argument147 第一篇argu，请求拍砖

edison_ldUID: 2253039

147The following appeared in an editorial in a business magazine.

'Although the sales of Whirlwind video games have declined over the past two years, a recent survey of video-game players suggests that this sales trend is about to be reversed. The survey asked video-game players what features they thought were most important in a video game. According to the survey, players prefer games that provide lifelike graphics, which require the most up-to-date computers. Whirlwind has just introduced several such games with an extensive advertising campaign directed at people 10 to 25 years old, the age-group most likely to play video games. It follows, then, that the sales of Whirlwind video games are likely to increase dramatically in the next few months.'


The prediction made by the arguer is unpersuasive. The arguer fails to recognize all the elements necessary to evaluate the situation both of company and the game market, but just relies on the survey which is problematic and the extensive advertising that Whirlwind introduced.

To begin with, the first problem with the argument involves the cited survey about what features players thought to be most important in a video game. The major problem is that how the survey is conducted, how many players are involved, and how about the structure of the subjects, such as genders, backgrounds, ages and so on. Unfortunately, the arguer fails to provide these details. Also, he or she even does not offer the proportion of the respondents. Though players prefer games that provide lifelike graphics, perhaps these players constitutes 51% of the whole, if so, the arguer's neglect to the rest players' taste will undoubtedly influence the sales of their new games.

What's more, the arguer's assumption upon which the sales will increase dramatically based is that because their new games are just designed in players’ favor and an extensive advertising campaign directed at 10 to 25 years old people. There are two problems. First, though the players in the survey said they prefer games provide lifelike graphics that require the most up-to-date computers, it does not mean that the new games designed by Whirlwind will meet their requirement. As you know, an outstanding game not only needs lifelike graphics, the more important is that it should have attractive and breathtaking contents. If their new games just lack these features, the increasing in sales is daydreaming. Second, even if their games are attractive enough, the action that they put their target on the people of 10 to 25 years old is really an egregious error. Though these people are most likely to play video games, most of them are not independent on economic. That means these people cannot spend enough money on the video games. Instead, the mainstream customers who can put enough money in playing video games are adults between 25 to 40 years old. Unfortunately, the arguer fails to consider this vital point.

Finally, their competitors’ products also influence the sales of whirlwind new video games. Perhaps the competitors’ games are more fascinating, cheaper, and earlier released to the market. If so, it is a tough problem Whirlwind will face. But the arguer also does not mention this.

In sum, the arguer should take these factors mentioned above into consideration, and then the prediction could be improved.