Microsoft Resorts To Desperate Measure In Japanese Xbox Market
from the hook-'em-young dept
It's well known that Microsoft hasn't been that successful with the Xbox in the Japanese market where many prefer the homegrown Sony Playstation devices. With the launch of the new Xbox, Microsoft has made it very clear that they're hoping to really make some headway into the Japanese market -- though many still expect it to be a tough sell. It appears the latest strategy, though, is to sneak Xboxes into schools. Microsoft is donating 80 Xboxes to various Japanese schools -- not for game playing (they say), but for video conferencing, to help Japanese students become more "IT-literate." Wait a second... Japan? Where just about everyone seems to use gadgets more impressive than we'll see in the States for another five years? They need to be more IT literate? And, for video conferencing? There aren't plenty of ways to do that with cheap cameras and existing computers and software? How can anyone report that with a straight face? Next thing you know we'll find out that drug dealers are "donating" free drugs to high school chemistry teachers to help kids learn about the chemical compounds that make up various "medicines."
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Hehehe
The thing about "internet" use in Japan is that it mostly happens on cell phone networks, which tend to have walled gardens and aren't very well connected to the rest of the internet. If web cams in school can be put to good use talking to other people from around the world, it would lead to less of the pomp and pretense surrounding "student exchanges".
I've read plenty of juicy stories in the past week about Japanese kids committing internet-aided mass mayhem, but I'll keep those to other forums. :P
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