Gaming the Next Comic Books?

Video Gaming is not mainstream. The last person to use a perfect example for this was Reggie Fils-Aime at Nintendo’s E3 2006 conference. What did he say? “How many people do you know who’ve never watched a movie? Never read a  book? Now, how many people do you know who’ve never played a video game?” (or something like that anyway). I’ve stumbled upon a new example that I think will really make you think.

Think about it. If someone asks you what you did this weekend, and you respond, ‘Ah, I was kind of tired and just hung out at home and watched a bunch of movies,’ thatÂ’s normal. If you say, ‘Ah, I was kind of tired and just hung out at home and watched a bunch of sports on TV,’ thatÂ’s normal. But if you say, ‘Ah, I was kind of tired and just hung out at home and played a bunch of video games,’ that is simply not a normal adult response in most social circles.

And you know what? That’s true. Even when you’re a teenager there are people who think playing games all day is anti-social while watching TV all day is fine. However, this article hits home with an analogy of how video games might be in the future.

Innovators like Nintendo get it. Most of the industry does not. The danger, of course, is that if the game industry continues on its current path, games could end up like comic books in this country: perpetually marginalized and derided as a frivolous diversion for children. (In Japan, by contrast, it is totally normal to see middle-aged businessmen reading graphic novels in public.)

I don’t want to see gaming turn out like that and you likely don’t either. I’d say the article is right in saying that it’s companies that need to see to it that the image of video games is a positive one. Hopefully the Wii helps that. What do you think? Have you met similar situations in your daily interactions with other people?

Video Gaming is not mainstream. The last person to use a perfect example for this was Reggie Fils-Aime at Nintendo’s E3 2006 conference. What did he say? “How many people do you know who’ve never watched a movie? Never read a  book? Now, how many people do you know who’ve never played a video game?” (or something like that anyway). I’ve stumbled upon a new example that I think will really make you think.

Think about it. If someone asks you what you did this weekend, and you respond, ‘Ah, I was kind of tired and just hung out at home and watched a bunch of movies,’ thatÂ’s normal. If you say, ‘Ah, I was kind of tired and just hung out at home and watched a bunch of sports on TV,’ thatÂ’s normal. But if you say, ‘Ah, I was kind of tired and just hung out at home and played a bunch of video games,’ that is simply not a normal adult response in most social circles.

And you know what? That’s true. Even when you’re a teenager there are people who think playing games all day is anti-social while watching TV all day is fine. However, this article hits home with an analogy of how video games might be in the future.

Innovators like Nintendo get it. Most of the industry does not. The danger, of course, is that if the game industry continues on its current path, games could end up like comic books in this country: perpetually marginalized and derided as a frivolous diversion for children. (In Japan, by contrast, it is totally normal to see middle-aged businessmen reading graphic novels in public.)

I don’t want to see gaming turn out like that and you likely don’t either. I’d say the article is right in saying that it’s companies that need to see to it that the image of video games is a positive one. Hopefully the Wii helps that. What do you think? Have you met similar situations in your daily interactions with other people?