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 Active Gaming's Homecoming

By Jack Stapleton

The perception of videogaming is changing rapidly. It’s a hobby which has often been stereotyped as a solitary experience enjoyed only by teenage males, but in recent years gaming’s come out of the darkened bedroom and into the limelight of the masses.

December 8^th 2006, Nintendo unleashed their next generation console upon the world. Destined to be the biggest failure or the greatest success, a little over three years on we see the Wii for what it really is: the absolute revolution which has revitalised the industry and seen the medium finally gain acceptance with all demographics.

But what’s the secret to this success?

In looking at its impressive sales figures of over 65 million consoles sold, it would seem that the success of the Wii is down to its “something for everyone” approach. Traditionally in this industry, videogaming was a hobby fuelled by stereotypes, with developers pursuing only a limited number of genres. First person shooters, sports titles and real time strategy games were published in bulk, but now, everything’s changing.

While it holds true that these genres still remain popular on some consoles, and continue to sell well, there has been an influx of party and multiplayer focused titles in recent years. Playing together and expanding the market have always featured as part of Nintendo’s key objectives, and with the selection of titles which they have launched since 2006, titles such as Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Wii Music and a Wii version of the popular life simulator Animal Crossing, Nintendo has been able to broaden the demographic of the industry considerably.

Reggie Fils-Aime, President of Nintendo of America said that: “We are grateful that people of all ages continue to respond to our products, and we will continue to look for ways to please current gamers and create new ones."

However, it may not be just the games themselves which have managed to broaden the appeal, but rather, the way in which they are played.

When Nintendo first showed its innovative motion controller at a trade event in 2005, the gaming public immediately began dreaming up possibilities. No longer would games be played solely with a traditional joy pad. Now, Nintendo had revolutionised the industry with a controller which anyone could pick up and play, one which opened up new avenues in terms of input and immersion.

Gary Dunn, managing director of European development for Sega said: “I hope that motion control is the future for this industry and that it opens the doors to genres that weren’t possible previously”.

Nintendo’s aggressive marketing campaign was certainly tailored to attracting a mass market audience. Adverts appeared throughout the media, depicting people of all ages, races and genders actively playing together, and with the introduction of titles which appeal to a range of demographics, Nintendo have managed to broaden the market in a way which their rivals seemed to have never considered before.

The Times Online recently ran a story claiming that the Wii’s primary fan base was between the ages of 42 and 60, whereas previous Nintendo products had been geared towards an audience between 7 and 16. What’s more, it claims that in Nintendo’s native Japan, more women play Wii than their male counterparts, a complete reverse in terms of the stereotypes which had plagued the industry for so many years.

The main reason for this paradigm shift? The innovative controller which almost anyone can pick up and play. The lack of reliance on complicated button inputs has often been outlined by Nintendo spokespeople, but one things for sure, the added realism that motion sensing brings to the table has certainly changed everything.

Lorraine Aylmer, 70 from Norwich said that: “The Wii is one of the most refreshing games consoles I’ve seen my grandchildren play. It’s getting them up of the sofa and encouraging watching them play together. I even had a go myself, it’s a lot of fun”.

Given that Nintendo’s keep fit title Wii Fit has sold in the region of 22 million copies, spawned countless imitators and that the companies closet rivals are set to release their own motion sensitive control input’s later this year, it seems that active video gaming is certainly the future of the industry, a future in which the industries stereotypes have been banished and the medium has finally gained acceptance by the masses.

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