If I could have told you 3 years ago that in 2009 I would be able to have a conversation with a 70 year old lady about what games we play,you probably would have laughed at me.Yet there I was,less than a week ago having that very conversation.And it's not the first time that has happened,not even close.
See,I am a custom home audio/video installer and because of this I spend lots of time in people's homes hooking up A/V equipment and showing people how to operate their new home theater systems.The vast majority of our customers are older people and 9 times out of 10 they want me to integrate their Wii into their system.My profession gives me a personal look into the lives of Nintendo's new customers and let me tell you,these people love their Nintendo products.
I remember a time not too long ago when I was reluctant to express my love for video games to older customers because doing so usually meant an immediate change in their view of me.They were never rude about it,but I could always tell the change from me being viewed as a professional to me being viewed as a grown man playing kids video games.Now those same people can't wait to talk games with me,it's like they've just discovered this amazing new world and can't wait to talk about it with someone.And they have.I sometimes forget how I felt when I was a kid and I got my first game system,the Atari 5200.I thought Frogger was the most amazing thing ever,I would hop that little frog across the road for hours on end until my mom made me turn it off and go to bed.
That is what I see in the eyes of these "new gamers" when I talk with them about video games,a love for their new hobby.They might not be playing what we consider to be the best games on the system,but they love their casual games just like we love our core games.I was at a ladie's home the other day,she was probably in her mid 60's and she could not stop talking about Monopoly for the Wii.Her daughter,who was about my age,was also completely in love with the game.They sat there in the room with me while I hooked up their new"52 Sony flatscreen telling me stories about the amazing times they had playing Monopoly.Heck,she wouldn't let me leave until I tryed it for myself.
Nintendo and their new customers have received quite a bit of hate from core gamers lately.But why?Nintendo is still making games from their core franchises,so we can't really say they've abandoned us.What about the new gamers,does their discovery of our coveted hobby make us feel threatened in some way?Is it right for us to look down our noses at soccer moms and grandmas just because they enjoy playing different games than we do?No,of course it isn't,but thats what we do.I wrote a blog a long time ago about the difference between hardcore gamers and casual gamers.I declared that casual gamers weren't concerned with how healthy the industry was and didn't play games that spanned all genres therefore negating any cred they may have had as "real" gamers.
Looking back I now realize how rediculous my opinions were.To love gaming in any of it's many forms is enough to be considered a "real" gamer.Just because I spend most of my free time playing games and surfing the web to make sure I'm up to speed on whats happening in the industry,doesn't mean I should expect the same from everyone else.I love gaming and welcome anyone who is willing to give my hobby a try.Remember,the more people there are playing games the better the industry is and that means more games for all.
I've also seen first hand how the Wii is becoming a doorway into all forms of gaming for some people.When my mom first played the Wii at my house some time ago,she went and bought one for herself.After playing it for a while though,she began to want to try other types of games and since I mostly play my Xbox360 and PS3,she bacame interested in those as well.Not too long ago she went out and purchased an Xbox360 arcade bundle.I've since set her up with an Xbox Live gold account and showed her how she can not only download games,demos,etc,but she can also download her favorite tv shows,movies and music videos.She now owns and plays games like Halo 3,Mass Effect and Dead Rising.She's even talking about buying a PS3.Now how's that for gamer evolution.
And there you have it.With the example of people like my mom,we see that Nintendo is not only making money for themselves,but by bringing so many new people into video gaming they are helping Microsoft,Sony and game developers/publishers make more money as well.Say what you may,but what Nintendo has done with the Wii and DS is good for the industry as a whole.As new gamers fall ever more in love with games and become more confident in the abilities to play games,their hunger for new and fresh experiences will ultimately lead them to try games on other platforms.
Nintendo has apparently,for the second time,brought video games to the masses.
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