New Xbox 360 ads to promote family-oriented campaign by Microsoft

It looks like Microsoft is working on a new angle to draw in its market. Previously known to target the hardcore gamers, such as “the stereotypical young male dressed in black and living in the basement of his parents’ home,” the company is now looking into a more wholesome aspect by targeting casual gamers outside the usual teen and adult technophile range.

Jeff Bell, a Microsoft corporate vice president, talks about the new ad campaigns for the company which will be more family-oriented, especially with the recent release of the Xbox 360 Arcade console. Analysts from Microsoft realize that the light, family-friendly attitude reflects where the video gaming industry is going nowadays.

Check out the full article right after the jump!

It looks like Microsoft is working on a new angle to draw in its market. Previously known to target the hardcore gamers, such as “the stereotypical young male dressed in black and living in the basement of his parents’ home,” the company is now looking into a more wholesome aspect by targeting casual gamers outside the usual teen and adult technophile range.

Jeff Bell, a Microsoft corporate vice president, talks about the new ad campaigns for the company which will be more family-oriented, especially with the recent release of the Xbox 360 Arcade console. Analysts from Microsoft realize that the light, family-friendly attitude reflects where the video gaming industry is going nowadays.

The company is trying to keep up with the aggressive ad campaigns from rivals Sony and Nintendo who have recently launched their own series of advertisements based on their own thematic stand. However, Bell says that he is not intimidated. He had this to say: “The more selection Microsoft offers, the more sales they’ll lure in. We’re bringing forth the concept of choice”.

Here are a few of specific maneuvers that Microsoft’s new campaign will be running:

• A fresh ad campaign: TV and cinema ads show ordinary folks at spots such as a shopping mall parking lot. Their day-to-day activities are disrupted when a group of people crash the scene through unusual means such as hot-air balloons. The outsiders set up a mock living room, complete with a couch, TV and an Xbox. Bystanders then crowd in to check out Xbox.
• Family-friendly video games: Rough-and-tumble Gears of War and Halo 3 are among the more well-known games that Microsoft publishes. But the company is also promoting less-violent fare, such as Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action, which launches this week. The US$ 59.99 game has a range of puzzles that use movie trivia.
• Less-expensive console: The US$ 279.99 Xbox 360 Arcade comes with five free family-friendly games such as Uno and Pac-Man. Microsoft still offers the regular Xbox 360 for US$ 349.99 and the Xbox 360 Elite – targeted at hardcore gamers – for US$ 449.99.