Microsoft has launched a new advertising campaign “This is an Xbox” (“This is Xbox”), dedicated to the consoles and gaming platform of the same name. In trying to answer the question of what Xbox is, the company may have gone a little overboard.
The advertising campaign includes posters and videos showcasing a variety of devices, including a laptop, a smartphone and a virtual reality headset – all of which Microsoft claims are Xbox, although even cursory fact-checking refute this claim. The manufacturer, however, is not limited to the same statement: in the case of a phone, laptop, TV and portable console, the statement that “this is an Xbox” is accompanied by some explanations: the Xbox can make calls, lie on your lap, hang on the wall or accompany owner.
In fact, Microsoft is trying to convey to consumers in such an extravagant manner that all of these devices can perform some of the functions of the Xbox because they can run a cloud gaming service. The company, however, does not specify that the console and games for it are usually purchased only once, in order to then work unlimitedly for free, and the cloud gaming service requires a subscription with a regular subscription fee.