Note to video gamers: get moving
Games that rely on joysticks and buttons are facing competition from aerobic, activity-based titles such as 'Guitar Hero' and 'Wii Sports.'
from the May 11, 2007 edition
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"They want to feel like they're actually doing something, not just laying around on the couch," he says.
The store regularly sells out games such as "Guitar Hero II" or titles for the Nintendo Wii. "These are the games everyone wants when they come in," says Mr. Hesley, who is an avid gamer himself.
A desire to engage in such activity is typical of the YouTube/Facebook generation, says Gloria Barczak, marketing professor at Northeastern University's College of Business Administration in Boston.
"If you look at these people who are making their own videos, these are folks who want to be involved in creating an experience for themselves," says Professor Barczak, whose MBA class is currently profiling the video-game industry. "They are not passive consumers anymore."
It's not just the traditional teenage boys riding the wave of hot, E-rated games. Virtual bowling leagues are popping up in senior centers across the country and 30-somethings are throwing neighborhood tennis parties in their living rooms.
While the popular movement game "Dance Dance Revolution" is almost a decade old, the fact that school systems in 10 states nationwide have recently adopted DDR for PE class is evidence that adults both understand and appreciate the value and ease of the technology.
"The technology on intuitive user interfaces has developed so much that anyone, any age, can now simply pick these things up and get involved without much trouble," says Jason Della Rocca, executive director of the International Game Developers Association.
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