Argument147【0806G-Sunbird小组】第三次作业

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147. 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."


1．文中并没有分析销量下降的原因，并不单单依靠改变游戏机本身提高销量，原因有游戏本身的售后服务，游戏的思想性， 宣传
2．调查的对象是谁，并不是每个人都会为了玩游戏，时时更新他们的电脑，这是一笔不小的开支
3．电视广告是面对10至25岁的人，说他们最爱玩游戏没有依据。其他年龄层的人也有可能爱玩游戏。

In this argument, the arguer claims that in order to increase sales, Whirlwind video games should have lifelike graphics, which require the most up-to-date computers. In addition, the arguer cites that they have introduced it with the advertising campaign directed at people 10 to 25 years old. This argument suffers from several critical fallacies.
In the first place, feasibility of this conclusion is questionable. On one hand, the arguer fails to take into account other possible reasons why Whirlwind video games have declined. It is wise of them to develop the new games which would be satisfactory by players. Nevertheless, the sales is attributed to several aspects, such as the content, the publicity，after-sale services. Then the competition among companies of similar kinds effect sales mutually. Additionally, such technical renovation would not be able to make both ends meets. On the other hand, most of the people will not spend much money merely on the pastime, which requires the most up-to-date computers. They would choose the video games which would meet their computers’ conditions.
In the second place, the validity of the survey is doubtful. The arguer fails to point out how the survey was conducted. If it was conducted the by the players who is extremely zealous to the games with lifelike graphic, people might echo with expected answers; on the contrary,  if obvious that most of the respondents are housewives, they would not be representative. Thus the results are insufficient to support the conclusion.
In the third place, the author commits a fallacy of hasty generalization. He does not provide any solid information concerning that the age-group at 10 to 25 years old most likely to play video games. There is a fashionable trend to choose video games as the amusement. The advertisement which is directed at people 10 to 25 years old would neglect the people of other ages and make Whirlwind drive away a lot of customers accordingly.
In summary, the conclusion reached in this argument is not persuasive. To bolster it the author should provide clearer evidence that such newly introduced life-like video games will reverse the current situation. Such evidence might include the following: a survey showing that a significant number of players will purchase it; statistics showing how much money would be invested to develop it.