The Japanese games industry is suffering from a bit of a slump at the moment, but one man has the answer. Eccentric creator of weird games, Suda 51, believe that there is a "middle audience" between the so-called casual and so-called hardcore demographic, and it'll be these people that shall prove crucial in reviving the market.
"Well, there are a lot of core gamers, and a lot of lighter users playing on platforms such as the DS -- but there's nothing in-between," he claims. "I think it's going to be very important for games to be created for that middle audience, and that will help bring the market back on-track.
"I was actually here early last year for the promotion of the first No More Heroes, and I realised that the UK, France and Germany are the mature markets, while Italy and Spain are still growing. There are still new gamers there and they want to know more -- so there are good opportunities.
"In Japan there are still core gamers, but since Nintendo released the Wii and DS a lot of people who never played games before are now playing. Those people that are playing the different types of games are growing, which is a good thing for the Japanese market."
I can't help but find it amusing that the man who created Killer 7 is talking about appealing to wider audiences. That said, I don't quite get what he's saying here. You either play games or you don't. I really don't think trying to pigeonhole a third set of gamers, when the casual/hardcore divide is blinkered enough, will help matters in the long run. Can you really get a new demographic between the "core" and the "casual."
What would that be? Someone who plays games a little bit but secretly hates them? Seems like more unnecessary audience splintering to me.
Contest:
9:40 AM on 06.23.2009
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Oh and yes, I'm still alive.
Killer 7 completely mindfucked me. I have yet to get past the carnival stage. The thought of Suda 51 + Carnival frightens me, to be honest.
NEVER!
Casual = Carnival Games, the family new market gamer
Core = Shadow of the Colossus/Metal Gear, so into games its probably unhealthy
So middle would be:
Middle = Call of Duty, Madden, isn't scurred of a controller, but could care fuckall about considering gaming as more than some fun shit. Probably doesn't know the name of any developer or exec in the industry
mmm? enh?
I love the Giant Bombcast.
I consider myself to be a core gamer while my brother is a casual gamer. My brother likes playing core games but he doesn't play or buy nearly as many titles as I do. My sister is part of the expanded audience. While she has never bought any video game, she does ocassionally play playing Wii Sports, Boom Blox, Super Mario Brothers, and Mario Kart. In fact, she's played more videos games this generation than any other.
"stfuajpg"
I think I would fall into that middle ground, at this point in my life. Not everyone can devote their whole life to gaming. I use to in my late teens/early 20's, but now that I'm almost 30, I just don't have the time to buy and play a new game, or two, every single month anymore. Does that automatically make me a casual gamer? No, it means I still love to play games, but I also have a busy life to maintain as well.
Well, the smart ones are typically the most eccentric.
When I was younger, I played a good deal of videogames, and spent quite a time with them. I delved REALLY deep into RPGs, RPG-actions and platformers though, rarely playing other genres. I barely knew about the existence of videogame-dedicated sites. Like it was said before, the only devs I've heard of were Miyamoto and Kojima. I picked games out of random, without information on it, except the genres (it was all I needed to know). I paid no homage to any console or industry or developer. I wasn't casual, but I wasn't as hardcore as I could have been either.
Now, I read Destructoid everyday, I visit Metacritic something close to once a month, I know much more devs and executives, I play any genre that comes to me except sports (I like a good plot, and sports don't offer that. I play a bit of racing though). I praise the PS3 and the DS, and a few third parties who support them. Today I am truly hardcore, like you guys who are reading this.
I believe Suda was talking about guys who are like I was in the past.
Coming to think of it, most of my friends are the "Middle Audience", but i'm trying to bring a couple of them to the Hardcore side >=).
PS: About the growing market, why don't you come to Brazil Suda51? Here is the fucking wasteland of videogame.