War games or bore games?

Obama and gaming seems to be a good combination. A while ago I wrote a post about the Obama campaign advertising in-game to entice earlier votes, now I’m writing about a game called “Commander in Chief” that let’s you have a shot at running the USA. The game, which hits the shelves the day Obama is sworn in, lets players make decisions about everything from budget through to health, military and diplomatic.

Produced by Eversim, the game is played out on a 3D world map and even lets you pick your own cabinet. To top it off, you get information from the likes of the United Nations, G7, OPEC, NATO and NAFTA to help you make the right decisions such as invading foreign countries (fail) topple unfriendly regimes (fail) and plot assassinations (fail?). The game is yours for a mere $US39.95, for which you get the play God with the entire planet.

MyTake – sims are always hugely popular, I remember getting hooked on Command and Conquer when I was at University. But do people really want to play a game about running the US? Yes, I think they do. The chance to run one of the biggest modern empires is going to appeal to a lot of people and given that it’ll probably be available on PC, the uptake should be good thanks to the huge install base. The question is – will people be trialling Obama’s decisions to see how they pan out?

Ad wars - Mac Vs PC continues

These are the times when it's great to sit back and be a consumer. I posted a while ago on the new Microsoft PC adverts, which I think are really cool, and also on the South Park take-offs, which are cool in their own unique way. Now, here's the latest from from Mac camp.

Interesting that this is all happening around the PDC and Microsoft showing off Windows 7 and Azure. As Microsoft prepare to take on Google with cloud computing, Apple is busy highlighting the perceived shortcomings of Vista. Is this a war of two fronts that Microsoft might end up losing? Nope, but it's entertaining.

MyTake - The current economic climate is going to force a much harder game from marketeers where the focus is going to be on product, product and product. More specifically, why your product is better than your competitors and what their product is doing wrong. In the end, the consumer will be in quite a good spot, but then again, so will companies that have strong products.

Mac Vs PC...and Linux

I don't actually have a reason for this post other than the fact that I think these (the videos below) are pretty funny. I'm a pro PC and pro Mac guys and I love my PC and my Mac, but the boys from South Park have got a point....

 MyTake - a good advert can sporn many parodies and good parodies tend to go viral. If you've got a good idea at the center of your advertising campaign, the that can inspire a whole host of reactions and interpretations and it's these interpretations that spread your ideas far and wide. 

I'm a PC....and me...and me....and me

My Apple obsessed brother will probably kill me for putting this on my blog, but I actually think it’s a really great advert. I have to admit, I actually liked the Jerry Seinfeld adverts as well, though I appear to be the only one that does. 

 

I think Microsoft has done the right thing by focusing on the diversity of their audience. For all the criticism we throw at them, they have revolutionised they way we work, live and play and I think that this advert demonstrates that in more ways than one. 

MyTake – I think the Apple boys are probably sitting there thinking “bring it on”, because this is what they (Apple) do best. In all honesty, I don’t think that Apple will get drawn in to a war of adverts, I think they’ll probably change their creative, but also lift the bar at the same time. Microsoft have struggled when it comes to marketing, especially on the advertising side, which is interesting considering the PR side of Microsoft is very well run compared to that of Apple. But - Microsoft, pat on the back, it’s a good advert.

Chrome up your PC, but not your mac

Just Another 24 Hours posted on his first experience of chrome. You can read it here.

I am yet to have my first chrome experience, when I tried to download it on my mac last night, they er.... well, they haven't built it yet.....