Topic: Younger gamers and the gaming industry

[alvinaloy]

I'm a 26 year old gamer from South East Asia. We don't have the benefits of having a direct system catered for us. Mostly we'd have to parallel import directly from the US. Hence it'll cost us much more. But I digress...

What I think is that when I was young and playing the Atari or NES, it was the coolest thing around. Hell, it was the only few gaming console available. So when I grew up, I'm rather used to Nintendo's style of games.

However, our younger were not exposed to the NES. Only to PS2 and Xbox, with their massive advertising. Nintendo, on the other hand, is largely quiet and I won't be surprised if I asked any passerby on the road about Gamecube and they would give me a blank stare. But of course, that's because Nintendo is a gaming company, they don't have other businesses like Sony or Microsoft and hence, doesn't have the luxury of setting up an office over here (in Singapore).

But, I would believe that our currently young gamers would also eventually grow old, and new systems would come along, then one of them would again post something like this, "The younger gamers now don't know a good game if it came along and bit them in the leg." And they would also reminiscent about their days with PS2 and Xbox.

What I'm saying is that different generations enjoy different things. They look at things different. You can go back to the Ice Age and the cavemen's closest and best gaming experience would be using a club to bash on the head of a nearby dino. They'll think that us modern men don't know sh*t about enjoying ourselves.

[Termin8Anakin]

hehe.
cavemen.
Ooga Booga!

They wouldn't think that we're missing out on anything when they see our games...they would be sh*ttin' themselves scared.

[evilnate]

I can see where the original poster is coming from.  Video games are an interesting phenomenom, since unlike other "toys", it grows up with people and we've got people who have played every console from the Atari 2600 on, and continue to play them to this day.  When I was playing "Combat", I could never, in my wildest dreams, imagine a game like "Metroid Prime" or "Resident Evil".  And since I started gaming in 1980, I've seen the advancement in graphics and gameplay that games today offer over, say, "Pitfall".

Since the age of gamers has increased, it follows that the content of games would mature as well.  However, I think that video game companies are headed for the same type of trouble that movie studios found themselves in a few years ago, but I don't think that it's all their fault.  The movie studios were making R-rated films, and intentionally marketing them to kids and young teenagers, a group which shouldn't have been allowed into the films at all.  There were many memos released that prove this.  It's similar in the case of video games, but I don't think that companies have to intentionally market "mature" games to kids.  The fact that it's a video game makes it appealing.

Anyway, what I'm getting to is this:  Younger gamers crave "mature" games for the same reasons that we older gamers craved movies like "Nightmare on Elm Street" or "Porky's" when we were kids.  They're "forbidden", they're taboo, and they contained things that our parents didn't want us to see.  That's what makes GTA or even BMX XXX appealing to these younger gamers.

One of the many reasons that I bought a cube was that I was starting a family, and I've built a collection of games that I would have no problem letting my children see or play (except RE and Eternal Darkness).  It's up to the parents to control and monitor what the kids see and play, just like it was back when we were kids.

[thecubedcanuck]

evilnate

I agree 100% with you and would also add the numbing of society as whole as another contributing factor.
All the violence and graphic coverage of it on the news, in the movies, on TV and so on have led society as a whole to become much more accepting of it.
TV is a great example of how the public has been forced to become accustomed with graphic violence. When I was 20, only 12 years ago mind you, you never saw overly violent stuff on TV, or saw a set of boobs, or heard a swear word, unless you watched TV at 3 am.
Now you see all of this in prime time, it has so quietly become part of our new culture that many people havent even noticed.
On the simpson's, while watching TV, Marge said " FOX has become a hard core porn station so subtlely that I didnt even notice it", this is what is really happening to a lesser extent.

Kids are exposed to things at a much younger age than ever before, violence doesnt shock them anymore, it has to some extent become expected.

Most game makers are simply following the trends of society. To say that kids crave them because they are taboo is a little niave IMO, I think they simply think that it is normal for things like games and movies to be violent.

[thecubedcanuck]

evilnate

I agree 100% with you and would also add the numbing of society as whole as another contributing factor.
All the violence and graphic coverage of it on the news, in the movies, on TV and so on have led society as a whole to become much more accepting of it.
TV is a great example of how the public has been forced to become accustomed with graphic violence. When I was 20, only 12 years ago mind you, you never saw overly violent stuff on TV, or saw a set of boobs, or heard a swear word, unless you watched TV at 3 am.
Now you see all of this in prime time, it has so quietly become part of our new culture that many people havent even noticed.
On the simpson's, while watching TV, Marge said " FOX has become a hard core porn station so subtlely that I didnt even notice it", this is what is really happening to a lesser extent.

Kids are exposed to things at a much younger age than ever before, violence doesnt shock them anymore, it has to some extent become expected.

Most game makers are simply following the trends of society. To say that kids crave them because they are taboo is a little niave IMO, I think they simply think that it is normal for things like games and movies to be violent.

[Don'tHate742]

Quote
Originally posted by: thecubedcanuck
As far as I am concerned Sony has been the biggest benifit to the industry, they have opened the door to the general public, they are the reason you see so many third party developers, they are the reason their are so many games.

Whoa...that's a big statement. Not only did they "open the doors" they also  brought into the light so many third party developers? Bull sh**! The Snes brought a whole bunch of third party companies, I have like 40 games that are not from nintendo. Not only were there many games,  but there were many GOOD games. Hell, I still play them to this very day. Today that has declined greatly due to companies who want to profit off the PS2 quickly. This all started when casual gamers thought that a certain type of game is cool, even if it was under par....they kept on buying and buying, so many third party companies started to feed the demand and now we have our current situation.  

[thecubedcanuck]

Donthate742

I will give you that. Yes there were many 3rd parties in the SNES days. I actually didnt consider them that far back due to the lack of competition for Nintendo back then, but indeed they were there.

This i disagree with:

Quote
This all started when casual gamers thought that a certain type of game is cool, even if it was under par....they kept on buying and buying, so many third party companies started to feed the demand and now we have our current situation.

Who's to say it was under par? That is very subjective.
As for the current situation, what is wrong with it? The industry is booming, selection is at its all time best, tech is getting better all the time. I dont see a problem at all.

[Round Eye]

I agree with the Cubed about the industry being in fine shape.  It is doing awesome right now.  And with 3 consoles in the market competeing their asses off for our dollar, it is an ideal situation for us the gamer.  It will be a sad day when Microsoft finally takes over the games industry, but by then I will be too old to care.  And I will still have my game sphere to play with.

[Ian Sane]

"It is doing awesome right now. And with 3 consoles in the market competeing their asses off for our dollar, it is an ideal situation for us the gamer."

It would probably be better if it was a closer race.  With their huge lead Sony doesn't really have to try as hard and it's noticable.  Though they have made some exclusive deals (like the GTA thing) they've had a very arrogant attitude this generation.  They really come across as seeing themselves as invincible.  Things will be better for us if next generation all three consoles launch at the same time so that everyone is on a more level playing field and one console won't have a major advantage.  Then you'll start seeing something more similar to the SNES/Genesis days.  Ever since Sony became number one they've never had a competitor really give them a run for their money.  Something like that would really help the industry and would encourage Sony to design a better console and better first party games.

[Don'tHate742]

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Who's to say it was under par? That is very subjective.
As for the current situation, what is wrong with it? The industry is booming, selection is at its all time best, tech is getting better all the time. I dont see a problem at all.

Look having more competition sounds lovely for any consumer for any product, becuase it usually results in better quality with a cheap price tag. In TODAY'S situation for video games, having 3 consoles is a pain in the ass for those that have to choose, becuase each have there very own distinct types of games. That and the fact that third party companies are not puting what they can into a game so they can merely reap profits, makes me wish that things returned to the SNES and GENESIS days, where competition was a good thing. Today, not only do people fall into the hype and buy half ass products, but they do it, then advertise to there friends about it. Enter the Matrix is a perfect example, sure the game was alright but it could have been so much better, if they would of actually worked hard on it, like any "real" third party company does (Capcom for example). But still it sells 2.5 mill around the world. A good thing about competition is what you said, and is also forcing people to be more innovative. Nintendo is the Leader in innovation, but people look it over all the time to go buy the fad games. Poeple want more realism, better graphics, and  more mature themes. Its hard to make a really innovative game with those as its bases, and sadly you find this all over the place.....

I hope Nintendo doesn't start going into mature themes just for the reason that other companies are doing it......

I hope they blow everyones mind with a completely original game that is not mature and is not realistic, basically to smack those that only think good games can come from those two themes. But I geuss they already did (WW anyone? )

[The Omen]

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i have been around for a while. i got started playing games on the atari 2600 with "river raid". i enjoy it to this day. but my point is. the cube isnt really that popular amongst adults either. the only demographic it really appeals to is the family groupings. or the ones who dont want to spend extra money on another console

Wrong.  Nintendo is actually fine in the over 20 and under 12 crowd.  They miss out on the teens, where the 'cool' factor comes in.

I think the industry is fine for now.  But i believe the point is, older gamers do have a more discriminating eye for games.  Obviously not all of them, but most.  And its understandable, because all the advertising is aimed at the teen age group, and it works.  

CubedCanuck, you must agree with this- when we were 10 yrs old playing our games, the games were the cool thing, not the system, where as now i think its the opposite.  Plus there is the fact that games are such a part of the mainstream, and all the hype that comes with it.
 

[joeamis]

Quote
Originally posted by: Round Eye
I agree with the Cubed about the industry being in fine shape.  It is doing awesome right now.  And with 3 consoles in the market competeing their asses off for our dollar, it is an ideal situation for us the gamer.  It will be a sad day when Microsoft finally takes over the games industry, but by then I will be too old to care.  And I will still have my game sphere to play with.

It's good and it's bad... but it's more good than bad... simply put more competition forces developers to make better games... the bad is that now to own the "must have games" you need to own every system.
I own PS2 and GC, and so I can get almost all of the must haves...cuz the M$ only has a very small amount of must have titles.

I know what I just stated was basically already said, but I thought I'd quickly reiterate that fact and I wanted to post this:
After the battle between the Genesis and the SNES, both destroying the Jaguar and 3d0...
and then the battle between the N64 and PS1 almost destroying the Saturn, EVERYONE in the industry said that 3 consoles couldn't go head to head, the industry could only handle a 2 console battle.... well it looks like the current situation has disproved this emphatically!

(please don't say hey the PS2 is destroying the GC and XBOX, there is no competition now, because there really is competition now... back when the SNES and Genesis were around they sold millions and the Jaguar and 3d0 sold very little at all.  And right now we all know the figures, each console has sold roughly over 10 million or will very soon)

[thecubedcanuck]

Quote
CubedCanuck, you must agree with this- when we were 10 yrs old playing our games, the games were the cool thing, not the system, where as now i think its the opposite. Plus there is the fact that games are such a part of the mainstream, and all the hype that comes with it.

When I started playing it wasnt cool at all. It was NEW. Arcades were cool places to hang out, because you had to be "OF AGE" to be in one. When the Atari 2600 came out it changed everything. I personally didnt really get into it untill I got a coleco vision a few later, I remember playing Donkey Kong for days at a time. The funny thing was, a friend of mine had an Intellivision, and we bickered over which one was better all the time.
So honestly I dont think much has changed, people will always try to justify their decisions, and as long as there are people who dosagree with them, we will have debate.