Alienware, a gaming hardware brand belonging to Dell, has recently asked its social media followers a question which at first seems simple but is very deep at the same time: would the followers rather have an Area-51 or an Aurora laptop? The tweet with the promotional images caused a fracas among gamers and techies; the question was really about availability and preferences of luxury laptops for gaming.
Alienware did not give a hint that they would ask this question on social media. “Which wise man would you rather have the Area-51 or the Aurora laptop?” was their blunt way of putting it. To be honest, that’s like opening the topic of whether one would take a rocket or a super car. In other words, both for totally different reasons are fabulous. The responses were received almost instantaneously, and people dared to express very STRONG VIEWS.
Let’s take this apart now. Area-51 was the only world some gamers wanted to live in, as one of the users JuanCS_Dev stated it: “Area-51. Alien tech.” Rightly so, it does sound like a pretty good point to make. It also sounds very thrilling! The other user SPLATTERSTARUSA who was talking about the design, said, “Love the fans underneath.” So, the electronic device is definitely catching and is also feeding the gamer aesthetic. And then there is N3x2nd who is like, “Love my aurora x” – oh wait, that is for the other one. See? The debate is already becoming complicated.
On the other hand, the Aurora group is coming forth. Titan9824270 was into the aesthetics and beauty, posted a picture and he said “Aurora X is my choice; I simply love the navy blue.” Sometimes it’s about not only the power but also the feel, you know? Poseidonssb1 also chose Aurora but later replied Alienware with “I need it soon so maybe 😩” Just like I feel too. We have all been in that situation where we want the latest model so badly.
The most fascinating part of the conversation came from the more technical users. For example, VaanPanupong was extremely serious. They asked a rather specific question about the Area-51: “Does Alienware Area-51 laptop have good IOMMU groups… for PCIe passthrough in VMs?” I mean I had to look it up. That’s really next-level PC master race stuff. They further supported their stance in another response by suggesting that the high-end laptops should have three M.2 slots for triple-booting Windows, Linux, and Unix. This person has great ideas.
Then there was FrankLambeek who made a very good comment. They pointed out that the technology was “extremely impressive, a real heavyweight!” However, they concluded, “On the other hand, I prefer a computer that allows you to tweak and customize everything.” The eternal dilemma of some gamers will be the powerful and beautiful laptop versus the customizable desktop tower. Laptop wins on the portability front, but is it the winner for your heart? Heavy thoughts.
Alienware was part of the conversation and played the charming and corporate role. They told ArinzeCliffordd “Both are excellent picks 😙👌”, which is quite a typical, safe response coming from a company. They appreciated a lot of feedback. They even had a tiny embarrassing moment when their customer support bot replied to someone who was not requesting help, which led to a “I think your bot is broken” wakeup call. Typical social media uproar.
At the same time, some gamers did not want to pick one at all. DanAZPandaMan put it like this: “I would not mind having either of them. They are both awesome.” The parent company, Dell, even playfully joined in, “One of each?” Sure, if you are going to pay, Dell! Send me one! And Cori (DemShenaniganss) very diplomatically stated the issue: “Aurora is beauty but new Area 51 has OLED IT’S SO HARD TO PICK.” Once you see one with those blacks so perfect, OLED becomes a super addictive feature; it’s game over.
The revelation of community values through such a trivial question asked is what really makes it all the more interesting. Pure and unadulterated power along with the promise of “alien tech” is what some gamers are demanding, while others would settle for the gorgeous blue finish or an OLED screen. There are even some very dedicated gaming aficionados who are crazy about the deep technical specs and the resulting crazy software setups. Alienware is not merely selling laptops, they are also providing different lifestyles. Are you an Area-51, person, enigmatic and with hidden powers, or an Aurora person, modern and elegant? The brand has astutely got the gamers to talk about their own preferences which is indeed a very clever marketing strategy, much like the console wars between PlayStation and Xbox.
