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In the last half dozen years gaming has changed from a hobby enjoyed by spotty, sad, geeky teenage boys who hadn't discovered the joys of the fairer sex.
Now of course gaming is "cool". Everybody whose anybody has a Playstation stuck under the tv. Gaming has spread from the teenage boys past-time, to the massmarket entertainment medium of the future- the industry currently outweighs the profits made by the film industry!
With the change, the target markets for gaming have also changed... or rather, widened. No longer is the teenager the market that games are made for. Now trendy young adults in their 20s and 30s have a Playstation tucked away, whilst younger kids have a N64 for amusment.
So, what's made this change come about?
Personally, I think the biggest factor is Sony's enterance in the market. You see, before this console manufacturers were quite a small scale business. Sony took things a step further, advertising the consoles as being "cool", and pushing their brand name all the way. It paid off too... an estimated 100million Playstations have been sold worldwide, with the next generation of consoles predicted to top that figure.
Which is all good for gamers of course. We get bigger budget games, with better graphics, cinema quality sound, and white-knuckle storylines. In fact, companies such as Square now employ psycologists to make sure their storylines have the right emotional impacts on the gamer.
Let's hope the upwards trend of games continues!
Sonic
Now of course gaming is "cool". Everybody whose anybody has a Playstation stuck under the tv. Gaming has spread from the teenage boys past-time, to the massmarket entertainment medium of the future- the industry currently outweighs the profits made by the film industry!
With the change, the target markets for gaming have also changed... or rather, widened. No longer is the teenager the market that games are made for. Now trendy young adults in their 20s and 30s have a Playstation tucked away, whilst younger kids have a N64 for amusment.
So, what's made this change come about?
Personally, I think the biggest factor is Sony's enterance in the market. You see, before this console manufacturers were quite a small scale business. Sony took things a step further, advertising the consoles as being "cool", and pushing their brand name all the way. It paid off too... an estimated 100million Playstations have been sold worldwide, with the next generation of consoles predicted to top that figure.
Which is all good for gamers of course. We get bigger budget games, with better graphics, cinema quality sound, and white-knuckle storylines. In fact, companies such as Square now employ psycologists to make sure their storylines have the right emotional impacts on the gamer.
Let's hope the upwards trend of games continues!
Sonic
Page:
===SONICRAV---> wrote:
So, what's made this change come about?
Personally, I think the
> biggest factor is Sony's enterance in the market. You see, before this console
> manufacturers were quite a small scale business. Sony took things a step
> further, advertising the consoles as being "cool", and pushing their
> brand name all the way. It paid off too... an estimated 100million Playstations
> have been sold worldwide, with the next generation of consoles predicted to top
> that figure.
I think that what Meka sad a while back was more the case.
Gaming was becoming mainstream anyway.
Sony did speed up the process a bit but it would've happened anyway.
Nes gave the industry a giant boost, especially when Super Mario Brothers came along with Duck Hunt.
The Mega Drive was even more popular than that, going into 16bit with their own mascot Sonic the Hedgehog.
He was marketed as "cool" being fast with attitude and all that.
The Snes was almost as popular too I think.
And loads of people had Gameboys and Gamegears...
Why?
As games become better looking and better playing, people enjoy playing them more.
And that clubbing generation who Sony blasted the Playstation at, who's to say that they hadn't been brought up gaming on the Nes or Mega Drive...
So, what's made this change come about?
Personally, I think the
> biggest factor is Sony's enterance in the market. You see, before this console
> manufacturers were quite a small scale business. Sony took things a step
> further, advertising the consoles as being "cool", and pushing their
> brand name all the way. It paid off too... an estimated 100million Playstations
> have been sold worldwide, with the next generation of consoles predicted to top
> that figure.
I think that what Meka sad a while back was more the case.
Gaming was becoming mainstream anyway.
Sony did speed up the process a bit but it would've happened anyway.
Nes gave the industry a giant boost, especially when Super Mario Brothers came along with Duck Hunt.
The Mega Drive was even more popular than that, going into 16bit with their own mascot Sonic the Hedgehog.
He was marketed as "cool" being fast with attitude and all that.
The Snes was almost as popular too I think.
And loads of people had Gameboys and Gamegears...
Why?
As games become better looking and better playing, people enjoy playing them more.
And that clubbing generation who Sony blasted the Playstation at, who's to say that they hadn't been brought up gaming on the Nes or Mega Drive...
The Game wrote:
> Before you let out the moans and groans......
Anyway!
Shigsy is indeed a genius when it comes to making games that are pure fun. Indeed, he has himself said that he likes to make "family games" that anyone can pick up and play... which is on if ninty's biggest stengths...
and biggest weeknesses in the eyes of the massmarket blood thirsty post pub lads!
Sonic
> Before you let out the moans and groans......
Anyway!
Shigsy is indeed a genius when it comes to making games that are pure fun. Indeed, he has himself said that he likes to make "family games" that anyone can pick up and play... which is on if ninty's biggest stengths...
and biggest weeknesses in the eyes of the massmarket blood thirsty post pub lads!
Sonic
It is because of trendy casual gamers who only own a feeble PSone so they can play a sad wobbling split-screen multi-player game against their drunken mates after a night out at the pub that Black & White, Max Payne, Half-Life, Virtua Golf (and others) were cancelled for the Dreamcast. There is a downside to one-sided popularity.
FUN
It's the basis for a game.
That's all I'm saying.
It's the basis for a game.
That's all I'm saying.
Before you let out the moans and groans, let me tell you why Nintendo could very well make Multi-Generation Gaming a reality...
Look at old people, not a pretty site, but they're damn funny, and they know their stuff. If a developer were to ask a former Regiment Leader about the details of the war, he'd churn them out like there was no tomorrow... how realistic would the game be? Answer: VERY!
Now, what Nintendo are trying to do, isn't quite hire War heroes, but they're trying to reach out to other people... people who haven't necessarily been interested in gaming before. Of course, if people didn't like the look of Mario 64, they're not going to go for Luigi's Mansion just because the guy has a Green hat... but new ideas, and different approaches could be the key.
Also, as you know, Nintendo woo the kids... Mario, Luigi, Zelda.. all of those traditional types attract children...
But what I see most from Nintendo, as I said earlier, is trying to get the non-gamers into gaming. Ask anyone who knows anything about gaming to give you an example of an RTS and they'll throw Command and Conquer at you, or maybe Age of Empires... Even if they come up with an abstract one, it won't be a colourful game with flowers and what not.... PIKMIN is, and for the people who look at C+C and see all the options, buttons and menus, PIKMIN, with it's relatively simple interface is perfect.
I honestly think, that with combining the traditional gaming characters and taking a different approach to genres and themes, Nintendo will bring the world's generations together... I'm not talking about a miracle, but if a Grandad and Grandson don't get on, but both love strategy games they can unite through PIKMIN, or if little Girl likes Pokémon, but Mummy wants something with a bit more sting, Mummy can teach little girl all about Kameo: Element of Power...
I don't mean to go on, but with Nintendo having both the ability and determination to bring gaming to the non-gamers, I honestly think we'll see a much more prolific age difference between players playing each other... on-line or off!
Game
Look at old people, not a pretty site, but they're damn funny, and they know their stuff. If a developer were to ask a former Regiment Leader about the details of the war, he'd churn them out like there was no tomorrow... how realistic would the game be? Answer: VERY!
Now, what Nintendo are trying to do, isn't quite hire War heroes, but they're trying to reach out to other people... people who haven't necessarily been interested in gaming before. Of course, if people didn't like the look of Mario 64, they're not going to go for Luigi's Mansion just because the guy has a Green hat... but new ideas, and different approaches could be the key.
Also, as you know, Nintendo woo the kids... Mario, Luigi, Zelda.. all of those traditional types attract children...
But what I see most from Nintendo, as I said earlier, is trying to get the non-gamers into gaming. Ask anyone who knows anything about gaming to give you an example of an RTS and they'll throw Command and Conquer at you, or maybe Age of Empires... Even if they come up with an abstract one, it won't be a colourful game with flowers and what not.... PIKMIN is, and for the people who look at C+C and see all the options, buttons and menus, PIKMIN, with it's relatively simple interface is perfect.
I honestly think, that with combining the traditional gaming characters and taking a different approach to genres and themes, Nintendo will bring the world's generations together... I'm not talking about a miracle, but if a Grandad and Grandson don't get on, but both love strategy games they can unite through PIKMIN, or if little Girl likes Pokémon, but Mummy wants something with a bit more sting, Mummy can teach little girl all about Kameo: Element of Power...
I don't mean to go on, but with Nintendo having both the ability and determination to bring gaming to the non-gamers, I honestly think we'll see a much more prolific age difference between players playing each other... on-line or off!
Game
In the last half dozen years gaming has changed from a hobby enjoyed by spotty, sad, geeky teenage boys who hadn't discovered the joys of the fairer sex.
Now of course gaming is "cool". Everybody whose anybody has a Playstation stuck under the tv. Gaming has spread from the teenage boys past-time, to the massmarket entertainment medium of the future- the industry currently outweighs the profits made by the film industry!
With the change, the target markets for gaming have also changed... or rather, widened. No longer is the teenager the market that games are made for. Now trendy young adults in their 20s and 30s have a Playstation tucked away, whilst younger kids have a N64 for amusment.
So, what's made this change come about?
Personally, I think the biggest factor is Sony's enterance in the market. You see, before this console manufacturers were quite a small scale business. Sony took things a step further, advertising the consoles as being "cool", and pushing their brand name all the way. It paid off too... an estimated 100million Playstations have been sold worldwide, with the next generation of consoles predicted to top that figure.
Which is all good for gamers of course. We get bigger budget games, with better graphics, cinema quality sound, and white-knuckle storylines. In fact, companies such as Square now employ psycologists to make sure their storylines have the right emotional impacts on the gamer.
Let's hope the upwards trend of games continues!
Sonic
Now of course gaming is "cool". Everybody whose anybody has a Playstation stuck under the tv. Gaming has spread from the teenage boys past-time, to the massmarket entertainment medium of the future- the industry currently outweighs the profits made by the film industry!
With the change, the target markets for gaming have also changed... or rather, widened. No longer is the teenager the market that games are made for. Now trendy young adults in their 20s and 30s have a Playstation tucked away, whilst younger kids have a N64 for amusment.
So, what's made this change come about?
Personally, I think the biggest factor is Sony's enterance in the market. You see, before this console manufacturers were quite a small scale business. Sony took things a step further, advertising the consoles as being "cool", and pushing their brand name all the way. It paid off too... an estimated 100million Playstations have been sold worldwide, with the next generation of consoles predicted to top that figure.
Which is all good for gamers of course. We get bigger budget games, with better graphics, cinema quality sound, and white-knuckle storylines. In fact, companies such as Square now employ psycologists to make sure their storylines have the right emotional impacts on the gamer.
Let's hope the upwards trend of games continues!
Sonic
Page: