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Unboxing the Xboy
Written by Cody Musser on Wednesday, October 25, 2006
We examine why Microsoft should (and shouldn't) enter the handheld fray. And no, Zune isn't "good enough."
...Continued From Page 2 The revealing of the Zune left much to be desired in the eyes of those who were hoping for Microsoft's answer to handheld gaming, and ultimately it has yet to even proven itself against its particular competitor, the iPod. If Microsoft's gaming handheld is meant to join the fray against Apple's godfather of market shares, then it would be wise to see if they can even deliver that promise when handling a device that is meant for a slightly simpler mission. That's not even mentioning, if defeating the iPod something a handheld gaming device should be meant to do? As features go, shouldn't something pertaining to games be the most significant? Yet another question brought forth by the Zune is why would Microsoft be preparing a handheld that is meant to offer the same features as their youthful line of music players? If both were available at the same time, the company would essentially be competing not only with others, but with themselves.
For Microsoft to deliver their handheld, despite all its possible features, they're also going to have to target a demographic they've mostly ignored for their consoles. While there is obviously a large number of adults enjoying handhelds, as our recent feature, The Portable Gamers Manifesto, so eloquently noted, the market itself is without question, younger in general. Nintendo has obviously been comfortable delivering handheld games to the youth, and with carefree franchises such as Pokemon and Kirby, they've succeeded in maintaining their position as leader in the handheld market share. That's not to say that Sony doesn't offer games for young players, and that Nintendo doesn't deliver worthwhile experiences to adults. It's only important to note that for Microsoft to succeed in the handheld market, they need to deliver a machine adults will embrace, and that children will still be able to enjoy.
So, is Microsoft even preparing the handheld device of which all this conjecture is based? Takahashi claims they are, and while many offer the statement: "It would be stupid for Microsoft to not make a handheld." I offer the following, it could potentially be stupid for Microsoft to offer a handheld. Entering the handheld gaming market is going to take a leap of faith from Microsoft, and in order to succeed they're going to need to embrace some ideals that they're not accustomed to as of yet. They'll have to fight for the praise of a younger demographic, and they'll have to fight for their life in Japan. The Zune wasn't Microsoft's answer to the ravenous hordes hoping for some form of portable Halo, and their gaming handheld could potentially face the weight of trying to deliver upon bearing the hefty brand "iPod Killer." There's no doubt Microsoft has laid their plans out somewhere deep within a boardroom vault filled with the sages of platform creation, and here's hoping they've noted everything they need to deliver a handheld that will be able to stand toe-to-toe with Nintendo's latest. Here's to the XBoy, and the rough road it surely faces.
posted October 26, 2006