Keeping it casual

WHILE THE COMMON VIEW of the gaming industry is that of pasty-faced youths huddled in a darkened room with the only light coming from the glow of the TV, the industry is trying desperately to disprove that stereotype. Companies such as Microsoft, which has invested billions of dollars into its XBox and the XBox 360, and Sony are desperate to move out of the niche market for hard-core gamers and into the realm of family entertainment.Leading the charge is the Nintendo Wii. Recently launched in SA, the Wii has made its mark not by offering things that are bigger and better but by offering simpler and easier.

The secret of Wii’s success has been the ability of the company to eliminate the traditional games controller.

That trend towards more intuitive controllers hasn’t gone unnoticed by Microsoft and Sony. The usual controllers – such as steering wheels and joysticks – are already being complemented with guitars for games such as Guitar Hero, floor mats for dancing games and for the upcoming Rock Band game support for lead and bass guitars, drums and vocals, allowing four people to play together as a virtual band.

While for many that may be a scene too terrible to contemplate, the drive from the software makers seems to be for an ever-increasing level of interactivity. Cindy White, Xbox group marketing manager at Microsoft SA, says the social aspect of gaming is gaining traction. However, the version of the console that White punts as ideal for the budget-conscious family – the XBox 360 Core – is largely viewed as a substandard offering, as it lacks the hard drive included in the higher priced versions of the console.

The 360 also has a mountain of perception to climb before it will manage to crack the family market. And that comes in two particular areas: first, the perceived lack of family-friendly games for the console and, second, the stereotype of the 360 gamer.

White says the generic 360 player would be a 26-year-old single male and, considering that market offers limited opportunities for other family members to get a turn on the system, the chances of cross-pollination between hardcore gamers and casual gamers are limited.

The other problem that the 360 has is the perception of its games. Most of the big launches for the 360 have been in the first-person shooter or driving genres, which are typically not family orientated. The biggest launch of the year was Halo 3, which broke all records for the console in its opening 24 hours.

The market for casual games, both on the Internet and on consoles, is growing rapidly. But for the console players to master that market there needs to be a shift away from the view that games are only for kids and young men in darkened rooms, towards the view that this is something the whole family can play and enjoy.

Comments

Finweek