The dominant force driving the majority of game sales is still the home console system market. With lucrative sports franchises, such as EA Sport's Madden Football allowing players to control every aspect of their favorite league and/or team, statistics have reached an all-new level of importance for fans. Gone are the days of speculation concerning player’s abilities. Gamers can now put their favorite players stats to the test, pitting them in unlikely rivalries and witnessing the outcome in real time. The newest crop of high tech sports speculation games have more depth than ever before. ESPN’s NFL 2K5 has over 448 statistical characteristics to govern the actions of every player on the field. Although still relatively distant from providing an accurate representation of real life match-ups, the technology is getting closer to mimicking the actions, abilities, and reactions of professional athletes. As the stat based action games grow to encompass more sports, old sports fans are becoming new videogame fans as they turn towards games to live out their franchise management fantasies.
Although Mixed Environment gaming is still developing, it’s not the only game genre encouraging players to get off the sofa. Konami’s popular bemani line of arcade and home videogames are revolutionizing how players interact with games. Since the initial release and success of Parrapa the Rapper in 1998, Konami has continued to build on its game series that emphasizes listening, repetition and rhythm into game play. Hugely successful in Japan, the music-based games are becoming increasingly popular in international markets as well. The range of experience offered by the bemani line allows players to not only compete, but work together to make music. Originally in the form of Beat Mania, a game that requires players to match sounds and beats on a simulated turntable and keypad like a DJ, the franchise expanded to include other instruments. Guitar Freaks, a game in which players strum a simplified guitar to the rhythm and beats presented on screen can be connected to Drum Mania, a similar game based around four drum pads, two cymbals and a bass pedal, allowing players to jam together on multiple instruments at the same time. As the players performance is directly related to the sounds they create, the goal of the game is transformed from racking up points or destroying a virtual opponent to creating good, consistent music. Experts suggest that the rhythm and beat based learning encouraged by the games are beneficial to children. In fact, the most popular bemani game, Dance Dance Revolution is praised for helping kids lose weight. The game, which consists of a floor pad controller with four directional arrows, leads players to dance along with the music, stepping on the floor arrows that correspond with increasingly rapid onscreen commands. The game has been so successful, it is being integrated into some school’s physical education programs as a means of encouraging children to exercise. As games continue to develop it is apparent that gamers will be interested in a variety of different interactive formats, including those that rely on physical activity.
Although the gamers that have grown up with the medium are maturing along with the content, (the average age for gamers being 29), videogames are being explored at a much earlier age than in the past. A new study revealed that 30% of children six and under have played videogames, and that 25% of children between the ages of four and six play several times a week. The trend has not gone unnoticed by parents. Fortunately, instead of concern, the majority of parents see this behavior as beneficial, with 72% agreeing that computer and game interaction “mostly help� their children’s learning. With children beginning to interact with games at a younger age, a need for videogames targeted at toddlers and preschoolers is emerging. Although educational games have existed since the late 80s, the genre has never seen serious investment from game developers. The integration of technology into childrens’ lives is becoming more encompassing and beginning sooner, and the market will no doubt soon reflect this.
Jeff DeMaria 10:02, 29 Oct 2004 (EST)
