Is 2008 the year of gaming? CNET seems to think so, based on their recent article on this subject. It's notable that an authority such as CNET recognizes the growing importance of the gaming phenomenon, but I'd challenge the assumption that gaming is exploding simply because of the myriad of new products and increased sales. These observations overlook the real driving force, that today's games are created for a more mainstream audience rather than for a niche group of players. In addition, we're also starting to see the rise of games that have serious applications and even larger appeal (learning, health, social/environmental awareness, etc.) while entire platforms, such as the Nintendo Wii, are now expanding into making even fitness more engaging with the Wii Fit product. All these changes are addressed more aptly in the fresh perspective from The Escapist:
In the years between then and now, there's been a
fundamental shift in our expectations. Once upon a time, games were
competitors. Now, primarily, they're entertainers. They aimed to beat
you. Now, to be beaten.
If you can wade through the first paragraph of tech-talk, the "Hard Times" article goes on to explain a bit of the history and some of the economic incentives behind the direction. The bottom line is that for a wide variety of reasons, games are indeed being built to be more accessible, explorable, and experiential. The author explains this point further, finishing with a memorable sentence:
But what we're beginning to see in the underground is not a matter of genre, but approach. There will be arcade games in the mainstream, certainly, but the enormous budgets they'll spend will lead to an approach that will leave
the almost-masochistic hardcore unsatisfied. They'll swap aesthetics
for aggression, like heroin for methadone.
Interestingly enough, what is a serious problem for the hard-core/typical gamer is actually one of the major push forces behind successful interactive and social media spaces: low technical thresholds for joining in, producing and sharing content. In the mix of websites and web services provided today, games are the highest end for interactive activities, and yet even they are, for the lack of a better word, democratized. A broader look at the business landscape shows 2008 as the year for interactive, with gaming as one of the aspects slowly being encompassed into a larger social, economic, and cultural movement.