Congratulations, casual gamers—you've just won a major victory for mankind, common sense in general, and the entire interactive entertainment industry as a whole. So go claim your trophy: Its name, Nintendo's Wii.
At stark odds with the presently sorely-undersupplied and hefty-priced ($499/$599 20GB or 60GB) PlayStation 3, the much better-stocked and value-minded machine ($249 w/ Wii Sports game pack-in) isn't just a boon to shoppers. It's also a minor coup for all of us who adore software providers such as RealArcade, Oberon Games, Reflexive, PlayFirst, iWin.com, Big Fish Games, etc., sending a clear message to consumer/enthusiast media and retailers alike.
This missive's gist: We, the people, have for too long been ignored and underrepresented in the console marketplace, and it's about high time software developers actually sat up and took note.
Make no bones about it—this business has traditionally catered to 18-to-35-year-old males, as in the past they've almost exclusively been the ones to staff development houses and keep the dollars rolling in. But as illustrated by the success of the casual gaming sector (an expected $1.5 billion market by 2008 according to DFC Intelligence and the CGA), in today's expanding virtual world, game-makers can no longer afford to be so myopic.
As folks such as Mario/Zelda creator and Nintendo’s chief creative guru Shigeru Miyamoto have stated all along, they're focused on: Ensuring players of all ages can jump right in and have fun. Sound familiar? It should: This is the same principle powering titles like Zuma, Luxor 2, Diner Dash and Bejeweled, digital diversions aimed at the widest possible audience by way of familiar themes, simple control schemes and enjoyable, bite-sized entertainment experiences.
While the Wii may look daunting at first—a motion-sensitive TV-remote-type controller that translates physical gestures into on-screen responses is its chief selling point—there's really little complexity to it. Simply swing the device to bat balls over the net using a simulated tennis racquet, hack away at the air to make swordsmen launch blade-spinning attacks or conduct a computerized orchestra with the wave of a virtual wand.
The Wii's all about offering those aged five to 95 new ways to play. There's even a sound reason the company chose to go with the revolutionary control scheme—people look like they're having so much fun flopping around the living room that the system will instantly attract onlookers' curiosity and attention.
Meaning as follows: While exclusive, downloadable indie games; high-profile strategic romps or first-person shooters; and built-in hard drives that store albums and film shorts are a nice touch for hardcore enthusiasts, they're not necessarily the sort of thing that'll appeal beyond this core fan base. And if publishers truly wish to expand the market and tap into gaming's ever-growing audience as they've so-long insisted (adapting the biz to encompass Mom, Dad and lil' sis in addition to the teen males of the family), they're going to have to think smarter, designing more immediately enjoyable products that resonate with and appeal to everyday people.
Scott Steinberg is managing director of Embassy Multimedia Consultants, http://www.embassymulti.com/.
