Perhaps in an attempt to better understand the Asian gaming
market’s aversion to the Xbox 360 (and the original Xbox), Microsoft has
apparently made a site with the domain name, WhatsWrongWithU.com.
On the site are links to smaller micro-sites specifically
for Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea. Inside the micro-site claims, “Xbox
has got it all!” and asks, “What more are you looking for?” Then, several
pull-down choices appear – for example, people can choose to answer that there
aren’t enough great Japanese games, or that the Xbox 360 doesn’t look cool
enough.
While this Web site cannot yet be considered “spray paint
marketing,” it is a rather strange move for Microsoft, who normally does not
resort to such marketing tactics. It appears that Microsoft may be commissioned
a third-party marketing company to create this Web site, as a search on the
registrant of the domain returns the name of e-Crusade Marketing Co. Ltd.,
located in Hong Kong.
The creation of the WhatsWrongWithU
site could be a regional marketing effort from the Asia-Pacific division of
Microsoft, which would explain why the Japanese aren’t included as the part of the
survey (Japan is a completely separate division for Microsoft).