EXCLUSIVE: Microsoft Interview Part One
We speak exclusively to Richard Teversham, head of UK marketing for Xbox, about the highly anticipated arrival of Xbox on March 14.
With the UK launch of Xbox only one week away, we thought it was time to catch up with Richard Teversham, head of UK marketing for Xbox, to see how preparations were coming along.
How successful were the Xperience events from you point of view?
Teversham: Over 94 percent of attendees were more likely to purchase Xbox after attending the event, so I would say the event delivered way over our expectation. The thinking behind the event was to let UK gamers be the first in Europe to make up their own minds about Xbox and that is why we did it. It was great to see gamers playing Xbox for the first time. The excitement and interest was incredible and the feedback was quite unbelievable.
What was the actual response like from gamers after they played Xbox?
Teversham: The Xperience allowed the people who attended to make up their own minds and spread the word. As expected the games proved that Xbox is the console of choice for all gamers. One guy I spoke to said he was sceptical of a new entrant into the console market, but after playing Gotham and Dead or Alive 3 – he was going to buy an Xbox.
Do you have any figures on how many people attended the event?
Teversham: Thousands of people turned up for the event, and some people actually visited two or three of them. One guy actually missed the one in Birmingham and flew up to Glasgow to play on Xbox. The interest was sky high. The strongest turn out for one weekend was in Manchester, where the level of interest was fantastic.
How successful was the US launch from your point of view?
Teversham: Shipping 1.5 million Xbox consoles from Nov. 15 to Christmas was at the very top of expectations. What was even more surprising was that US gamers bought on average three games per Xbox, which was the highest attach rate ever, demonstrating the strength of the launch line up.
What are Microsoft\'s strongest points in launching Xbox? Why should someone buy Xbox over other consoles?
Teversham: The main reason is the games – just look at the line up, look at the uptake of games in the US, look at Halo, Project Gotham, Dead or Alive, Jet Set Radio, Wreckless to name but a few. If this is the first wave of games, try to imagine what later waves will be like. Other reasons range from; Xbox is the only console built for the future, with a hard disk and broadband on board, to Xbox is better than most stand alone DVD players, to Xbox delivers the best graphics… The list goes on.
What features of Xbox will you push most to UK gamers at launch? Online? Games? Hardware?
Teversham: I think the UK market is very intelligent and savvy, the key for the hardcore gamers are two fold. One, how to the games review and, two, let me have a go. We\'ll be pushing the amazing range of the best games available only on Xbox at launch, and letting gamers try Xbox games for themselves and make up their own minds.
Stay tuned for part two, where Teversham speaks to us about marketing Xbox, online plans, and much more.
Link:
http://www.officialxboxmagazine.co.uk/default.asp?c=n&s=138
