Microsoft wants Sony's (and Nintendo's) kids

by Ken Weeks { Apr 29th 2006 at 12:30PM }

I meant to get to this Shane Kim interview last week, but it's still worth a read. Kim tells CNET Australia that Microsoft wants to be more like Sony in terms of family-friendly and peripheral-based games. It turns out the orginal Xbox was too "hardcore" for his business sense.

Xbox Live Arcade has already gone a long way toward making the new Xbox more accessible to the casual gamer, but the kiddie market is cruel bloodsport. Does it bother you that the 360's success seemingly rests not on Master Chief's capable shoulders, but on a talking paper mache donkey? Does your little brother even like talking paper mache donkeys?

With all the pressure management is placing on Viva Pinata, I feel sort of obligated to buy a few copies and drop them off at the local daycare along with some licensed lunch pails. Hell, we may have to kneecap SpongeBob if things get ugly.

[Thanks, Sense]

Tags: interviews, kiddie

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Dirk Dorkelson @ Apr 29th 2006 8:34PM

I think it's really cool that they're going after a younger crowd. Maybe it'll lead to more nongaming parents/grandparents getting roped in via the whole casual game thing. As long as Microsoft does a good job of segregating the "family" zone of Xbox Live to keep kids from gaming with people like the guy who was spouting homophobic slurs on Hardwood Hearts, they've got a good strategy.