Are Family-friendly Games Causing A Hardcore Pc Gaming Revival?

The introduction of family-friendly video games and console add-ons such as the XBOX

Kinect has ushered in a new era of gaming, in particular, one that is aimed squarely at the target demographic of mothers and their children (5 - 15.) While the concept of light-hearted party games is certainly far from groundbreaking, it is difficult to ignore the fact that game developers have recently set this genre in their sites as their primary target market.

The numbers to support such focus realignment are certainly there - after all, when children want video games, the mother is often the primary purchase source - although there is a certain level of distain emanating from the industry's more established fan base - the 'hardcore' gamers. Many claim that this shift in game development is isolating the oldest and most rabid collection of gamer fans out there and that developers need to find a happy medium in order to avoid losing the trust of this faction all together.

At the core of this debate lies the issue of overall game difficulty which, many believe has been drastically reduced in order to offer easily challenges to a younger audience. The subject of graphics and storylines taking precedence over actual game play mechanics also continues to rear its head and is the cause of many heated debates, especially on online message boards and forums dedicated to discussing industry trends.

Several established online gaming entities have alluded to the fact that the 'dumbing down' of console titles might, in fact, lead a revival of a long-forgotten gaming medium: the Personal Computer. Recognised as the last refuge for die-hard gamers, PC gaming had previously fallen out of favour as game players opted for the more streamlined controls and increased graphical capabilities of the larger gaming consoles. It appears, however, that as console developers continue to shun such a large segment of the industries players, fans are making a return to the PC and are revisiting old, retro classics including Prince of Persia and the best flight simulator releases of the last decade which are notorious for their attention to detail and frustratingly challenging level of difficulty.

There is no suggestion that the console video game industry is looking to isolate the hardcore gamer intentionally, however, there's no denying that their latest marketing decisions have done just that. Developers are consistently realigning their target audiences so there is every chance that this particular trend may prove to be a short lived one. If, however, the boom of family-friendly, easier difficulty games that focus on cinematics over challenge continues we may just witness a revival of PC gaming that experts had predicted was almost impossible.

We live in an interesting and exciting gaming generation and by the looks of it, there is a lot more about to unfold.

by: Darcy Stach

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