Xbox One's Perfect Invitation
Linton Small
My humble beginnings as a gamer can be traced back to the NES. I've since owned the SNES, Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, Saturn, Dreamcast (lovely machine), and borrowed the Genesis, N64, and Gamecube for extended periods from very generous friends. Since the original Playstation came out I have been firmly planted in Sony's camp, and have gone on to own the PS2, PSP, and currently the PS3 and PS Vita. I never dabbled in multiple consoles at once since those earlier days, because it is not worth the extra expense for me.
As you could well imagine, when Sony unveiled the PS4 I was all ears. Like all avid gamers and single platform supporters aka "fanboys", I've discussed and argued the pros and cons of my future console of choice on numerous occasions with anyone that would or wouldn't listen. Sony impressed me with their "gamers first" vision of the future as I had hoped. Their message was strong and decisive compared to Microsoft at the time. I chuckled at every boneheaded misstep they made with their "Xbone" console, as it is affectionately known in some circles, but finally, they grabbed my attention in a very positive way. I cannot deny the genius in what is sure to be a new advertising campaign from Microsoft. "Invitation" (seen below) is a simple idea with a flawless execution. If I were a gamer on the fence, this would definitely get me to consider accepting it.
Sony's ad campaigns for the PS3 have been very inconsistent to say the least; I'm still trying to forget the infamous creepy baby ad, while their Kevin Butler series was pretty impressive. So far, their Greatness Awaits ad, though fantastic, feels like a teaser because of its generality. So I'm hoping they can take a hint from Microsoft's line of thinking and sprinkle in some interaction and actual gameplay to properly translate the PS4's "Greatness Awaits" message to gamers. In the meantime, kudos Microsoft! Well done. You just schooled Sony on what a console introduction should look like.
What do you think of Sony and Microsoft's ad campaigns so far? I encourage you to share your thoughts.
