Gamers Playing Away
While the stereotype may suggest teenage boys are the core market for videogames, men and women of all ages are continuing to buy games in their swathes.
The latest report from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) shows that in 2008, some 68 per cent of American households played computer or video games.
More men than women play games, the figures show, with men making up some 60 per cent of the game-playing market.
The average age of a player is 35, ESA research shows. More than a quarter of players are aged over 50.
Games are regularly enjoyed by parents as well as their children – and parents play for a variety of reasons.
Some see it as fun for all the family, while others use it as a chance to monitor what kind of games their kids are playing.
Scott Alexander of Family Circle told the ESA that parents may also see playing video games as a chance to bond with the kids.
And 77 per cent of parents believe that the parental controls offered on new game consoles are useful.
More and more people are playing games online, the ESA found, although once again more players using this medium are male than female.
The ESA focuses solely on the business and public affairs needs of video game providers.
Read More»Pilates Game Developed With Men in Mind Too
A new pilates video game has been designed with men in mind, it has been claimed.
Sega’s Daisy Fuentes Pilates for the Nintendo Wii is hosted by the Cuban-born actress and model.
However, the fitness game is not exclusively for women, the former MTV personality asserts, according to a Canada.com report.
Ms Fuentes explained that pilates can cater equally for both men and women, going on to say that it may hold more benefits for the male physique.
“It was developed by a man and for a man’s body,” she said. In this way it focuses primarily on important fitness factors for men.
The fitness game phenomenon began with the Wii Fit for the Nintendo console. They have enjoyed particular success during the credit crunch, since many people are cutting out non-essentials such as gym memberships.
More recent additions to the choice of games to help people keep fit in the comfort of their own homes includes EA Sports Active and Activision’s Tony Hawk: Ride for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.
Following numerous sporting injuries, Australian cricketer Shane Watson has undertaken a new exercise regime, including pilates, swimming and running.
Watson, who has been selected to join the Australian team against England in the Ashes, claims that the different routines have made him a better cricketer.
Read More»Ghostbusters Game ‘Appeals to a New Generation’
A new Ghostbusters video game is set to bring the supernatural action heroes to a new generation, according to the movie’s creator.
Dan Ackroyd, writer of the original Ghostbusters movie, spoke of the appeal to people who missed the phenomenon when it first appeared on the big screen in a recent interview with the Guardian.
Ackroyd offered to write the script of the game, which occurs two years after the events of the Ghostbusters sequel.
He said the game represents the next chapter in the Ghostbusters series – something which, according to the newspaper, has inspired the cast to reconsider making a third Ghostbusters motion picture.
The game will be available from June 19th from Sony and, according to Ackroyd, could revive the cult Ghostbusters craze among younger people.
“It took me two seconds,” he said, “to realise that this would be great.”
The original movie was an early success for actors Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver and grossed $500 million on its original release.
There has been much speculation over what format the third Ghostbusters film could take. Ackroyd recently told the LA Times that the movie may feature a five-member “new-generation” team, including women members.
Potential actreses to fill the female roles have been suggested by the writer, including Eliza Dushku and Alyssa Milano.
Read More»‘Exergaming’ combines gaming and exercise
Fitness games are becoming one of the most popular ways to keep in shape, it has emerged.
The American Council on Exercise has stated that games such as Nintendo’s Wii Fit and more recently, EA Sports Active and Gold’s Gym Cardio Workout make up one of the most exciting trends of 2009, news-press.com reports.
Commenting on the new phenomenon, Mike Drumm, manager of Gold’s Gym in Cape Coral explained that a new wave of games will override Wii Fit, stating that the Gold’s Gym Cardio Workout is a “revolution” in comparison.
Looking to the future, Mr Drumm said that ‘exergaming’ will be fundamental to exercising. “People will get their exercise solely from video consoles,” he said.
Keeping fit using fitness games will also benefit people who feel uncomfortable in a gym environment and will help people to maintain a consistent exercise program, said personal trainer Jimmy Gonzalez.
EA Sports Active for the Nintendo Wii includes over 25 exercises and activities, designed to burn calories and tone muscle. It gives daily progress reports and has a virtual personal trainer.
Bob Greene, personal trainer for celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, has endorsed the game and has approved exercises in the regime.
Read More»New Graphics Cards ‘Brings Gaming to a New Level’
The new computer parts introduced to the market recently include a number of graphics cards to bring top-level gaming performance to enthusiasts’ home systems.
Gamers have been given the option of the Club 3D HD4770, which comes equipped with support for ATI’s multi-processor technology CrossFireX.
DirectX 10.1 compatibility ensures that the latest games released to the market should be playable using the graphics card.
And the manufacturer promises “seamless frame rates” thanks to onboard DDR5 graphical memory.
Meanwhile, Albatron Technology has unveiled the latest addition to its product portfolio, the Albatron Radeon HD 4770.
This matches the Club 3D card in terms of DirectX and CrossFireX support, as well as in the inclusion of graphical DDR5 memory.
Eco-conscious gamers may also welcome the fact that dynamic power management technology is incorporated into the card, helping to lower energy consumption when it is not facing heavy processing loads.
When loads do increase, however, the 40 nm ATI Radeon HD 4770 processor aims to deliver three-dimensional graphics with high levels of overall performance.
According to Albatron Technology, this allows the graphics card to deliver performance on a par with that of NVIDIA’s GeForce 9800 series, with further scalability offered through its support of multiple graphics processor units.
Read More»Game Boy Celebrates 20th Birthday
Nintendo’s bestselling handheld video game player, the Game Boy, celebrated its 20th birthday this week.
The first Game Boy debuted in 1989 and was marketed with the phrase “hours of games in your pocket with just four batteries”, according to an AFP wire report.
It was the first portable console of its kind which allowed the user to change between game cartridges.
Since its debut, the Game Boy series has evolved to include pocket, lite and colour editions, with a total of 118 million of these units sold worldwide, followed by an additional 82 million Game Boy Advance systems sold.
Nintendo launched its dual-screen (DS) version of the handheld device in 1994 and more than 100 million units have been sold since its debut.
While children of the ’80s and ’90s will remember playing classic games such as Tetris and Super Mario Land on their original Game Boy consoles, 21st-century kids and grownups can choose from a variety of different applications on their DS consoles – including dictionaries and restaurant guides.
“Nintendo has always preserved the same philosophy – entertaining the family,” said Hirokazu Hamamura, head of publishing firm Enterbrain.
“But in 20 years the company has also expanded its range of games with educational titles, which has turned adults into players.”
According to Digital Spy, Nintendo recently denied rumours that the DS will soon run Skype communication technology.
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