook, MySpace, Google, and Apple.

While Perry’s list covers a wide range of money making gaming ideas, his microtransaction side is of particualr significance, pointing out even staunch anti microtransaction publisher Blizzard’s recent dipping of toes into the ‘let’s measure their reaction’ pool:

Micro-Transactions

These are small, impulse-driven purchases bought for reasons of vanity, saving time, better communications, or even moving up a level more quickly. (Levels are a player’s ranking within a virtual society.) They’re generally paid for using virtual points, either earned in the game (by playing), or bought for real money (which is a massive time-saver). A new trend is offering virtual items in exchange for access to a player’s real-world friends. So for example: “You can have this magic sword, if you invite a friend to play.” Getting that balance right can mean stunning revenue growth, which makes it even more important for you come up with offers the gamers really want. This technique works well on social networks like Facebook as friends are just a click away. If you can get more than a 1 to 1 ratio, the game goes viral, which results in exponential growth. That’s the goal here.

The image that Perry chose?

Pointing out Blizzard’s new ‘recruit a friend’ campaign whereby new comers and those that recruited them can now gain ‘triple xp’ and summon each other to each other, thereby saving a great deal of time.  The recruiter also has the opportunity to receive an exclusive in game mount if the recruitee follows through on certain terms and conditions.  See it any way you want…but it looks like a crack in Blizzard’s armor.

View Perry’s article at Business Week.

View Perry’s slideshow at Business Week.

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Are micro transactions on the horizon for Xbox avatars?

Sunday, August 3rd, 2008

Microsoft corporate Vice President John Schappert recently spoke with Venturebeat’s Dean Takahashi on a number of topics including a micro transaction based model for Xbox avatars.

The Microsoft avatar system was announced at E3, and one thing was clear: There’s a lot of potential for micro transactions in the Microsoft future.  With the recent interview, Schappert puts the official stamp on the ‘It’s something we’re seriously considering’ rumor.

“That may be in the future,” Schappert said when asked about the prospect. “In the near term, we want to launch these with great customization and a great library of accessories this fall. I think there is a lot more we can do with them. You will see us continue to add experiences that make use of the avatar.”

“To me, avatars are a logical extension to give us countless ways to personalize our own styles,” he said.  “It’s not like we are using avatars to recreate the perfect human body. And it’s not too cutesy. It’s in the middle. It dresses up the core first-person shooter, who can be edgy. And the more casual player can dress up to look friendly.”

If this sounds more than familiar, just have a think for a second about the Nintendo version: Mii’s.

“I have to make a shout out to the Miis and say that Nintendo did a phenomenal job integrating them into the Wii games,” Schappert said. “There was a lot of inspiration from them. At the same time, it’s a logical evolution of our gamertags on Xbox Live. It was a question of when to introduce it.”

It’s good to see that Microsoft isn’t just doing a bit of chest beating, but giving a nod to the Nintendo boys for beating them to the market.  Whether these custom, micro transaction based avatars will cost an unruly amount of Microsoft Points is yet to be seen.

Micro transactions for in game avatar customization; good or bad?  While the topic can and most certainly will rage on in forums, blogs, and chat channels, isn’t it simply a case of two different types of gamers?  Will the ‘hardcore’ category yet again be the most vocal in it’s opposition, while the ‘casual gamer’ category silently goes about it’s business, dropping a buck here and there to truly customize and enjoy their in game toon?  Clearly the market has shown growth in the micro transaction field, both in interest and development.  With Microsoft putting more resources into developing a program, isn’t this a clear stamp of approval?

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Microsoft/Intellisponse respond to rumor fest

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008

In a dramatic move, Intellisponse, the market research company handling the Microsoft/Xbox account responded to the latest rumor leaks. Intellisponse spokesperson is quoted as saying:

“…”

Right. Intellisponse is doing their job as market researcher. They may or may not have leaked some top level information regarding Microsoft’s intent to rip off Nintendo’s Wii a bit further by including “avatars”, Forza Motorsport 3 shipping on 2 discs, and Spiderman doing battle with the Marvel Zombies.

Intellisponse was contacted by Kotaku and questioned about the leak and the validity of the info. Spokesperson Elizabeth McCrocklin said, “It is our policy that we do not comment on rumor or speculation.”
Kotaku then replied to the email stating the the rumor was in fact real, as in it had hit the internet, and therefore was not speculation.

McCrocklin promptly ignored the message.

I can only imagine the phone lines were ablaze between Microsoft and Intellisponse yesterday. Finally, at the end of the day Microsoft stepped up to the plate and answered Kotaku’s question with, “We regularly test all kinds of concepts in market research with our Xbox community. These may or may not be real products in development or ever be released to consumers.”. Slick.

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