Branded: Microsoft Ties To Adidas
Of all the insidious corporate moves, this has to be one of the most obviously for-profit ventures that has little to do with the products themselves, and everything to do with brand association. What better way for a big company to expand into new territories and increase brand visibility, than to attach itself to another big company looking to accomplish the same thing?
Microsoft has done exactly that by entering into a marketing agreement with the footwear giant Adidas. According to their representatives at the X05 event, Microsoft will have XBox booths at all Adidas stores and Adidas sponsored youth soccer events, have co-sponsorship of a soccer reality TV show Goal – Germany 2006 on MTV, as well as other cross-promotional opportunities.
Adidas on the other hand will be permitted to pre-install content to XBox 360’s. What exactly is meant by pre-installed content remains a mystery. It could span anything from Adidas brand customizations (such as faceplates), to what amounts to pre-installed commercials on every single XBox 360 shipped.
Does anyone else think that Microsoft is doing a wonderful job of shooting themselves in the foot? Their unpopular marketing strategies have already gotten themselves into hot water with some gamers. Let’s see how much of their support base they can alienate prior to launch.
(source)
The more information filters out, the less appealing the xbox 360 seems. Maybe because you can’t help but feel like Microsoft’s up to its usual tricks of trying to control you – or rather, the way you use what it sells you. I don’t want preinstalled content on my next console, thank you very much. I also do not take kindly to having to shell out an additional $100, or 100€, for backwards compatibilty as I read somewhere. Regionalization I’ve had time to lament, but get over.
If it’s just commercial content on the machine, I can delete it pretty easily. If it’s something more obvious like some sticker or required ad when the xbox loads… That’d piss me off.
I’m with you Karine. I was almost leaning towards getting a 360 to try the Live! function, but the more I read, the more I’m swinging back towards the PS3.
Jeremy, I think the point is that a lot of us don’t want pre-installed crap on our systems. It’s not the ease of removal, or the fact that it’s kind of hidden away. It’s the principle of the thing. We’re not buying running shoes (to use this as an example), we’re buying a video game console. I don’t want ads shoved down my throat in any way, shape or form. I do agree that if it’s just tucked in a folder somewhere it will be less likely to piss people off, but I’m having horrible visions of an Adidas loading screen, or having to watch commercials while connecting to Live!. Ew.
The ads don’t bother me too much, as long as they don’t get out of hand. I mean, look at the Google ads, I can skim right by them. They are fine.
Pop-ups and unders really make me mad tho. If these ads are as unobtrusive as Google-type ads, then I am fine. If not… Gosh, guess I’ll just get over it because I am definitely getting this game. Have you seen Call of Duty 2’s trailer? Kameo? Oblivion?
I can’t help myself (and I sure as heck aint waitin’ for the PS3). I have to get this system.
Robyn, that seems to be the consensus. If the ads are not in your face, then they’re tolerable. I understand that since it comes out first the 360 will be devoured by the console-starved masses. Gates could probably insert mind-altering “Apple is the devil” propaganda on the XBox and people would just shrug at it and say “yeah but I want one”. I really am kind of torn between it and the PS3, though the PS3 simply hasn’t done as many irritating things to me in the last little while, so it’s ahead of the game, so to speak.
Oh what apathetic complacent webs we weave.