Post by Pigeonwolf on Aug 14, 2008 11:24:17 GMT
Casual Gaming – Rising like a Phoenix from the Flames.
Casual gaming had been dead for many years, fantastic gaming companies such as Sensible Software (responsible for the wonderful and still lovingly remembered Sensible Soccer) had gone out of business because they failed to adapt to the changing climate of games and the birth of the hardcore gamer.
It came almost overnight, with no warning. No-one saw it coming and then BOOM, before we knew it, old age pensioners in their nursing homes were playing wii sports, parents were buying their fat kids a wii to combat the growing trend of childhood obesity, women were buying wii fit in a desperate attempt to find an alternative to dieting.
Casual gaming has hit us like a tsunami and it is taking the nation by storm. Whilst Sony and Microsoft were busily working away on the next generation of gaming, ushering in the high definition era, Nintendo had plotted a way to get into the market, at low cost and with little risk. A return to the casual gaming era of the 70s and 80s.
So, where does it leave the once untouchable PlayStation brand? The brand that revolutionised gaming. The brand that put games consoles in night clubs. The brand that recaptured the hearts and minds of of a generation that had long since ditched their NES and Master Systems.
Sony (bless 'em) are trying to jump onto the band wagon, with developers like Pixenjunk creating titles for the PlayStation Store. It just seems too little, too late. The sales figures are showing that, despite Sony making huge ground on Microsoft in the next gen war, Nintendo are getting more consoles in more living rooms, a goal that Sony have longed for and must (if not publicly) feel very envious of.
But is it all doom and gloom? Not really! Sony do have light at the end of the tunnel. Whilst Microsoft are seen as the brand for the bedroom of a teenager, Sony are establishing themselves as the living room option. The all-encompassing entertainment centre that sits next to the HDTV. The essential piece of party equipment with titles such as Singstar and Buzz getting family parties rocking.
Many wii owners are now looking to PS3 as the next step in gaming, the natural follow on to the wii for those that have got the taste of gaming and want to experience a more intense experience. This is adding to Sony's success and accelerating the sales of PS3, giving Sony a boost in the race to catch-up on Microsoft's 16 month head start. Already Sony have overtaken their natural rival in Pal and Asian regions and are even outselling then week on week in the Microsoft stronghold in the states. Free online play is proving less of a risk to the casual gamer than having to pay for a service they might not use. The PSN titles that hardcore gamers overlook are enticing casual gamers as they offer much greater game play and variety than the recycled poor quality arcade titles of X-Box Live.
Sony have a long way to go in this new, ever changing market, but they are making ground, offering a solution for both the casual gamer and the hardcore. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it requires Sony to keep a cool head. What they must learn from the ups and downs of Nintendo, is that they have to provide a platform for their loyal followers, or once this fad is over, their fate is sealed.
Pigeonwolf.
Casual gaming had been dead for many years, fantastic gaming companies such as Sensible Software (responsible for the wonderful and still lovingly remembered Sensible Soccer) had gone out of business because they failed to adapt to the changing climate of games and the birth of the hardcore gamer.
It came almost overnight, with no warning. No-one saw it coming and then BOOM, before we knew it, old age pensioners in their nursing homes were playing wii sports, parents were buying their fat kids a wii to combat the growing trend of childhood obesity, women were buying wii fit in a desperate attempt to find an alternative to dieting.
Casual gaming has hit us like a tsunami and it is taking the nation by storm. Whilst Sony and Microsoft were busily working away on the next generation of gaming, ushering in the high definition era, Nintendo had plotted a way to get into the market, at low cost and with little risk. A return to the casual gaming era of the 70s and 80s.
So, where does it leave the once untouchable PlayStation brand? The brand that revolutionised gaming. The brand that put games consoles in night clubs. The brand that recaptured the hearts and minds of of a generation that had long since ditched their NES and Master Systems.
Sony (bless 'em) are trying to jump onto the band wagon, with developers like Pixenjunk creating titles for the PlayStation Store. It just seems too little, too late. The sales figures are showing that, despite Sony making huge ground on Microsoft in the next gen war, Nintendo are getting more consoles in more living rooms, a goal that Sony have longed for and must (if not publicly) feel very envious of.
But is it all doom and gloom? Not really! Sony do have light at the end of the tunnel. Whilst Microsoft are seen as the brand for the bedroom of a teenager, Sony are establishing themselves as the living room option. The all-encompassing entertainment centre that sits next to the HDTV. The essential piece of party equipment with titles such as Singstar and Buzz getting family parties rocking.
Many wii owners are now looking to PS3 as the next step in gaming, the natural follow on to the wii for those that have got the taste of gaming and want to experience a more intense experience. This is adding to Sony's success and accelerating the sales of PS3, giving Sony a boost in the race to catch-up on Microsoft's 16 month head start. Already Sony have overtaken their natural rival in Pal and Asian regions and are even outselling then week on week in the Microsoft stronghold in the states. Free online play is proving less of a risk to the casual gamer than having to pay for a service they might not use. The PSN titles that hardcore gamers overlook are enticing casual gamers as they offer much greater game play and variety than the recycled poor quality arcade titles of X-Box Live.
Sony have a long way to go in this new, ever changing market, but they are making ground, offering a solution for both the casual gamer and the hardcore. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it requires Sony to keep a cool head. What they must learn from the ups and downs of Nintendo, is that they have to provide a platform for their loyal followers, or once this fad is over, their fate is sealed.
Pigeonwolf.
