There's been quite a bit of talk lately, especially at E3 2006, about the need for video games to increase their appeal and reach a broader audience. But that's pretty much all it is - talk. Here's why companies will continue to target "core gamers" instead of trying to convert the uninitiated.

i don't know about others, but i agree with you about the lack of inclusion in video gaming (counsol or pc). one thing is that crrently the emphasis is solely (virtually anyway) on reflexes of the player.
if there were a game that had a world like a RTS game, characters like an RPG, and action like a FPS, then we would have the beginnings of a game that could involve serious though, broader action, and a much wider range of effects and consequences that would invoke a deeper involvement in game play.

It's all about challenge. You can't make a game that doesn't challenge the player. If you do, then I can gaurantee you it won't be fun.

Currently there are only two ways to challenge a person. Mentally and physically, or I suppose a combination of both. So, okay, three ways. This is never gong to change. It has been this way before computer games and it will stay the same now.

Besides, there are plenty of games that don't challenge your reflexes like CT, or DOOM. Hell, I play a lot of Combat Mission: Barbarrossa to Berlin by e-mail with fiends and there is no physical challenge there. There are plenty of great adventure and puzzle games, and most Aventure/RPG games allow you pause the action, so if you are a "slow" person you can easily play these games.

There are only a few big FPS blockbuster games a year like what you are talking about. Heck, what about Galactic Civilization II? No twitching there but an awesome 3X (xplore, xpand, xterminate) space game.

Look, the game industry should be worried about one thing and that is making quality games. They shouldn't be concerned with making gamers.

Jeff

I'd have to disagree with Halo being overrated, people who wrinkled their nose at video games as nerdy and laughed at the name of Doom or Quake absolutly went bananas over Halo. When Halo 2 came out my University literally went dead for a week. Not to mention spawning one of the most recognizable characters in all videogamedom. But I respect your opinion, not everyone will like the same thing. As to video gaming not reaching out to the mainstream? One, I don't think it should try too, and two, I would state that it allready has. When I was a kid few kids were actually gamers. My little brother and all his classmates are gamers. I am with Shandorf on this one. Gamers will come if they wont to or not, not because of the beckoning of the gaming industry. We are allready seeing signs that gaming is going the way of popular media, and I would contend that trying to become more inclusive towards non-gamers is only exacerbating the problem. Most people are content with the dregery of popdom, I mean look at American Idol. I don't think it would be good for the rest of us gaming enthusiasts to try and court those people.

Well, the article actually leaves me scratching my head.

I wonder, how can it have failed to include, if, reportedly, 40% of Americans play video games?

I think that while the article does make a solid point, that the vast majority of resources go to "knock-off" style FPS and action titles, it misses the main point: for all those major titles, all those million spent on developing them and advertising them, a lot of them wind up as flops, or at the least, fail to be wild successes.

In the mean time, those "innovative" titles that get a lot less press, and may actually get a lot less money in development, tend to stand just as good a shot at making it big as all those "glamor" titles.

And perhaps, Nintendo might know how to do it; I don't think it's a mistake that when looking over the best -selling games of all time, you see Nintendo dominating among the console listings, with only a few select non-Nintendo franchises actually garnering spaces on there.

Don't forget Big Brother viewers

I think that you are right though. Why the hell should the gaming industry "dumb down" just because some people "don't get games"? It's the same principle as Ferrari putting a Kia engine in thier next car because not everyone can handle a Ferrari.

I don't want to sound snobbish (apologies if I do), and the more gamers the merrier. However, I can't see how people are going to take the gaming industry seriously as an art form if it's going to dumb down for the masses (I like to call them peons).

I thought you guys might be interested in checking out a Half Life 2 mod I'm working on.
Mojok Generation (live motion tracking game).
~Moe-Jock~

Moddb site: http://mods.moddb.com/5052/mojok-g [...] first-war/
Official site(wip): http://www.mojok.net

The game will be free to half life 2 owners but the hardware you will have
to pay for.

In 3rd person and all of your body movements are mimicked by your avatar. You can sword fight with duel swords, a sword and a shield, or you can duel target with guns. Your body will react to objects, walls, and its. If you have a sword in your hand and you swing your arm over your shoulder and open your hand it will be placed on your back so you can pick up a different weapon. In the same way you can take weapons off your back. If you run in place your avitar will charge, then jump and he will leap forward. You can then proceed to hack and mangle enemies. Athletic players could put down a mat and do some original moves like jumping and kicking both legs out, dealing the damage of both feet.
(How cool would it be for martial artists to be part of a teams at tournaments)

I hope this will also make way for very cool sports games and maybe Lionhead will make a new black and white using this tech. The Movies online or a DDR (where you actually have to dance using ghost effect or something) could use the tech.
The possibilities for new game play is vast.
-Jon