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GI.biz: Xbox Brazil - Cheaper console, but MS again fumbled its marketing message

B

Bundy

Banned
Brazil: New Consoles Have It All To Play For

It may have the cheaper console, but Microsoft again fumbled its marketing message at the Brasil Game Show

You'd be forgiven for thinking that Brazil is purely a console market when well over half of the floor of this year's Brasil Game Show is dedicated to next and current generation hardware.

Despite the astonishingly high prices for the next generation consoles - the PS4 will be priced around $1,840 when it launches on November 29, the Xbox One $1,012 a week earlier - the hunger for new technology here is as palpable as it is in the European and US markets. Import tax may be assaulting the consumer's wallet, but even in this price-hostile environment surely we can finally bury the idea that consoles are in any way doomed because tablets and mobile hardware are more popular.

It's an understatement to say the Brasil Game Show is big. The numbers do the talking. Over 150,000 people are expected over four public days here. That's not close to Gamescom's whopping 340,000 attendees but it's closing on ChinaJoy's 200,000. It's already bigger than Eurogamer's EGX in the UK and Penny Arcade's PAX in the US. To refer to it as an emerging market is offensive.

When Sony first announced the price of the PlayStation 4 in the region it looked like the hardware could be dead on arrival. With crippling import taxes accounting for 61 per cent of the mark-up, commentators saw an open goal for Microsoft, with the Xbox One at a much less expensive, but still considerable price-tag. Surely the Brasil Games Show, with its huge audience, would cement that theory.

But when the show opened on day one for the press and business crowd, there were only a handful of Xbox One consoles playable. Microsoft's booth looked barren, with new technology in sparse supply. The space had been reserved, but the technology was missing in action - all green branding but no jet-black hardware. Forza 5, one of the system's most prominent launch titles, was only present with a trailer and a promotional Mustang. Having your photograph taken with a cool looking car is fine, but it's nothing compared to 20 minutes playing the latest build. Microsoft staff stood around twiddling their thumbs instead of Xbox One controllers. The single Xbox One game playable on the opening day was Killer Instinct. What on earth forced the decision to go with a rebooted fighter over the company's flagship racing game?

The situation wasn't any better for Microsoft's third-party exclusives either. I can't imagine Capcom or Crytek were happy with Dead Rising 3 and Ryse's screens showing common trailers with empty boxes underneath. The space wasn't even asking for a lot to fill it - just five units per game - but Microsoft just couldn't deliver. Fill that space with something, anything. Nothing looks worse than empty shelves.

Granted, this was on day one, where no public were allowed through the doors. But this was the day to get the message across through invited press, the media, bloggers, the YouTube broadcasters and the national TV, as well as the day to impress Microsoft's industry peers. Unfortunately for Microsoft the message was fumbled badly, a huge missed opportunity only weeks before launch.
Click to expand...

More here
 
H

Holygriever

Banned
Yup, I went there, Sony's booth was brimming and Microsoft's was meh. I even got to see Adam Boyes and Seth Killian scooping things up.
 
W

Wynnebeck

Banned
Holygriever said:
Yup, I went there, Sony's booth was brimming and Microsoft's was meh. I even got to see Adam Boyes and Seth Killian scooping things up.
Click to expand...

What's the current climate down there regarding the consoles? Are people still interested in PS4 despite the higher price?
 
H

Holygriever

Banned
Wynnebeck said:
What's the current climate down there regarding the consoles? Are people still interested in PS4 despite the higher price?
Click to expand...

People are definetely interested, Wynnebeck, though there is some (misplaced) resentment towards Sony for the PS4K. I think people are excited for when they are finally able to purchase the console. Not to mention that a lot of people that can shell out cash to go to an Expo have enough disposable income for a PS4.

But people bough the 360 in the past generation due to the piracy and convenience, not due to brand loyalty. Sony still has that in spades. Even if they can't buy the console right now, they'll still be excited for the tech advancements alone.

Enthusiasts. What a weird bunch. :p
 
F

Faabulous

Member
Wynnebeck said:
What's the current climate down there regarding the consoles? Are people still interested in PS4 despite the higher price?
Click to expand...

You didn't ask me but, all my friends are still pretty hyped for the PS4, but all of them intend to get it outside the country or via the gray market.
 
H

Holygriever

Banned
Faabulous said:
You didn't ask me but, all my friends are still pretty hyped for the PS4, but all of them intend to get it outside the country or via the gray market.
Click to expand...

There's that too. I would do that, but after a PS3 went kaput on me barely a month after the purchase, I am wary of being warranty-less. :(
 
P

PandaPedinte

Member
bigboss370 said:
what did sony have playable?
Click to expand...
Sony's stand, on the other hand, painted a clear picture of a company ready to launch in just over a month. Killzone: Shadow Fall had the biggest presence and the crowds to go with it, but none of the smaller games were sacrificed in favour of first-party, or the idea next-gen has to be about AAA. It's a policy that's proving strong for Sony in other regions, and it's no different here. Octodad, Contrast, Knack, the delayed Drive Club and even third-party games Assassin's Creed: Black Flag and Blacklight Retribution were all shown and received love. Add to that an embarrassment of riches for the Vita and PlayStation 3, including Angry Birds, Diablo III, The Last of Us, Diggs Nightcrawler, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, and Sony had all bases covered
Click to expand...

.
 
B

bigboss370

Member
PandaPedinte said:
Sony's stand, on the other hand, painted a clear picture of a company ready to launch in just over a month. Killzone: Shadow Fall had the biggest presence and the crowds to go with it, but none of the smaller games were sacrificed in favour of first-party, or the idea next-gen has to be about AAA. It's a policy that's proving strong for Sony in other regions, and it's no different here. Octodad, Contrast, Knack, the delayed Drive Club and even third-party games Assassin's Creed: Black Flag and Blacklight Retribution were all shown and received love. Add to that an embarrassment of riches for the Vita and PlayStation 3, including Angry Birds, Diablo III, The Last of Us, Diggs Nightcrawler, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, and Sony had all bases covered.
Click to expand...

wow ok, Sony killed it o_o
 
M

Miles Quaritch

Member
But when the show opened on day one for the press and business crowd, there were only a handful of Xbox One consoles playable. Microsoft's booth looked barren, with new technology in sparse supply. The space had been reserved, but the technology was missing in action - all green branding but no jet-black hardware. Forza 5, one of the system's most prominent launch titles, was only present with a trailer and a promotional Mustang. Having your photograph taken with a cool looking car is fine, but it's nothing compared to 20 minutes playing the latest build. Microsoft staff stood around twiddling their thumbs instead of Xbox One controllers. The single Xbox One game playable on the opening day was Killer Instinct. What on earth forced the decision to go with a rebooted fighter over the company's flagship racing game?
Click to expand...

Embarrassing. What the hell...
 
I

illmatic22

Banned
Maybe they don't feel like trying all that hard because of the pirating? Just throwing a guess out there, I know shit is super expensive in brasil
 
N

Nightfallfilms

Neo Member
1385854_10202521015933109_1368650283_n.jpg


Xbox booth sure looks empty ;)
 
G

Gauis

Banned
illmatic22 said:
Maybe they don't feel like trying all that hard because of the pirating? Just throwing a guess out there, I know shit is super expensive in brasil
Click to expand...

Piracy is slowly becoming a non issue in consoles as games are getting much cheaper. MS was just somewhat unprepared, last year I went to BGS and again Sony's booth was much better.

Last year they had a car showing too, lol. And only Forza on display, Sony had lots of different games, from Journey to God of War people where flocking there.
 
G

Gauis

Banned
I don't think anyone posted on GAF, but Microsoft increased the price of the Xbox One at BGS because dollar or whatever.
 
O

Omnistalgic

Member
PSGames said:
As in Sony as a whole VS Microsoft as a whole or just PlayStation VS xbox?
Click to expand...
Not sure...but MS makes a gazillion times more money than Sony as a whole, and is likely more international with all there business...

Big three is Google, Apple, MS...Sony/Nintendo aren't even close, and Samsung has taken over with consumer electronics as well...Which I still don't quite understand myself.
 
C

coolasj19

Why are you reading my tag instead of the title of my post?
Nightfallfilms said:
1385854_10202521015933109_1368650283_n.jpg


Xbox booth sure looks empty.
Click to expand...

This is going to be used for something. Sooner or later.

Good to know that they're trying in pretty much everywhere. You'd think they'd get boo'd out of Brazil when you saw the price backlash.
 
S

silver.tongue

Member
Sony's stand, on the other hand, painted a clear picture of a company ready to launch in just over a month. Killzone: Shadow Fall had the biggest presence and the crowds to go with it, but none of the smaller games were sacrificed in favour of first-party, or the idea next-gen has to be about AAA. It's a policy that's proving strong for Sony in other regions, and it's no different here. Octodad, Contrast, Knack, the delayed Drive Club and even third-party games Assassin's Creed: Black Flag and Blacklight Retribution were all shown and received love. Add to that an embarrassment of riches for the Vita and PlayStation 3, including Angry Birds, Diablo III, The Last of Us, Diggs Nightcrawler, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, and Sony had all bases covered
Click to expand...

That's awesome, but with a R$ 4000 price tag it means nothing.

People will buy a Xbone (R$ 2200) or nothing at all.

Gauis said:
I don't think anyone posted on GAF, but Microsoft increased the price of the Xbox One at BGS because dollar or whatever.
Click to expand...

Wait. I don`t know about this. Link please.
 
C

Chakan

Member
Both consoles are way too expensive in Brazil. None of them are worth the price.

After playing Killzone, Knack, Killer Instinct, DriveClub, CoD Ghosts, AC IV on PS4/X1, watching Witcher 3 being demonstraded by CDProjekt on PC (most beautiful thing I've seen on the event), testing Dying Light and BF4 on top notch PCs, I gotta say, I won't buy next gen consoles anytime soon.
 
O

Ogawa-san

Member
silver.tongue said:
That's awesome, but with a R$ 4000 price tag it means nothing.

People will buy a Xbone (R$ 2200) or nothing at all.
Click to expand...
Both tags mean nothing. Everyone but the most enthusiastic enthusiast/early adopter will keep buying their consoles from the same places they've been since the PS1: grey market. The guys that aren't going to pay the 70%+ in taxes.

It'll take a few months since they're coming from US retailers and launch always have shortages and all, but you'll find a PS4 for about R$ 1200 soon enough.
 
K

kuroshiki

Member
silver.tongue said:
That's awesome, but with a R$ 4000 price tag it means nothing.

People will buy a Xbone (R$ 2200) or nothing at all.



Wait. I don`t know about this. Link please.
Click to expand...

hmm

http://jornalvdd.com/preco-ps4-brasil-cai-para-r-1-999-e-e-mais-barato-que-o-x-box-one/

PS4 is now 1999 in brasil. Cheaper than Xbone.

Chakan said:
Both consoles are way too expensive in Brazil. None of them are worth the price.

After playing Killzone, Knack, Killer Instinct, DriveClub, CoD Ghosts, AC IV on PS4/X1, watching Witcher 3 being demonstraded by CDProjekt on PC (most beautiful thing I've seen on the event), testing Dying Light and BF4 on top notch PCs, I gotta say, I won't buy next gen consoles anytime soon.
Click to expand...

In brasil the hardcore PC parts are not cheap at all either. Did you check the price of videocard in brasil?
 
C

Chakan

Member
kuroshiki said:
In brasil the hardcore PC parts are not cheap at all either. Did you check the price of videocard in brasil?
Click to expand...

You don't have to spend much to build a rig that runs games better than what I saw on both PS4 and X1.

I can guarantee that you'll spend less than what the X1 costs in Brazil.
 
S

satam55

Banned
Omnistalgic said:
Not sure...but MS makes a gazillion times more money than Sony as a whole, and is likely more international with all there business...

Big three is Google, Apple, MS...Sony/Nintendo aren't even close, and Samsung has taken over with consumer electronics as well...Which I still don't quite understand myself.
Click to expand...

I'm not arguing Microsoft makes more money than Sony. I'm saying that Sony is a bigger name worldwide than Microsoft.
 
H

Heshinsi

"playing" dumb? unpossible
DopeyFish said:
Uh... what LOL
Click to expand...

There are Apple fan-boys, Sony fan-boys, Nintendo fan-boys, yet I don't think I've ever come across a Microsoft fan-boy. Now MS makes a helluva lot more than Sony does; most of it coming in from there OS and software divisions, but I've got a mother here who only buys Sony because to her "Sony iz ze best" Outside of the United States, Sony has a much better brand image and loyal following than Microsoft does.
 
D

DopeyFish

Not bitter, just unsweetened
Mr Moose said:
I'm in agreement with them, now if it was Windows brand, then it might be different, but Microsoft name... Yeah I'd say probably Sony.
Click to expand...


Heshinsi said:
There are Apple fan-boys, Sony fan-boys, Nintendo fan-boys, yet I don't think I've ever come across a Microsoft fan-boy. Now MS makes a helluva lot more than Sony does; most of it coming in from there OS and software divisions, but I've got a mother here who only buys Sony because to her "Sony iz ze best" Outside of the United States, Sony has a much better brand image and loyal following than Microsoft does.
Click to expand...

You guys must live in an echo chamber.

Far more MS fans out there. Far more brand penetration. Far more brand exposure. That and MS brand, even with all the negativity, the positivist far outweighs Sony. There are BILLIONS of people that use MS products, same cannot be said about Sony.
 
D

DeltaJay

Banned
DopeyFish said:
You guys must live in an echo chamber.

Far more MS fans out there. Far more brand penetration. Far more brand exposure. That and MS brand, even with all the negativity, the positivist far outweighs Sony. There are BILLIONS of people that use MS products, same cannot be said about Sony.
Click to expand...

A lot of the "hardcore" side believe this is the end of the Xbox, unfortunately (I've even heard people in other threads hoping for the demise of the Xbox to happen - really, WTF?). Not going to happen in my opinion.
 
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