That’s the Name of the Game: The industry wants you bad . . .

When was the last time you took control?

How do you define video games?  When you think of “gamer” do you think of a face lit up by a bright screen?  Is it late at night with a complicated controller in hand?  As video games grow, so should the definition of the “gamer.”

The general public’s definition of gamer is vastly different than that of the video game publisher’s or the video game developers.  You might not notice it, but the public is constantly being marketed to by the video game industry.   Web portals like Yahoo have full blown games-reporting on an industry specific page.  AOL owns Weblogs incorporated which runs the Joystiq blog.  Games are a big deal and the mainstream’s interest is starting to pique.  Let me explain.

Recently, Nintendo has reignited the general public’s fascination of video games with its Wii console.  10.7 million Wiis were sold last year alone, and it continues to sell like hot cakes.  As Nintendo rakes in the dough, the rest of the video game industry is playing catch up.  The Xbox 360 launched a brand new interface called the New Xbox Experience before the sales rush of the winter holidays, making the “Dashboard” more user friendly, even including an avatar system, not unlike Nintendo’s Mii avatars.  In this way, publishers and developers are creating new video games specifically taylored to the people who haven’t played games for 10 years, or those who have never played video games for that matter.

Where does that leave the general public?  It opens the door for all the countless ways the publishers and developers will try to sell games.  It also allows the video game industry to redefine “gamer,” and you can bet they’re going to cast a wide net.  Here’s an exercise: next time you get on the bus, or take a flight, see how many people are playing Nintendo DS, or Playstation Portable.  How many of those players are children?  How many of those players are adults?  How many are senior citizens?  The demographics of the average gamer is changing.  Just remember what defines a game.

Do you play games on your phone?  The video game industry wants you.  Do you play flash games online?  The video game industry wants you.  Do you play solitaire at work?  Do you commute on the train to work?  Are you traveling in the next month?  The video game industry wants you.  Every console and handheld manufacturer is counting on their machines ability to attract new users.  Nintendo has shown that the new demographics are where the game industry will find its economic growth, despite the current situation.

As the Wii proves that anyone can be a gamer, the industry is going to advertise to everyone.  You don’t have to wave a Wii-remote to get into games.  Try anything!  When you think about it, there are plenty of video games at your finger tips, so don’t think you have to look very hard, and don’t be afraid to talk to people about the games you’ve been playing!

Welcome, new gamers!  The video game industry wants you to play their games.  But how are they going to do it?  What will get you into the gaming scene?  That’s the name of the game.

You can check out more of Daniel’s writing on Video Games at playreadwrite.blogspot.com.