Case Study - A thorough analysis is expected. Below is a suggestion on how to structure your write up and key questions to consider at each stage.
1. The history, development and growth of the company over time
- Intro Paragraph
- Chart critical incidents for the industry as a whole (bullet form OK- do not need to restate all facts written in the case - just critical ones)
Questions to consider:
a. Why the 82-85 Collapse of Atari
b. What drove Microsoft's decision to enter the industry with its Xbox offering?
2. SWOT analysis (4 Marks 1-2 Pages)
- The identification of the company's internal strengths and weaknesses
- The nature of the external environment surrounding the company
- The SWOT Checklist Pg C4 provides detail
3. Evaluate the SWOT analysis (4 Marks 1-2 Pages
- Is the company in an overall strong competitive position?
- Can it continue to purpose its current business or corporate level strategy profitably?
- What can the company do to turn weaknesses into strengths and threats into opportunities?
- Can it develop new functional, business or corporate strategies to accomplish this change?
Questions to consider:
a. Evaluate the competitive strategy of 3DO? What was 3DO's strategy? What are the problems with this strategy? What flaws can you see in 3DO's approach?
b. Why has Sony PlayStation succeeded where 3DO failed?
4. The kind of corporate level strategy that the company is pursuing & the nature of the company's business-level strategy.
- Define the companies mission and goals
- Debate merits of their current strategy.
- Identify the company's generic competitive strategy - differentiation, low-cost, or focus - and its investment strategy, given its relative competitive position and the stage of the life cycle.
- Identify functional strategies that a company pursues to build competitive advantage through superior efficiency, quality, innovation, and customer responsiveness.
Questions to consider:
c. How did Nintendo successfully recreate the home video game business following the Atari-era boom and bust?
d. How was Nintendo able to capture value from the home video game business?
e. How was Sega able to gain market share from Nintendo?
5. Make Recommendations
- Recommendations are directed at solving whatever strategic problem the company is facing and increasing its future profitability.
Questions to consider:
a. What lessons can be learnt from the history of the home video game industry that were used to help launch the Sony PlayStation II and Microsoft's Xbox? Do Microsoft and Sony appear to have learnt and applied these lessons?
b. Evaluate the introduction of the Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, and Nintendo's Wii. What lessons can be learned from these events? How did Nintendo re-establish itself in this market with the Wii?
Attachment:- Case.rar