argument147【0806G-Sunbird小组】第三次作业

yolanda419UID: 2420192

argument147【0806G-Sunbird小组】第三次作业

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."

        DATE : 2007-11-16      WORDS : 435

In this argument, the editor concluded that the sales of Whirlwind video games are likely to increase dramatically in the next few months. To bolster his conclusion, the editor cited that Whirlwind has just introduced several games with an extensive advertising campaign directed at people 10 to 25 years old, the age-group most likely to play video games. And the games Whirlwing introduced were according to a recent survey which suggested that video-game players prefer games that provide lifelike graphics, which require the most up-to-date computers. However, I find there is little stringency of the editor’s conclusion.

   The first flaw is the survey which asked video-game players what features they thought were most important in a video game.  The survey suggested that players prefer games that provide lifelike graphics, which require the most up-to-date computers. However, the editor didn’t tell me how the survey carried through. It’s entirely possible that the survey just carried out in a small area, obviously, this small area isn’t equal to the whole nation, if so, such survey can’t tell the truth not to say ensure the sales.
Meanwhile, the editor also didn’t tell me which group of people they investigated. It’s possible that the informants aren’t 10 to 25 years old, then the extensive advertising campaign directed at people 10 to 25 years old would loss its meaning, thus it’s hard to say that the sales trend is about to be reversed. And weather the survey followed the principle of randomization is another problem, as we know, randomization is essential to a convictive investigation.
     Even if the survey is perfect and closed to the face, the editorial remains unconvincing as the editorial didn’t provide more information about the video games Whirlwing publicized except the feature. However, the flash and the incidental music are also important to an attractive video game, only absorbing feature is not enough.
    Finally, the games Whirlwing publicized require the most up-to-date computers. It is doubtless that no every game player has a most up-to-date computer. Thus, this requirement has restricted the distribution of the video games.
    In sum, the editorial’s author can’t make me convinced on the basis of the scant evidence provided in the editorial. To support the conclusion the author must tell me how and where the survey carried out, if it accord to the principle of randomization. I also need to know the details of the games not just the features and how the Whirlwing publicize these games. The last thing the author should provide is that how many competitors the Whirlwing will face in the video-game market and these competitors’ power.


[ 本帖最后由 yolanda419 于 2007-11-17 00:52 编辑 ]

Bellona0428UID: 2418798

占座~~我写完了就来给你改哈