【Flyer小组习作】argument 147-7.15

MaryWongUID: 2619999

TOPIC: ARGUMENT147 - The 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."
WORDS: 374
TIME: 00:30:00
DATE: 2010-7-15 23:31:46

I find his argument is indefensible after careful analysis. The survey targeted at video-game players does not necessary assure the future trend of the sales. And the advertising campaign took by Whirlwind proves nothing.

To begin with, the result of survey showed above is not valid to suggest that the sales of Whirlwind video games is about to go up. Although respondents answered that they prefer games with lifelike graphics. There is no evidence show that lifelike graphics are enough to attract players or these sorts of graphics are the only criteria for players to choose games. Perhaps episodes in games, personality of the roles in games, as well as the music are all important factors for players to consider when they make a choice in variety games.

Moreover, the author does not offer clear statistics on the inherent information about the survey. For example, what is the scale of the survey? Are these video-players representative of the majority of players? Lacking definite answers of these questions, the author could not convince me that the survey is reliable.

Finally, the argument unfairly assumes that the advertising campaign would have a big win. In the first place, the author assumes that 10 to 25 years old people are the group who would like to video games mostly. Nevertheless, the author fails to illustrate that it is the case. It is entirely likely that the largest consumers of video games are people who are older than 25 due to their more spare time daily. If so, the advertising campaign which aims at 10 to 25 years old people might not be effective. Even if the judgment of the age of majority consumers of video games is correct, no one could assure the winning result Whirlwind's advertising campaign without any further demonstration. Perhaps the advertisement is not attractive and not lively enough to absorb consumers' eye ball.

In general, there several logical flaws in this argument as it stand. To bolster the argument, it would be useful to know that the respondents’ scale of the survey and their key factors in choosing games. And we should also know that the most consumers' exactly age and their preference on games and to ensure that their advertising campaign will be effective.