PS3 Buyers: Xbox Loves You Anyway
With the PS3 launching in France and the U.K., Microsoft just couldn't pass up the chance to do some down-and-dirty guerilla marketing. If you were waiting in line in France, you may have seen a boat come by emblazoned with a banner that said "Xbox 360 <3 You." Gaming journalists covering the event also reported receiving text messages wishing them to have a nice time, with love from the Xbox 360 team. Meanwhile, in London, chairs magically appeared with the website address "www.shkyw.org" which stands for "Shouldn't Have Kept You Waiting." Go there, and you'll see a smug message from Xbox:
Xbox welcomes the PS3 to the next generation. SONY... YOU'RE LATE! Let the games begin.
Yeah, that's probably one of the best "oh-snap-oh-no-you-dit-ent" moments in next-gen marketing history.
Xbox 360 Loves You! [British Gaming Blog]
Lazy Panda
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 24 March 2007
· Comments (4)
Other stuff like this: guerilla marketing, microsoft, next-gen console wars, oh no you didn't!, oh snap!, ps3 launch, sony, xbox 360
LOVES IT!! Oh Microsoft and your snark. I hope the PS2 never dies...*le sigh*
I'm assuming Microsoft didn't use similar tactics in Japan, where their "next-gen" system is being outsold by the PS3 10 to 1, and by the Wii at about 50 to 1? Sony may be late to the party, but at least someone is coming to theirs.
Seems like poor sportsmanship to me. Sega pulled a similar maneuver when the PS2 was delayed. I recall mobile billboards being driven around San Francisco with an image a kid sticking his tongue out, with the copy "Sega feels bad for Sony and their recent production problems" or some such. While I doubt Microsoft will go down the same way Sega did with the Dreamcast, no one likes a gloater.
It's not the first time Microsoft have done something like this... Remember the plonking of an IE logo outside of Netscape HQ when IE4 was released?
Sometimes you've got to wonder whether these are multinational corporations or ten year-olds...
and xbox 360 i love you too!