Is there a need to make games MORE accessible, in light of platforms like iPhone, iPad, Android, Wii/WiiU?
Is this “new” audience worth capturing for the traditional consoles - PlayStation, Nintendo, Xbox?
Are the current crop of mainstream gamers too niche?
Can we have both?
Yes, there’s Wii Tennis, but there is also Virtua Tennis and Top Spin. We had NFL Blitz coincide with Madden, NBA Jam was an option alongside NBA Live and NBA 2K.
But the real question is can tentpole games like Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty continue to rely on a niche market that is growing older…gamers who are now used to Angry Birds and Temple Run MIGHT see CoD or Halo as too complex and opt for something more simplified.
Options like manual controls and sliders (like what we see in FIFA/ProEvo) alongside multiple game modes is something we might see more of in the future.
Better tutorials and YouTube videos from experts and avenues like Twitch is something many gamers have access to now that gamers before didn’t have - but then again there is a plethora of platforms and titles that make it easier for you to engage in gaming without having to master a specific game while still being part of the dialog.
I am not sure if this is an inherent problem for the medium - you are expected to go from Dr. Seuss to Shakespeare - there is an interactive element in gaming that means you are more than a passenger, you are a participant…sure, there are some movies that are hard to follow but you can generally get the gist and can navigate to the ending; not so with videogames - if you are lost, you will fail in reaching the conclusion, rather you follow the story or not. Gaming is in some ways competitive but in some ways entertainment - Gym class football is different from NFL football, yet some of us just want to play and some of us want to go bowling without using the bumpers.
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