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Xbox 360 = Tupperware parties? photo

Actually, the 360 is going to make Tupperware a thing of the past -- Xbox 360 is the new flavor when it comes to cynical social gatherings between housewives who want to make their dreary lives more interesting by selling crap to their friends. 

1,000 women across the US have been given $150 of Xbox-themed garbage in exchange to host an Xbox 360 party for at least ten friends and relatives. Nintendo tried a similar venture once before, but at least the family friendly Wii makes sense. The idea of a housewife hosting a fun family Xbox gathering just makes me feel kind of sick. 

"We've sold 20 million consoles to date globally since we launched three years ago," claims Heather Snavely, Microsoft's director of interactive entertainment business global platforms. "In order to get to the next 20 million, we need to get a new audience of women and teens. We're going after them in ways that are different than ways we've done before."

The participating victims women use their own 360 consoles and demonstrate all the available services such as Netflix, Xbox Live and a stupid crappy snowglobe. I'm sure families will be more enthralled by that than they are with Wii Sports.

It seems that Microsoft is going all out with its rather blatant attempt to grab a piece of Nintendo's pie, but it's just making the company look grasping and cynical more than anything else. Family stuff is Nintendo's bag, and Nintendo is good at that. Microsoft is terrible at it, and should stick to appealing and expanding the market it has rather than waste time trying to change the 360's image after it's already established its demographic and position. 

Seriously ... Xbox 360 Tupperware parties. Is this what MS is reduced to?


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28 comments | showing # 1 to 28

Igniti0n's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 21:34
Igniti0n
assholes should be spending their time giving me better quality stuff then wasting time with housewives and teens...
pedrovay2003's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 21:46
pedrovay2003
Wow... Well, good luck to Microsoft as they try to enter the casual market, which Nintendo owns. I'll be over here laughing my ass off.

@Sho Nuff

Personally, I've thought along those lines for a while now. Microsoft has been constantly trying to be casual like Nintendo lately. They know they won't be able to compete, but they do it anyway. That kinda seems like they're reducing themselves to me. Oh, and the fact that their hardware still sucks.

I like the 360, I really do. Just not how it functions half the time.
dprime's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 21:46
dprime
More Jim "a deaf God ignores our pleas" Sterling.

The second commentor sho hasn't seen the recent sales numbers for the PS3 versus last year.
Scrixx's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 21:49
Scrixx
Nice hat Jim.
njsykora's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 21:51
njsykora
I predict a raft of trolls and a fat payday for King Sterling.
necrozen's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 21:53
necrozen
LOL. I remember when Nintendo did this a while back. Some soccer mom even did a special blog about it, lol. I wonder if MS will pay soccer moms to blog, just like nintendo. Man. Why can't they just stay what they are? Why the identity crisis all of a sudden? Not that I give a shit, I don't own one. Just curious. If they start trying to be too much they will dilute themselves.
elysse's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 22:03
elysse
You've gotta be shittin me.

O WAIT, IMA GIRL, I LIKE GIRL PARTIES AND I LIKE TO BUY STUFF, ESPECIALLY WHATEVER IS SOLD AT GIRL PARTIES!

gimme a frappin' break, Microsoft.
power-glove's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 22:05
power-glove
I have to disagree with Jim on this. Now that 360 has a smaller price tag than the Wii. This is probably MS's best chance to make a play at that market. I don't they will make a huge dent in that market but I hope that they make things interesting.

Also, why the hate? If MS has some success with this movement, then there is chance for a possible game like Crackdown 2 or another game franchise that you like, can get a better budget to play with.
Danshir's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 22:12
Danshir
I'm so glad my Xbox broke now...

Less Tupper-ware, more quality hard-ware please?
Takeshi's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 22:21
Takeshi
This is really sad. You can't say tupperware without thinking of those ridiculous parties. I wonder if Microsoft wants that to happen to the 360...
pedrovay2003's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 22:22
pedrovay2003
I'm wish Danshir.

@power-glove

The 360 may have a smaller price tag, but it doesn't have the casual appeal that the Wii does. I know that's what they're trying to fix, but Nintendo already dominates the casual market. I just don't see it happening.
Arminas's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 22:32
Arminas
Yet another reason I would like to have my own set of boobs. $150 worth of swag to host a gaming party? This is why all of my MMO toons are female. Well, that and my repressed homosexuality.
sporelink's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 22:33
sporelink
I thought teenagers played a shitload of xbox. Who am I vsing on live then?
Projectexodus's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 22:39
Projectexodus
I dont see anything wrong with Microsoft appealing to a wider audience, as long as they somehow manage to keep their sanity. Just dont loose focus on the core market, allrite MS?

Also, FIX THE FUCKING HARDWARE YOU BLEEDING CUNTS!!!
Mig29's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 22:42
Mig29
Why? Why do you do this Microsoft? Don't you realize that housewives aren't going to be very dependable video game consumers? Have you lost all sense of identity? Don't you realize your core audience is staring you right in the face? Strategies like this will only alienate your true fans, not help you gain new ones. Get your god damned act together you stupid assholes.
manasteel88's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 22:52
manasteel88
I can't wait for them to showcase XBL and the women get called a 'noob' or a 'fag' while playing a nice game of Uno.
superflossy's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 23:01
superflossy
whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? on the other hand, it might be funny to crash one of these...
The Amazing Shenazin's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 23:31
The Amazing Shenazin
lol at my mental image of housewives playing games like GOW2 and Halo 3
sickNasty's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2008 23:42
sickNasty
People need to gain some perspective on this.

It's not a matter of this being what MS is "reduced to." They aren't struggling in the market, they aren't being "reduced" to anything.

They are just trying out another way to sell consoles and make more money. That's what companies do, they sell shit. There's not anything more to it than that.
brainderailment's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/23/2008 00:42
brainderailment
I would be honored to call a soccer mom a "fag".
luvmysegadc's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/23/2008 01:34
luvmysegadc
If they are single MILFs and courgars, I'm down!
Naim Master's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/23/2008 02:08
Naim Master
Resistance is futile Mr Sterling , come to the dark side ! (the ps3's black )
cartman08's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/23/2008 02:30
cartman08
well they would want to fix the xbox first, and tbh I don't see them having a chance against the wii, it appeals to a totaly different demographic than the shitty box oh excuse me, crap box, sorry I ment xbox.
Sup3rt3d's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/23/2008 03:08
Sup3rt3d
@ Cartman08

HURR DURR RED RING OF DEATH HUR HUR

Dude, surely something a bit more original? Xbox Tupperware parties sound totally lame so surely you can think of something to say about that rather than a two year old hardware problem thats been dealt with? You're letting fanboyism down.
rbrooks's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/23/2008 04:22
rbrooks
the thing with microsoft is that they actually have enough money to do such a thing. So if they truly think they can draw in the casual crowd then they can certainly waste their money on it...
boatorious's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/23/2008 05:59
boatorious
Many housewives want to chainsaw locust hordes in half with a machine gun, but are unaware that such a game even exists. This is a win-win.
zeroword's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/23/2008 16:31
zeroword
Pathetic...
Dexter345's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/24/2008 16:59
Dexter345
Honestly, give 'em a 360, Lips, Netflix, and You're in the Movies, and I can imagine this being a marginally successful campaign.

What's stopping Microsoft from expanding their user base like Nintendo did? Their console is cheaper than Nintendo's is now.
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