Politics in the Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Politics in the Middle East - Essay Example That led to counter reaction and eventually and the current deplorable situation. In Iran on the other hand, the domestic politics remain complex with issues like the contentious nuclear program leads to instability. Furthermore, the president supports the Syrian president against ISS that exposes Iraq to risks of attack from the terrorist group. Black (2014) presents Syria political condition as the worst of all in the nations found in the Middle East region. The declaration of ISS of Syria as an Islamic State led to outbreak of war between the government and forces that backs it from Iran and the militiamen of Shia from Iraq. It is evident that efforts to eliminate the group remain far from bearing fruits. The impact however, proves more devastating with lost lives accounting to over one hundred and fifty civilians while immigrating civilians have led to creation of refugees’ crisis across Europe. Lebanon equally suffers mostly as a result of war in Syria and the existence o f a deeply fractured polity that the nation enjoys. As a result of Lebanon’s president defense to the Syrian president, tension remains high as the Sunni community reacts violently. War in Syria affects Jordan as more than six hundred refugees joined the country. Furthermore, tensions remain high with the political leaders of Jordan wary of Isis appealing to disaffected Sunnis. Turkey on the other hand provides support to anti-Assad rebels, but still worried about Isis as well as the independence of Kurdish (Black, 2014).

Experiential paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Experiential paper - Essay Example The purpose of the internship was to help develop my human resource skills while interacting with people in the profession. As an intern, I looked at the potential employee problems at the Saudi Arabia Royal Embassy and their functions, in technical skill, human skill, and conceptual skill. There are three basic management skills: technical, human and conceptual. A technical skill is the ability to use tools, techniques, and specialized knowledge to carry out a method, process, or procedure. (Higgins, p 13) An example of this would be the Naval Attach a position which advises on all things military, especially the royal navy, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to the Ambassador and appropriate stakeholders, such as the United Nations or the United States of America. Another example, would be the computer programmer attach who needed the technical information systems skills to maintain the computer systems at the embassy - particularly critical - since support otherwise would be from a different and incompatible time zone and location to distant to provide onsite support. Human skills are used to build positive interpersonal relationships, solve human relations problems, build acceptance of one's co-workers, and relate to them in a way that their behavior is consistent with the needs of the organization. This is especially needed when there are vast differences in the cultures as is often the case in current globalizations of businesses and governments across the world. Conceptual skills involve the ability to see the organization as a whole and to solve problems in a way that benefits the entire organization. (Higgins, p 15) Analytical, creative and intuitive talents make up the manager's conceptual skills. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Royal Embassy The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is located in southwest Asia, at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa; extending from the Red Sea in the west to the Arabian Gulf in the east; bordered on the north by Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait, on the south, by Yemen and Oman, and on the east by the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. The terrain is varied; fairly barren and harsh, with salt flats, gravel plains and sand deserts; a few man-made lakes but no permanent streams; in the south, the Rub Al-Khali (Empty Quarter), the largest sand desert in the world; in the southwest, mountain ranges of over 9,000 feet. The climate is June through August, over 110 degrees Fahrenheit midday in the desert; humidity in coastal regions up to 100 percent; elsewhere, mild; possible winter temperatures in the northern and central regions dropping below freezing; rainfall, from none at all for up to 10 years in the Rub Al-Khali, to 20 inches a year in the mountains of Asir Province.The populate is as of the 2004 census, 22.7 million, including about 6 million expatriates. The practicing religion is Islam, which is the basis of the legal system and of government. Islamic state based on principles prescribed by the Qur'an (Islam's Holy Book) and the Shari'ah (Islamic law); Provincial Council System, Consultative Council (Majlis Al-Shura), and Council of Ministers. Arabic is the spoken language, however, English is widely spoken in urban areas. King

Hamlet by William Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Hamlet by William Shakespeare Essay You make decision everyday; whether it is choosing what you make for breakfast or choosing what you want to be when you grow up. It is natural in humans to make decisions and act on what they believe is to be true. This not only applies to humans, but authors use them in their books or plays to create different types of characters. In one of the greatest works by William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there are characters that make many different kinds of decisions that determine their role in the book. In the play, the protagonist Hamlet, after his father’s death, is angry about his mother’s hasty marriage to Claudius. He sees a ghost of his father one night and tells him that Claudius had murdered him. Hamlet plans to kill Claudius but he has trouble making decisions and throughout the play, his poor decision making skills bring downfall to himself and many others. Every tragic hero has a tragic flaw and Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his inability to make decisions. Hamlet’s inability to kill Claudius after hearing from the ghost, that he had killed Hamlet Senior, contributes to his stubborn indecisiveness, which brings about his own downfall. His indecisiveness leads to many character’s deaths; such as Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Laertes, Polonius and his own mother. He had many chances of killing Claudius but he constantly over thinks the situation thus delaying his major task of killing Claudius: To take him in the purging of his soul When he is fit and seasoned for his passage? No. Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent. When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, Or in th incestuous pleasure of his bed, At game a-swearing, or about some act That has no relish of salvation in ’t—. Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven (III. III. 85) This is an example of Hamlet being indecisive on whether or not to kill Claudius in the Church after the Mouse Trap play. He decides not to kill him there because he is praying and therefore will be forgiven for his sin. This results in delaying of his main task and also made more room for error; such as killing Polonius and also getting sent to England, which leads to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s deaths. If Hamlet would have decided to kill him then, he would not have created the mess he ends up making at the end. Hamlet’s inability to talk and discuss to Ophelia about what is happening, after she starts rejecting his messages, leads to losing his love and ultimately ends up to her demise. Even though they were in love, when Ophelia begins rejecting Hamlet’s messages because Polonius told her to, Hamlet tells Ophelia that she was not worth anything to him. This leads her to believing that Hamlet does not love her anymore. As a conclusion, she goes crazy and out of control; for example: By Gis and by Saint Charity,  Alack, and fie, for shame! Young men will do ’t, if they come to ’t. By Cock, they are to blame. Quoth she, â€Å"Before you tumbled me, You promised me to wed. So would I ha done, by yonder sun, An thou hadst not come to my bed. (IV. V. 40) This is the scene where she has become insane. She sings about how a man promised her to marry her before they went into bed together but he left her. On top of Hamlet’s rejection, Hamlet has killed her father, Polonius, so she has completely lost control of herself. She sings a very sorrow song in front of many people and also gives out fake flowers to people. After this scene, she ends up committing suicide at the lake. If Hamlet had talked with Ophelia about what was going on and why she was ignoring her messages, she would have not become insane and Hamlet and Ophelia would still be in love. Hamlet’s final flaw is his inability to decide whether life is worth living or not, which contributes to his stubborn indecisiveness, which ultimately leads to his own downfall. Hamlet is very confused about his own life and is out of his mind. He is very depressed from his father’s death and the feeling of betrayal he has from Gertrude, his mother, who remarried right after his father’s death. He does not know if life is worth living or not and this is obvious when he says: To be, or not to bethat is the question: Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep No moreand by a sleep to say we end The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to. Tis a consummation Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep To sleepperchance to dream: ay, theres the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. (III. I. 56) This is his famous soliloquy on the topic of life. He compares life and death and he cannot decide whether or not to stay alive or to be dead. He believes that death is the way to escape all his troubles and his depression but then on the other side, he knows he needs to complete the task of killing Claudius. His indecisiveness about his own life delays his action from doing what he really wants to accomplish. Even though Hamlet kills Claudius at the very end, as a result of his indecisive behavior, he has taken way too much time to accomplish one single task. Also, it killed many innocent people he could have prevented from killing them. If Hamlet would have not been so depressed and actually decide whether or not he should stay alive or die, he might have had a better chance accomplishing his tasks much faster and efficient. Clearly, Hamlet is very indecisive all over and his indecisiveness brought about his own downfall. His mother’s death, his love’s death and his friend’s deaths are all caused by Hamlet. If he were to be decisive and straightforward, he could have killed Claudius much faster and he also could have prevented all of the deaths that happened. Many theories attempt to explain why Hamlet takes so long to kill Claudius but out of many theories, Hamlet’s indecisiveness is the only one with full satisfactory answers. Every book or play has a tragic hero and every tragic hero has a tragic flaw and in the play Hamlet, there is no exception. These themes present in many of William Shakespeare’s plays are relevant even today. There are times when we are indecisive when it comes to difficult situations. To be able to decide and to act on what you decided to do is what we try to aim for, however, since Hamlet did not complete this, he led himself to his own downfall and also many other’s to their downfall as well.

Impact of Drinking Whilst Pregnant

Impact of Drinking Whilst Pregnant Samantha McKenna To what extent does drinking alcohol while pregnant affect the life of an unborn child? â€Å"In Australia, alcohol is responsible for a considerable burden of death, disease and injury† (Alcohol guidelines: reducing the health risks, 2015). â€Å"The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report that 38% of Australian women consume 3 or more drinks per day† (Pyettfor, 2007). Thorough research has shown that there are many biological impacts on the fetus caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy, which result in further impacts placed upon them as they go through life. Consuming any sort of alcohol while pregnant, including beer, wine and spirits, are all linked to the cause of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) (Womens and Childrens Health Network, 2014). Biological impacts Alcohol affects a fetus as the harmful substances can pass the placental barrier. This can occur very quickly because a fetus is nourished by the mother’s bloodstream, which results in the baby having the same alcohol blood levels as the mother (British Columbia Ministry of Education, 2010). Prenatal Alcohol exposure can affect the way a baby develops during all stages of the pregnancy, which can lead to biological anomalies for the child which effects are continuous (British Columbia Ministry of Education, 2010). Abnormalities in the fetus can include problems in the central nervous system, growth deficiency and abnormal facial characteristics, all as a result of alcohol consumption during pregnancy (Webb, 1991). This is because the development of the baby’s cells and organs can be disturbed. In particular, growth and development of the head are a common result of FASD. A person with FASD can have a smooth philtrum (no groove between upper lip and nose), a thin upper l ip and a small eye opening (Telethon Kids, 2011). An interview conducted with a midwife who wishes to remain anonymous has seen the effects of FASD firsthand, also supports this theory regarding the facial features of a person with FASD (Anonymous, 2015). There is also mild to severe brain developmental delays due to abnormalities in the brain cells (Jean, 2012). The cells are affected because â€Å"alcohol is so small in size so it can enter the developing cells and change the growth and migration of the cells, which reduces the number of pathways or connectors and alter the neurochemistry of the cells† (National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, 2013). This can produce permanent brain damage. The damage caused by the alcohol exposure results in problems with storing and retrieving information, problem solving, focus and verbal memory, due to the brains corpus callosum being damaged (Robinson, 2013). Issues from the brains cerebellum being damaged also create problems with controlling movements, maintaining balance and fine motor skills (National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, 2013). There are also possible heart damages (which are particular in the ventricular septum), low birth weight, geni tal defects, kidney problems and cerebral palsy. As well as limb anomalies such as curved little fingers, extra fingers or toes, or additional creases in hand (Telethon Kids, 2011). Some babies who are exposed to very high levels of alcohol as a fetus can possibly die due to the prenatal exposure (Womens and Childrens Health Network, 2014). â€Å"Data suggests that for every 10g of alcohol taken in daily during pregnancy the risk of developmental anomalies rises by 1.7% and fetal growth is reduced by 1% â€Å" (Cornwell, 1993). Although there is no safe amount of alcohol to drink, the more consumed the higher the risk will be any of the above effects impacting the child. Figure 1 shows how the damages to the brain compare to a brain with no prenatal alcohol damage. This shows the extent of how much damage occurs to the brain from alcohol consumption and how evident it is when compared to a brain not exposed to alcohol. Figure 1- brain scans showing the difference between two 6 week old babies brains. (FASlink, 2014). Social and behavioural impacts As stated above the consumption of alcohol while pregnant results in many biological impacts on the fetus; however, this also results in a range of social and behavioural issues on a child with FASD. As a consequence from the biological damages, this can result in the child’s difficulty in planning, setting goals, being on time and complying with legal obligations. Other complications can possibly include; issues at school, multiple foster care placements, reduced self esteem and depression, inappropriate sexual behaviour, inability to live independently, unemployment, poverty (Telethon Kids, 2011). â€Å"Often people who are born with FASD will show no outward signs and they may be misjudged for inappropriate actions, which can then be interpreted as bad behaviour† (Provicial Outreach Program for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, 2013), whilst the real cause is the unfortunate brain damage. FASD children, or adults, have ‘challenging behaviour’s’; as their actions seem impulsive, defiant or poorly thought out, and it is evident they struggle socially as they have difficulty making friends (FASD Characteristics across the Lifespan). People with FASD struggle linking their actions to possible outcomes, predicting outcomes, generalizing information, staying still, paying attention, have poor memory and language, and uneven maturation (Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, 2009). All of these conditions may not be noticed or observable as a baby and â€Å"only noticed when the child reaches school age, where the child’s behaviour and learning difficulties are problematic† (Pyettfor, 2007). Professor Elliot, the Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Sydney supports these findings as she states â€Å"At the end of the day these children have problems with learning, behaviour and developmental growth†. Sue Miers also supports this theory as she says her daughter who has FASD â€Å" could not learn from her mistakes†. Her daughter is now 30 and still requires ongoing support (Jean, 2012). According to the Australian Journal of Advanced nursing, â€Å"pregnant women who are know to use illicit drugs face consequences that can include sometimes removal of children following birth† (Miles). This shows how alcohol consumption during pregnancy can have a great impact on the child, not only biologically, but also socially due to behavioural characteristics that last throughout their whole life. Prevalence of disorders Many surveys have been completed within Australia to measure the prevalence of disorders of FASD and the percentage of women who drink alcohol while pregnant. â€Å"A 2014 Australian survey estimates of people with FASD arrays from 0.006 to 0.068 per 1,000 live births† (Callinan, 2014). Another survey found that 81% of the participants of the survey reported to drinking alcohol during pregnancy, and 0.2% of the sample drank more than 20 units of alcohol a week. As well as 71% of the sample reporting 0 to 5 units per week (Callinan, 2014). Studies also show that younger women are more likely to stop drinking alcohol when they are aware of their pregnancy but are more likely to drink prior to their knowledge of the pregnancy (Breen, 2013). Another survey conducted by researchers found that 37.6% of the 1,633 women surveyed had consumed alcohol while pregnant during 2003-2004 (Callinan, 2014). This research also shows that younger women haven been exposed to different and more information on the pressures of drinking while pregnant than older women, resulting in a lower prevalence of alcohol consumption during pregnancy by younger women. A respondent by an individual who participated a survey produced for this research supports this theory. Respondent 9 wrote about being pregnant 39 years ago and how people were unaware of the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy during that time, as she is currently 69 years old, â€Å"there were no warnings that come to mind about â€Å"drinking alcohol† while pregnant† (FASD community survey, respondent 9, 2015). The graph pasted below (figure 2) also presents the decrease in women’s alcohol consumption from 2001 to 2007. In 2001 44% of the surveyed women drank whilst pregnant, in 2004 33% reported drinking, and in 2007 only 25% of the women reported alcohol consumption while pregnant. It also shows in 2010 49% of the women drank prior to their knowledge of pregnancy, but only 20% of the women drank once they were aware of there pregnancy (Callinan, 2014). (Callinan, 2014). Strategies implemented to reduce disorders As there is no cure for FASD, many prevention strategies are put into place in order to reduce the risk and prevalence of FASD and to stop women from drinking alcohol at risky levels during pregnancy, as well as plans to help the children affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. The Australian Government as well as local communities have implemented strategies to reduce the impact of FASD. The Government scheme was introduced in 2013, which will last to 2017. The aim of this plan is stated below: Enhancing efforts to prevent FASD Secondary prevention targeting women with alcohol dependency Diagnosis and management Targeted measures supporting prevention and management of FASD within Indigenous communities and families in areas of social disadvantage National coordination, research and workforce support (Australian Department of Health, 2014). Australian institutes have also produced prevention advertisements in order to educate the community and publicize the effects of FASD, as seen below (figure 3). Figure 3: (FASD prevention, 2010) In 2007, The Marulu strategy has also been implemented into the community of Fitzroy, WA, which has high rates of alcohol use. The Marulu strategy tactics are; prevention through education, diagnosis, treatment, and support (Variety Charity, 2003). The Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation created the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Project in 2011. This projects aim is to raise awareness, educate, prevent and support children with FASD (National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder). Even though government strategies are implemented, these local projects are also essential for rural areas to become educated in the problem. Opinions of drinking alcohol while pregnant on mothers within society A survey conducted for the purpose of this research uncovered the opinion that women in Kensington Park, Adelaide, have on drinking alcohol while pregnant. The survey was completed by mothers in the community, due to the respondents needing to be women who have had children. Although, it was difficult to receive a large quantity of replies. 16 replies were collected and the context in each were of great standard, providing a strong understanding on their opinions of drinking alcohol whilst pregnant and the knowledge they obtained regarding this issue. Out of the 16 replies, 75% of respondents believed that no alcohol was an appropriate amount to be consumed during pregnancy, as they understood the possible risks (FASD community Survey, 2015). The other 25% stated they understood the risks but believe a small amount of alcohol during pregnancy was fine to consume (FASD community survey, 2015) (see appendix for further evidence). Keeping in mind if this survey were to be conducted in a different suburb (e.g. with a lower socio-economic status) the results may vary. To conclude, there is much scientific research and evidence to support the negative outcomes of drinking throughout pregnancy as it has a potentially detrimental effect on the life of an unborn child. As addressed above, the biological impacts such as cell migration that effects the overall development of the child’s brain and significantly affects the life of the child. Facial anomalies are also evident with prenatal alcohol exposure. The potential significant brain damage is the cause of unintentional negative social and behavioural effects on the child that affects them for their whole life. The statistics which state the prevalence of disorders and women who drink alcohol during pregnancy supports, along with the opinions women have towards drinking alcohol, supports how damaging this condition can have on the community and child as it’s a serious disorder which is not publicized to the community as often as it should. As stated above, a mother drinking alcohol whil e pregnant has a very large effect on the life of the child exposed physically, biologically, socially and behaviourally. Reference List Secondary sources- Alcohol guidelines: reducing the health risks. (2015, March 24). (A. Government, Producer) Retrieved April 10, 2015, from National Health and Medical Research: http://nhmrc.gov.au/health-topics/alcohol-guidelines Australian Department of Health. (2014). Responding to the impact of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Australia. Retrieved March 28, 2015, from Australian Government Department of Health: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/0FD6C7C289CD31C9CA257BF0001F96BD/$File/FASD%20-%20Commonwealth%20Action%20Plan%20MAY%202014%20(D14-1125690).pdf Breen, D. L. (2013). Its time to have the conversation: Understanding the treatment needs of women who are pregnant and alcohol dependent. NSW, Australia: University of New South Wales. British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2010). Alcohol effects on the developing brain. Retrieved Feburary 25, 2015, from FASDoutreach: http://www.fasdoutreach.ca/elearning/understanding-fasd/alcohol-effects-developing-brain Callinan, S. (2014, March 17). Trends in alcohol consumption during pregnancy in Australia 2001-2010. Cornwell, A. (1993). Drugs, Alcohol and Mental Health (Vol. 2). Cambridge, Great Britain: Cambridge University Press. FASD Characteristics across the Lifespan. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2015, from nofasd Australia: www.nofasd.org.au/_/FASD_-_Characteristics_across_the_Lifespan FASD prevention. (2010, October 1). Wallet Card: Say No to Alcohol When You Are Pregnant. Retrieved April 1, 2015, from Girls, Women, Alcohol and Pregnancy: https://fasdprevention.wordpress.com/2010/10/01/wallet-card-say-no-to-alcohol-when-you-are-pregnant/ FASlink. (2014). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Retrieved March 31, 2015, from FASlink: http://www.faslink.org/fasmain.htm Jean, P. (2012, September 12). Alcohol in pregnancy warnings. Canberra times . Miles, M. Challenges for midwives: pregnant women and illicit drug use (Vol. 1). Adelaide, SA, Australia: Australian Journal of advanced nursing. National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. (n.d.). Current FASD projects. Retrieved March 25, 2015, from National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: http://www.nofasd.org.au/research-library/current-fasd-projects National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. (2013). What is FASD? Retrieved March 25, 2015, from National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Australia: http://nofasd.org.au/resources/what-is-fasd-1 Provicial Outreach Program for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. (2013). What is FASD? Retrieved March 3, 2014, from Provicial Outreach Program for Fetal ALcohol Spectrum Disorder: https://www.fasdoutreach.ca/elearning/understanding-fasd/what-is-fasd Pyettfor, P. (2007). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A literature review for the Healthy pregnancies, Healthy Babies for Koor Communities Project. Melbourne, VIC, Australia: State of VIctoria . Robinson, M. (2013). How the first 9 months shape the rest of our lives. Australian Psychologist , 239-245. Telethon Institute for Child Health Research. (2009). Alcohol and Pregnancy and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A resource for Health Professionals (Vol. 1). Perth, WA, Australia: Telethon Institute for Child Health Research. Telethon Kids. (2011). Alcohol, Pregnancy, FASD. Retrieved March 31, 2015, from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: http://alcoholpregnancy.telethonkids.org.au/understanding-fasd/what-is-fasd/ Variety Charity. (2003). Supporting the Marulu Strategy . Retrieved March 25, 2015, from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cegTvwWJjpY#action=share> Webb, I. (1991). Alcohol. Essex, Englans: Hodder Wayland. Womens and Childrens Health Network. (2014). Pregnancy and Alcohol- risks and effects on the developing baby. Retrieved March 31, 2015, from Womens and Childrens Health Network: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114np=122id=1950 Primary sources Anonymous midwife. (2015, March 20). FASD interview. (S. McKenna, Interviewer) Adelaide, SA, Australia. FASD Community Survey, 2015. Appendix Some of the replies to â€Å"What is your personal opinion on drinking alcohol while pregnant? Do you think it’s acceptable to an extent? Why?† (FASD community survey, respondent 14, 9, 13, 4, 2015)

The Video Game Console Market Marketing Essay

The Video Game Console Market Marketing Essay The video game console market is a fast growing market. Sonys PlayStation 3 competes together with Nintendos Wii and Microsofts Xbox 360 for the market leader position. Compared with these competitors, Sonys PS3 includes the newest technologies and provides the highest variety of functionalities. Therefore, Sonys strategy is to target customers who focus on high technologies and multimedia-entertainment. However, this involves that the PS3 competes not only with console manufacturers, but also with other multimedia producers such as PC manufacturers. Due to the fact, that the Sonys PS3 will be quite expensive, the console will be available in a premium edition and in a cheaper basic edition. Considering the distribution of its PS3 games, Sony tries to change its traditional supply chain by providing an Internet platform, where users can download games. This results in saving costs and a faster distribution. Furthermore, the most important marketing tool is the Internet for promoting the PlayStation 3. Blogs, MySpace, YouTube and other kind of websites enable an area-wide promotion of the game console and especially, it is done by consumers. Another important tool is the official website, which offers among others information about the console and about available games. Additionally, Sony promotes its PlayStation 3 together with a meaningful slogan, which differs between Europe (This is living) and U.S. (Play Beyond). Finally, Sonys financing objectives are to sell 15 million exemplars in the first-year and to achieve total sales revenue of $8.25 billion. Its marketing goals are to sell more than 100 million exemplars in the long-run and to become the market leader. Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 1 Situation Analysis 2 2.1 Current marketing environment 2 2.2 Current Product Line 2 2.3 Product Analysis 3 2.4 Target Markets 3 2.5 Competitive Analysis 5 2.6 Product/Market Analysis Tools 5 2.7 SWOT Analysis 8 3 Objectives 8 4 Competition 9 4.1 Game console industry 9 4.2 Direct competitors 9 4.3 Market concept of competition 11 5 Product Unique selling proposition 12 6 Distribution 12 6.1 Supply chain 12 6.2 Next generation supply chain 14 6.3 Business Models 15 7 Marketing Strategy 16 7.1 AIDA 17 8 Marketing Mix Strategy of 4 Ps 18 8.1 Product 18 8.2 Price 18 8.3 Place 19 8.4 Promotion 19 9 Financial projections 19 10 Implementation controls 20 Situation Analysis Current marketing environment The video game console market is highly influenced from its demographic and technological environment. The worldwide population is growing and more and more people have a strong need for entertainment. Many people require something against boredom in their free time. Furthermore, the technology environment creates a variety of new functionalities which are almost unlimited. According to Moores Law, processor speed and memory capability reduplicate almost every 18 months by constant prices. Additionally, technologies such as High Definition TV provide a new way of entertainment consumption. Finally, another important influence in peoples behavior is enabled by the Internet. Its introduction was a milestone of the new economy. It allows finding almost any required information and enables worldwide communication as well as interaction and it simplifies doing business. Current Product Line Before we describe the features and functionalities of Sonys new video game console, the PlayStation 3, we would like to give a short overview of the companys current home video game line: PlayStation (PS1) The Sony PlayStation is the companys first video game console and was produced in the mid-1990s. It belongs to the fifth generation of video game consoles and provides a 32-bit processor. Furthermore, the PlayStation was the first game console that reached the 100 million mark. PlayStation 2 (PS2) Sonys PlayStation 2 is part of the sixth generation era and was released in 2000. Besides its 128-bit processor, it was the fist video game console that provides DVD playback functionality. It placed first in number of units sold in its sixth generation of video game consoles and it became the fastest selling and most popular game console in history, with over 110 million units shipped worldwide by November 2006.  [1]   PlayStation Portable (PSP) Sonys PlayStation Portable was the companys first handheld game console released in 2004. Besides playing games, it also provides different functionalities such as playing music, watching videos, viewing pictures and using Internet applications. Nowadays, the PSP is the main competitor of Nintendos Game Boy and Nintendo DS. Product Analysis The Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) is the seventh generation video game console and the third in Sonys PlayStation series. The console was launched in North America and Japan in November 2006 and is yet expected to be launched in Europe by March 2007. The reason for its delay in Europe is a shortness of supplies with parts of the Blu-ray drive. The console offers high-end technology and it has been described as an engineering masterpiece because of its promising specification and use of new technology.  [2]   Furthermore, the PS3 will be available in two different editions on the one hand, a basic edition with a 20 GB hard disk drive (HDD), and on the other hand a premium edition with 60 GB HDD. Nevertheless, both editions will have key elements such the Blu-Ray Disc for High Definition movies, the Cell chip, Giga-bit Ethernet for high speed Internet-connection, and an HDMI connection for optimum output on HDTV. Compared with the basic edition, the premium edition will provide some extra features like support for multiple external memory storage devices (Memory stick, SD) and Wireless connectivity. More information about the specification can you find in the Appendix. Furthermore, Sonys newest game console provides a Linux operating system and some Internet applications such as an Opera Web browser and multiplaying functionality. Finally, another feature of the PlayStation 3 is the backward compatibility to Sonys previous video games for PS1 and PS2. Target Markets The following section should provide an overview of Sonys target market and of its targeted customers. Target market approach In our opinion, Sony should use a segmentation approach as their general strategy to reach targeted customers. Although mass-marketing would create the largest potential market, which leads to the lowest costs and results in lower prices or higher margins, we propose segment marketing because it can create a more fine-tuned product offering and price for the target segment. Moreover, this approach enables to select more easily the best distribution and communication channels, and to have a clearer picture of the main competitors.  [3]   Segmenting consumer markets Cultural distinctions, different needs and demands of individuals, and diversities in customers buying behaviours require market segmentation of companies to satisfy their customers effectively. Thereby, the market can be divided in geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioural segmentation variables and the company can focus on target segments which it wants to attract.  [4]   According to Sony, the main geographic segments of the PlayStation 3 consist of the Northern America market, the Japanese market and the European market. When Sony released his first video game console PlayStation in 1994, the companys main focus was on the marketplace from 12- to 17-year-old boys. But nowadays, Sonys demographic segmentation divides the market of the PS3 in male and female, old and young players and expands its business vastly to a mainstream entertainment.  [5]  The PS3 offers a multifaceted repertoire of video games which includes something for everybody. Theres not merely one game to ultimately define the PS3 platform, but rather different must-have games for different segments of consumers. Additionally, an important and profitable demographic segment could be the college market because according to a study by Anderson Analytics GenX2Z only 26 percent of students report not playing video games.  [6]   Furthermore, Sony concentrates on a strong customer loyalty status in the behavioural segment. Besides its popular brand and the high reputation of its products, the company tries to win over its former consumers by the implementation of a backward compatibility which enables to play video games from its previous video game consoles (PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2). Finally, one of the important target segments of the PS3 involves consumers who require high technology. The company is convinced that its consumers desire and want to get the best out of the best. Characteristics of the targeted customers / product uses As already mentioned, Sonys targeted customers want to have the newest technologies and functionalities. Moreover, they need an entertainment system which provides functionalities such as viewing pictures, movies or listening music. The Playstation 3 can fulfil all this particular requirements and reach therewith a lot of different customers. First of all, video game players can use the console, because it provides high technology and a lot of different available games. Furthermore, movie lovers can use the PS3 because it involves a DVD drive and also allows watching movies in High Definition with its Blu-Ray drive. Moreover, customers can use the game console to see pictures from their last holidays easily by inserting their memory card in the included card-reader. Finally, customer can use the console to surf in the Internet or to use it instead of a computer, because its Linux operation system provides similar functionalities. Summarized, all members of a family can use the PlayStation 3 for different needs. For instance, children play video games during the day and when the father arrives, he uses the PlayStation to read his emails. Thereafter, the mother inserts the SD card in the PS3 and shows him the pictures from her trip to Stockholm last weekend. And at the evening, the whole family watch a movie together. This multimedia functionality provides the biggest benefit for the PS3s consumers. Purchasing process Some customers make their decision which game console they want to buy dependent from the number of available games. Not only the functionality and technology, but also the variety of games can be important for the decision-making process of customers. Therefore, the company has to offer information about the games which will be available for its game console. The primary channel for providing such information would be the official webpage. Furthermore, the final end-user of the game console is not always responsible for the purchasing process. For instance, sometimes parents purchase the game console for their children, and therewith another party is involved in the purchasing process. Market size estimations The number of consumers in the video game console industry increased continuously during the last years. Due to the fact, that game consoles of the newest generation are comparable with an entertainment system, we estimate a market size of 400 million potential users in Europe if everybody would buy the product. Considering that one product would be enough for a family, our final estimation of potential consumers will be 100 million in Europe. Furthermore, a forecast report of PricewaterhouseCoopers has shown that by 2010, the worldwide video game market will grow to $46.5 billion, at an average 11.4% compound annual rate.  [7]   Competitive Analysis Nintendo and Microsoft are the main competitors of Sony in the video game console industry. Considering the seventh generation, Sonys PlayStation 3 compete with Nintendos Wii and Microsofts Xbox 360. These two consoles were released world-wide in November 2006 and November 2005 respectively.  [8]   According to a study of the NPD Group about the best-selling video game consoles for December 2006, the Xbox 360 sold 1.1 million units, the Wii 604.2 thousand units and the PS3 490.7 thousand units. However, the PS3 sales figures include only the U.S. and Japan market, where it is released already. More details about the competition situation will be discussed in chapter 4 Competition. Product/Market Analysis Tools Product Life Cycle According to Sonys previous game consoles, the PlayStation 3 should have a 10-year product life-cycle. Its state-of-the-art technology involves that the usage of the PS3 resources and technology are just at the beginning and can fulfil all game requirements in the next years.  [9]   The product life-cycle consists of four different stages: Introduction: At this stage, the sales growth increase slowly when the product is introduced to the market. In Europe, the PS 3 is already located in the middle of this stage, because many game-console lovers and fans have ordered the PS 3 in advance to become one of the first consumers after its release in March 2007. For instance, a new PS 3 is pre-ordered almost each 20 seconds in Great Britain.  [10]   Growth: At this period, a market acceptance of the product is recognizable and the number of sales units increases. First-users report about the product positively and other consumers are becoming curious. Maturity: A slowdown in sales growth will be at this stage because the product has achieved acceptance by most of the buyers. Decline: Most of the potential buyers have already the product and therewith the number of sales declines. Figure 1: PlayStations Product Life-Cycle Different marketing strategies are necessary for each stage of the product life-cycle. We will discuss our recommended strategies in7 Marketing Strategy. Due to the fact, that the PlayStation 3 was already released in Japan and U.S., Figure 2 shows that the PlayStation 3 is located in a higher position compared with Europe. Figure 2: PS3s Product Life-Cycle in Japan and U.S. After shortness of supplies and an enormous rush demand in Japan and in the United States after the release in November 2006, a kind of stagnation is visible in these both markets today. Vendors report that a large contingent of the PlayStation 3 is still available in their shops.  [11]  Although Sony sees the reason for that in its optimized supply chain, the company has to consider new marketing strategies to increase its sales. The Boston Consulting Groups Growth-Share Matrix In the following section, we would like to analyse and classify Sonys game console product portfolio by profit potentials. Therefore, we used the Boston Consulting Group approach presented by Kotler.  [12]   Due to the fact, that the PlayStation 1 is not be sold anymore, we didnt regard it in our analysis. Figure 3: BCGs Growth-Share Matrix for Sonys game console product-line First, we placed the PlayStation Portable in the Question marks sector, because the market of game handhelds is still growing and as the strongest competitor of the market leader Nintendo DS, the relative market share of the PSP increases. Therefore, Sony has to spend a lot of money in the development and advertising of the PSP to keep up with the fast-growing market, and to overtake the market leader. Additionally, we also placed the PlayStation 3 in the Question marks sector, because the market of the seventh generation video game consoles is still increasing and it is not visible already if the PS 3 will take the position of the market leader. Finally, we located the PlayStation 2 in the Cash cow sector. The PS2 has a falling market growth rate after the release of the next generation game console. Nevertheless, it is still the market leader in its generation and it achieved higher sales units (1.4 million) as the Xbox360 (1.1 million), Nintendo Wii (604.2 thousand), and the PlayStation 3 (490.7 thousand) in December 2006.  [13]  According to the 10-year product life-cycle, the PS2 is in the decline stage and will stay in the market for the next 3 years yet. SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis is the overall evaluation of a companys strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.  [14]  It is used as a framework to help an organization develop its marketing strategy. Thereby, strengths and weaknesses are internal factors which can be controlled by an organization, whereas opportunities and threats consist of external factors which are uncontrollable by an organization. Figure 4: SWOT analysis for Sonys PlayStation 3 Objectives Sonys financial objectives are to: Achieve first-year total sales revenue of $8.25 billion, based on an average price of $550 per unit. Sonys PlayStation 3 marketing objectives are to: Achieve a first-year unit sales volume of 15 million, which represent a projected market share of 25 percent. Increase second-year share to 40 percent and become the market leader. Sell more than 100 million units in the long-term. Arrange for distribution through the leading electric, video games and computer retailer in the top 100 and establish an Internet platform. Competition Game console industry According to the industry concept of competition presented by Kotler  [15]  , an industry is a group of firms that offer a product or class of products that are close substitutes for another product. The structure type of the video game console industry is an oligopoly, because the Japanese Nintendo and Sony, and the U.S. Microsoft dominate the market. Particularly, the structure is a differentiated oligopoly, because only few companies producing products partially differentiated along lines of price and features. Furthermore, the console industry is characterized by large cost of barriers to entry according to Porters model of five competitive forces. It may cost up to $2 billion to develop a competitive console platform and returns on investment may take several years.  [16]   Furthermore, these three console manufacturers have a similar business model consisting of the following three income flows: Hardware sales Sales of own software/games Licences fees from other software/game developers that use the console platform Finally, Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony compete on a global basis with core markets in Japan, Europe and in the United States. Direct competitors The following section compares the direct competitors Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony with regard to their products, prices, sales units and game range. Product differentiation First of all, the following table shows the particular specification of each game console: Nintendo Wii Microsoft Xbox 360 Sony PlayStation 3 First publication 19 November 2006 (USA) 22 November 2005 (USA) 11 November 2006 (Japan) Processor IBM Broadway PowerPC (729 MHz) Tri-Core Xenon PowerPC (3,2 GHz) PPC Cell PowerPC (3,2 GHz) Graphic chip ATI Hollywood (243 MHz) ATI Xenos (500 MHz) nvidia RSX (550 MHz) Drives Own format (Wii and GameCube) CD, DVD (external HD-DVD drive available) CD, DVD, Blu-ray Maximal video quality SDTV = 480p (NTSC) or 576p (PAL/SECAM) HDTV = 480p 720p 1080i/p HDTV = 480p 720p 1080i/p (supports HDMI) Back. compatibility yes yes yes HDD 20 GB 20 GB / 60 GB I/O USB 2.0 (x2), SD USB 2.0 (x3) USB 2.0 (x4), PE: MemoryStick, SD CompactFlash Communication IEEE 802.11b/g Ethernet Extra feature: Wlan-Adapter Ethernet, Bluetooth 2.0, Wireless Controller, IEEE 802.11b/g (only premium edition) Furthermore, both competitors of Sonys PS3 provide an internet platform: Microsoft: Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is an online service that is used to distribute video games to Xbox 360 owners. Thereby, Microsoft offers an Xbox Live Marketplace, a virtual market place, where consumers can download movie and game trailers, game demos, Xbox Live Arcade games, gamer tag images, and Xbox 360 Dashboard themes.  [17]  The consumers can pay with Microsoft Points, which can be purchased by credit cards. Nintendo: WiiConnect24 It allows distributing content such as software patches and updated game contents while the Wii is on stand-bye.  [18]   Price strategy Nintendo offers the cheapest price in the game console market. Therefore, the company dispense with some extra features such as DVD drives or HDTV quality. Contrary, Sonys PlayStation 3 offers the newest technology with a plenty of accessories, but also the highest price. The following list shows the current prices in January 2007:  [19]   Nintendo Wii Microsoft Xbox 360 Sony PlayStation 3 Ca. 250 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 300 400 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ (HDD-drive costs 200 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ extra) Basic edition: 500 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Premium edition: 600 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Market share in Japan and U.S. The following figures show how many game consoles each of the manufacturers has sold in Japan and U.S. during the last months:  [20]  21 Whereas Nintendos Wii was the market leader during the Christmas time in Japan, Microsofts Xbox 360 could sell the most units in the United States. Games An important criterion for buyers is the volume of games which are available for each game console. At the moment, Microsofts Xbox 360 consists of 82 exclusive games and 132 cross-platform games. In contrary, Nintendo offers 55 exclusive and 96 cross-platform games for its Wii. For Sonys PlayStation 3, 43 exclusive and 77 cross-platform games are planned. Figure 5: Available games for each console (Source GAMEZONE)  [22]   Market concept of competition Due to the fact, that the PlayStation 3 is more a multimedia centre than only a game console, we have to consider more competitors as only game console manufacturers. Therefore, we used the approach of Rayport and Jaworski to identify direct and indirect competitors by mapping the buyers steps in using the product.  [23]  The following figure shows the PS3s direct and indirect competitors: Figure 6: Competitor Map Sony PlayStation 3 Summarized, Sonys PlayStation 3 competes not only with other video game console companies, but also with PC manufactures and other high technology producers. Sonys PS3 offers besides a Linux operating system a plenty of functionalities such as Internet to attract previous PC users and to expand its market. This approach is comparable with Coca-Cola which identifies milk, coffee, tea, and water products as its main competitors.  [24]   Finally, Figure 7 shows Sonys market position with regard to technology and price compared with its video game console competitors: Figure 7 Market position of the main video game consoles Product Unique selling proposition The unique selling proposition is a marketing approach to promote a products benefit and to convince customers that the company can deliver it. For Sonys PlayStation 3, the main benefit, especially compared with its competitors, is its functionality as a multimedia centre and its state-of-the-art technology. Nevertheless, Sony has to consider that its targeted consumers are located in different market segments with different demands and wishes. Therefore, the company has to develop different unique selling propositions. First considering the video game hardcore fans segment, these costumers want to have the best and newest technology. Due to the fact, that the PS3 fulfil these requirements at best compared with its competitors, Sony should promote this in its advertisements, especially in game magazines. Furthermore, Sony wants to attract also middle-age consumers and families. The most benefit for these customers is to use the PlayStation 3 as a multimedia system which offers a variety of functionalities. Therefore, the company should focus on its multimedia range. Summarized, the companys unique selling proposition should consist of newest technology and multimedia-functionality. To emphasize this, Sony uses a short slogan after every mention of its products. In the United States, Sony evokes the following slogan: Play Beyond. People should associate therewith that the PS3 is not only a game console which enables playing video games, but also a system which allows playing in High Digital quality and getting a feeling of reality. Furthermore, the PS3 offers more than playing video games, it is a multimedia system that can be used for different pleasures such as Internet surfing or watching movies that can also be interpreted as a kind of playing. However, Sony uses a different slogan for the European market. The reason is that people with few English skills will not understand the impact of Play Beyond or will be interpreted wrongly. Therefore, Sony uses the following slogan in Europe: This is living. The slogan is really simple and uses words which can be understood by not English-speakers. Consumers can associate that the PS3 delivers a kind of living standard and ensures to enjoy living. Furthermore, its a relation to PS3s multimedia functionalities which are desired for every household these days. It emphasizes that the game console is the core of living room entertainment. Distribution Supply chain With the video game industry being the fastest growing sector of the growing entertainment industry, the industrys revenue has now reached $26 billion in annual revenue and there is currently no indication of decline in the industry. So, in order to identify how the revenue is distributed, its essential to look at the supply chain of the entire PS3 business. As seen in the supply chain, there are opportunities in many aspects of the console business, coming from the actual console sales as well as extras such as games. Figure 8: Original supply chain for video games.  [25]   The customers, as identified by our segmentation analysis table, are at the end of the supply chain, and their consuming of video games are distributes across several actors. Additionally, the most known among the actors are of course the hardware manufacturers, which include Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft. Except for the revenue coming from the console sales, they also get about 20% of the market price for the games, which are mostly sold in the growth level of the product life-cycle. The additional revenue in the supply chain is split among the other actors. Looking more closely at the publishers and developers, we realize that the publishers are likely to take a large portion of the revenue. Those are the large international companies that have sufficient funds to build a distribution network and employ developers to pull off new best-selling games for the consoles. Hardware manufacturers usually try to pull off deals with these companies when they identify potential best-selling games because the top 3.3% of the games bring in 55% of the sales revenue. For this reason, some hardware manufacturers, most notable Microsoft, tend to buy top-creative publishers to secure exclusive rights of new games for their console. Because of the complexity with world-wide game launches, there are almost always distribution partners in the chain, those accounts for an estimate of 10% of the shelf price. Next are the retail channels, which include online stores as well as retail stores. However, they are becoming increasingly bypassed in the supply chain, as discussed in the next generation supply chain (described in detail below). When they do exist in the supply chain though, they take an estimate of 30% of the shelf price. Developers are a mix of artists and engineers that create the actual games played on the console. Typically, they are funded by the publishers and together they take between 40 to 60% of the shelf price. Notably, in recent years another actor have also entered the supply chain as the industry have grow

Essay --

e Rush Professor Amita Topics in History: Buddhism December 16, 2013 â€Å"Finding Oneself in a Suffering Based World† ACADEMIC INTEGRITY PLEDGE On my honor, I have neither received nor given any unauthorized assistance on this examination (assignment). ___________Paije Rush_______ Print Name ____________Paije Rush______ Signature (Print Name again on e-submission) __________December 17, 2013________ Date All of our problems and suffering originate from confused negatives states of mind and all happiness and good fortunes derive from peaceful and positive states of mind. In this course, we have learned about the Buddha, the Dharma, The Four Noble Truths, the cause and effect of suffering in one’s life. In this course I have learned to creatively and critically analyze literary materials learned through the Buddha’s insights from over 2,000 years ago. I was taught methods for gradually overcoming negative minds such as anger to develop minds with love compassion and wisdom, attributes that are obtained through experience. Topics in History of Buddhism has taught me that Buddhism is a religion of its own that you learn through practice and experience rather than a belief. This idea is a little complicated for some to grasp. In our culture, â€Å"religion† is a better system and â€Å"faith† is one’s way of accepting those beliefs. The Buddha has taught us to accept no teachings without testing them. Instead of believing in teachings one should practice the teachings to realize the truth of them. In Buddhism there are three general levels of the communication. There is the enlightened level, the intellectual level, and the common level. Within these three levels enforces the learning and practicing of the Buddha’s teachings. With le... ...ous life changes. They went from having extremely poor behavior to influencing others to be involved in such an inspirational journey. Overall, from this course I have obtained the notion that overcoming suffering truly depends on the person and their dedication to wanting to free themselves of suffering, pain, violence, and fear to live a liberated life. As long as we are enveloped in ignorance, one’s thought of self, the world, and anything else is just a theory until proven to be true. One must grasp the idea that extinction of desire, Nirvana, and following the steps on the path to liberation is the ultimate goal of a suffer-free life. Once one can successfully cultivate one’s mind so that they are free from the delusion of â€Å"I† and the craving for the wrong type of pleasures, one can then see oneself for themselves and the have a clear understanding of reality.

The Stamp Act :: essays research papers

The Stamp Act of 1765 was a tax put on the British American colonies, sponsered by George Grenville and was the first direct tax placed on them. Parliament needed means to help fund expensive costs of keeping troops inside the colonies, so they imposed a tax on all of the colonies everyday printed materials, such as pamphlets and newspapers, and all legal and commercial documents, which all needed to have a certain special stamp placed on it. Many agents of the American colonies that resided in London had suggested other methods to obtain the needed money but where ignored and the Americans where taxed. There were many Americans who did not elect members of Parliament and they greatly opposed the Stamp Act, for two reasons, because they didn't have enough money to pay for them and also it went against their new principle that said, " No taxation without representation." This new tax made many Americans very angered and their actions that came from this started the way towards the American Revolution. There was many forms of resistance, including the king and Parliament receiving many petitions, Americans boycotting the British goods, and printers and lawyers refusing to use the stamps for stamping documents. Another major point is that violence sparked up from the Sons of Liberty, and in New York rioters got so violent that the destroyed a British officer's house because he had said that he "would cram the stamps down America throats at the point of his sword." The Stamp Act Congress was the first conference that held multiple people from several colonies, and was formed of delegates from nine of the thirteen original colonies, which were Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Ilsand, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Deleware, Maryland, and South Carolina. They met in New York over the dates of October 7th to the date of October 25th, and they created a