Wednesday, December 03, 2003
Strange chatterings on Radio 4 this morning - old people are asking for computer games this Christmas, isn't that awful.
Assumption - games are solitary, repetitive, unthinking activities. The reality is much different, as I'm sure many of you know. Some are about speed of thumbs only, but many are problem-oriented, challenging worlds where motivation, awareness and intelligence (or cunning) are every bit as critical as reflexes. With networked games, it's not a solitary activity either - it's a pity they had no sensible person to give the other side of the coin.
However, it does identify a market that the games people have not yet tapped into. How about a quest in which Alan Titchmarsh has to run from a mad Charlie Dimmock, leaping over only herbacious shrubs, cutting his way through only non-native flora, whilst always trying to return to one spot near the reservoir where he can try to cut off the water supply and so destroy the source of the Dimmock's power.....
Assumption - games are solitary, repetitive, unthinking activities. The reality is much different, as I'm sure many of you know. Some are about speed of thumbs only, but many are problem-oriented, challenging worlds where motivation, awareness and intelligence (or cunning) are every bit as critical as reflexes. With networked games, it's not a solitary activity either - it's a pity they had no sensible person to give the other side of the coin.
However, it does identify a market that the games people have not yet tapped into. How about a quest in which Alan Titchmarsh has to run from a mad Charlie Dimmock, leaping over only herbacious shrubs, cutting his way through only non-native flora, whilst always trying to return to one spot near the reservoir where he can try to cut off the water supply and so destroy the source of the Dimmock's power.....
(c) 2003-2005 Russell Beale
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