Even though Microsoft is doingwellin the UK, they think that the battle of Armageddon will most likely end in a climactic showdown with Nintendo — with the casual gaming market hanging in the balance. With this in mind, EMEA VPChris Lewiswants to make clear that Microsoft is fully prepared for battle, and will unleash the hype machine at this year’s E3 extravaganza. Speaking toMCV, Chris had this to say:
“Our drive is to appeal to a wider genre with more casual types of gaming. Clearly we need to continue toward more casual-based gaming experiences, and more peripheral-based gaming experiences in front of the screen. You’re going to hear more about that at E3. For 360 to appeal in the way we want it to and for us to achieve our aspirations, we need to be in the broader space as well as investing in the core element.”
With Sony deciding to semi-mirror Nintendo from the onset with little success, It will be interesting to see if Microsoft can do any better at taking on the casual market that Nintendo has firmly in its grasp. The Xbox Live Vision camera has been under-utilized thus far, to put it nicely, and I’m not convinced that adding a Wiimote like device of their own is going to further Microsoft’s cause any further. Something tells me that it’s just going to have a few mini-games thrown at it, and will barely cause a ripple in the 360’s arsenal if such a device sees the light of day. Then again, I’ve been known to be wrong before.
