Kent was getting pressure from his boss, parents, and wife about the marketing campaign for Broadway Corporation’s new v
Posted: Fri May 20, 2022 9:31 am
Kent was getting pressure from his boss, parents, and wife about
the marketing campaign for Broadway Corporation’s new video game
called “Lucky.” He had been working for Broadway for about two
years, and the Lucky game was his first big project. After Kent and
his wife, Amy, graduated from college, they decided to go back to
their hometown of Las Cruces, New Mexico, near the Mexican border.
Kent’s father knew the president of Broadway, which enabled Kent to
get a job in its marketing department. Broadway is a medium-size
company with about 500 employees, making it one of the largest
employers in Las Cruces. Broadway develops, manufactures, and
markets video arcade games
Within the video arcade industry, competition is fierce. Games
typically have a life cycle of only 18 to 24 months. One of the key
strategies in the industry is providing unique, visually
stimulating games by using color graphics technology, fast action,
and participant interaction. The target markets for Broadway’s
video products are children aged 5 to 12 and teenagers aged 13 to
19. Males constitute 75 percent of the market. When Kent first
started with Broadway, his task was to conduct market research on
the types of games that players desired. His research showed that
the market wanted more action (violence), quicker graphics,
multiple levels of difficulty, and sound. Further research showed
that certain tones and types of sound were more pleasing than
others. As part of his research, Kent also observed people in video
arcades, where he found that many became hypnotized by a game and
would quickly put in quarters when told to do so. Research
suggested that many target consumers exhibited the same symptoms as
compulsive gamblers. Kent’s research results were well received by
the company, which developed several new games using his
information. The new games were instant hits with the market. In
his continuing research, Kent found that the consumer’s level of
intensity increased as the game’s intensity level increased.
Several reports later, Kent suggested that target consumers might
be willing, at strategic periods in a video game, to insert
multiple coins. For example, a player who wanted to move to a
higher level of difficulty would have to insert two coins; to play
the final level, three coins would have to be inserted. When the
idea was tested, Kent found it did increase game productivity. Kent
also noticed that video games that gave positive reinforcements to
the consumer, such as audio cues, were played much more frequently
than others. He reported his findings to Brad, Broadway’s
president, who asked Kent to apply the information to the
development of new games. Kent suggested having the machines give
candy to the game players when they attained specific goals. For
the teen market, the company modified the idea: The machines would
give back coins at certain levels during the game. Players could
then use the coins at strategic levels to play a “slot-type” chance
opening of the next level. By inserting an element of chance, these
games generated more coin input than output, and game productivity
increased dramatically. These innovations were quite successful,
giving Broadway a larger share of the market and Kent a promotion
to product manager. Kent’s newest assignment was the Lucky game—a
fast-action scenario in which the goal was to destroy the enemy
before being destroyed. Kent expanded on the slot-type game for the
older market, with two additions. First, the game employed virtual
reality technology, which gives the player the sensation of
actually being in the game. Second, keeping in mind that most of
the teenage consumers were male, Kent incorporated a female
character who, at each level, removed a piece of her clothing and
taunted the player. A win at the highest level left her nude. Test
market results suggested that the two additions increased
profitability per game dramatically. Several weeks later, Brad
asked about the Lucky project. “I think we’ve got a real problem,
Brad,” Kent told him. “Maybe the nudity is a bad idea. Some people
will be really upset about it.” Brad was displeased with Kent’s
response. Word got around fast that the Lucky project had stalled.
During dinner with his parents, Kent mentioned the Lucky project,
and his dad said something that affected Kent. “You know, son, the
Lucky project will bring in a great deal of revenue for Broadway,
and jobs are at stake. Some of your coworkers are upset with your
stand on this project. I’m not telling you what to do, but there’s
more at stake here than just a video game.” The next day Kent had a
meeting with Brad about Lucky. “Well,” Brad asked, “what have you
decided?” Kent answered, “I don’t think we should go with the
nudity idea.” Brad answered, “You know, Kent, you’re right. The
U.S. market just isn’t ready to see full nudity as well as graphic
violence in arcades in their local malls. That’s why I’ve contacted
an Internet provider who will take our game and put it on the
Internet as an adult product. I’ve also checked out the foreign
markets and found that we can sell the machines to the Mexican
market if we tone down the violence. The Taiwanese joint venture
group has okayed the version we have now, but they would like you
to develop something that is more graphic in both areas. You see,
they already have similar versions of this type of game now, and
their market is ready to go to the next level. I see the Internet
market as secondary because we can’t get the virtual reality
equipment and software into an Internet mode. Maybe when PCs get
faster, we’ll be able to tap into it at that level, but not now.
So, Kent, do you understand what you need to be doing on
Lucky?”
Please answer me the following questions:
1. Identify and discuss the ethical and legal issues? What are
Kent’s options?
2. Discuss the acceptability and commercial use of sex,
violence, and gambling in the United States.
3. Are marketing sex, violence, and gambling acceptable in other
countries if they fit their culture?
the marketing campaign for Broadway Corporation’s new video game
called “Lucky.” He had been working for Broadway for about two
years, and the Lucky game was his first big project. After Kent and
his wife, Amy, graduated from college, they decided to go back to
their hometown of Las Cruces, New Mexico, near the Mexican border.
Kent’s father knew the president of Broadway, which enabled Kent to
get a job in its marketing department. Broadway is a medium-size
company with about 500 employees, making it one of the largest
employers in Las Cruces. Broadway develops, manufactures, and
markets video arcade games
Within the video arcade industry, competition is fierce. Games
typically have a life cycle of only 18 to 24 months. One of the key
strategies in the industry is providing unique, visually
stimulating games by using color graphics technology, fast action,
and participant interaction. The target markets for Broadway’s
video products are children aged 5 to 12 and teenagers aged 13 to
19. Males constitute 75 percent of the market. When Kent first
started with Broadway, his task was to conduct market research on
the types of games that players desired. His research showed that
the market wanted more action (violence), quicker graphics,
multiple levels of difficulty, and sound. Further research showed
that certain tones and types of sound were more pleasing than
others. As part of his research, Kent also observed people in video
arcades, where he found that many became hypnotized by a game and
would quickly put in quarters when told to do so. Research
suggested that many target consumers exhibited the same symptoms as
compulsive gamblers. Kent’s research results were well received by
the company, which developed several new games using his
information. The new games were instant hits with the market. In
his continuing research, Kent found that the consumer’s level of
intensity increased as the game’s intensity level increased.
Several reports later, Kent suggested that target consumers might
be willing, at strategic periods in a video game, to insert
multiple coins. For example, a player who wanted to move to a
higher level of difficulty would have to insert two coins; to play
the final level, three coins would have to be inserted. When the
idea was tested, Kent found it did increase game productivity. Kent
also noticed that video games that gave positive reinforcements to
the consumer, such as audio cues, were played much more frequently
than others. He reported his findings to Brad, Broadway’s
president, who asked Kent to apply the information to the
development of new games. Kent suggested having the machines give
candy to the game players when they attained specific goals. For
the teen market, the company modified the idea: The machines would
give back coins at certain levels during the game. Players could
then use the coins at strategic levels to play a “slot-type” chance
opening of the next level. By inserting an element of chance, these
games generated more coin input than output, and game productivity
increased dramatically. These innovations were quite successful,
giving Broadway a larger share of the market and Kent a promotion
to product manager. Kent’s newest assignment was the Lucky game—a
fast-action scenario in which the goal was to destroy the enemy
before being destroyed. Kent expanded on the slot-type game for the
older market, with two additions. First, the game employed virtual
reality technology, which gives the player the sensation of
actually being in the game. Second, keeping in mind that most of
the teenage consumers were male, Kent incorporated a female
character who, at each level, removed a piece of her clothing and
taunted the player. A win at the highest level left her nude. Test
market results suggested that the two additions increased
profitability per game dramatically. Several weeks later, Brad
asked about the Lucky project. “I think we’ve got a real problem,
Brad,” Kent told him. “Maybe the nudity is a bad idea. Some people
will be really upset about it.” Brad was displeased with Kent’s
response. Word got around fast that the Lucky project had stalled.
During dinner with his parents, Kent mentioned the Lucky project,
and his dad said something that affected Kent. “You know, son, the
Lucky project will bring in a great deal of revenue for Broadway,
and jobs are at stake. Some of your coworkers are upset with your
stand on this project. I’m not telling you what to do, but there’s
more at stake here than just a video game.” The next day Kent had a
meeting with Brad about Lucky. “Well,” Brad asked, “what have you
decided?” Kent answered, “I don’t think we should go with the
nudity idea.” Brad answered, “You know, Kent, you’re right. The
U.S. market just isn’t ready to see full nudity as well as graphic
violence in arcades in their local malls. That’s why I’ve contacted
an Internet provider who will take our game and put it on the
Internet as an adult product. I’ve also checked out the foreign
markets and found that we can sell the machines to the Mexican
market if we tone down the violence. The Taiwanese joint venture
group has okayed the version we have now, but they would like you
to develop something that is more graphic in both areas. You see,
they already have similar versions of this type of game now, and
their market is ready to go to the next level. I see the Internet
market as secondary because we can’t get the virtual reality
equipment and software into an Internet mode. Maybe when PCs get
faster, we’ll be able to tap into it at that level, but not now.
So, Kent, do you understand what you need to be doing on
Lucky?”
Please answer me the following questions:
1. Identify and discuss the ethical and legal issues? What are
Kent’s options?
2. Discuss the acceptability and commercial use of sex,
violence, and gambling in the United States.
3. Are marketing sex, violence, and gambling acceptable in other
countries if they fit their culture?