Video Games No More

This is an interesting article about a subject I hadn't really given much thought to but it makes a lot of sense. With all of this social networking, the word "video" game has changed drastically from the Nintendo games back in the day that had to be blown into in order to clean out the dust.






It is no longer about putting a cartridge into a game system, there are so many options now. Free internet games, multiplayer world games, Smartphone applications and gaming add-ons have completely changed gaming dynamics. The idea of being able to interact with others while playing is huge and is a must in order for gaming companies to compete in today's market. They have turned from products to services because users have a say in how they are developed and they are delivered in a completely different fashion from before (though social networking). The typical gaming companies are worried because consumers are finding far more options than in the past.


For example, a hard copy game is bought once and will last just a few hours before being stopped. There is only so much that can be done with it. But new games, such as Farmville, are constantly being updated to stay relevant and keep users interacting with it over a long period of time. You have all seen how addicted people have gotten to Farmville and changes are being made to it all the time to make it better (and more addicting).



The game systems sales are really showing that consumers prefer social networking games rather than a whole Playstation 3, the numbers are down. The idea of "video games" is not going away anytime soon but manufacturers have to step away from the console and move towards social networking games to keep users satisfied and buying their products.