The Game Craze Phaze

So, your grandmother has a Wii, your aunt and uncle have challenged you to a rock off in “Guitar Hero,” and your friend Katie asked you to come over and play “Rock Band” with her and her roommates. No, this isn’t some alternate bizarro world; it’s the real thing; and it’s a little strange for someone, like me, who has been a gamer all his life. But is this new gaming craze merely a trend? Or will you start seeing Grandma at the EB pawning off her hair curlers and rotisserie ovens for the latest “Halo”?

In 2007, the computer and video game industry took in a record $9.5 billion in U.S. sales, while the music industry has been steadily declining and movie sales have remained level. The “casual” gamer has been identified and targeted. Games offering a new, simpler “pick up and play” approach have spared no one. Soccer moms, grandparents, and girls of all ages are now setting aside extra cash to support their gaming addiction, an addiction that I know all too well.

The first console I ever owned was the original NES from the 80’s. My parents bought me one on my fifth birthday in 1987. Years later, I found out, it wasn’t exactly “new.” They had opened it while I was sleeping, and played through “Mike Tyson’s Punch Out.” But I don’t blame them – its powers were strong. They were weak, and crumbled as anyone would. How could you resist that little, gray box, all sleek and stylish with the flip-up panel that begged for you, begged for the games that satisfied its hunger, begged for any and all attention?!!…(Ahem) Anyway, the NES days were great, and I was hooked. Like most kids my age, I had more games than I needed. A few years later, I upgraded to the Super NES, and everything felt new again. From then on, video games just became a part of who I was.

But growing up as a game junkie had its problems. It was never a socially acceptable hobby. I was introverted and shy, and never felt comfortable going to dances, house parties, or any big social gatherings. I was much more comfortable in front of my N64, playing “Mario Kart” with some friends. Of course, all my friends were guys. No girls played video games then. I would have given anything to find a “girl gamer” who was into me; someone to laugh and joke with; someone to hate Ashton Kutcher and his lousy movies; someone who understood my fascination with the Keebler Elves; someone who would get excited at sniping a lone guard 1,000 feet away in “GoldenEye.” Yes, it was always a fantasy to meet that perfect girl. But I didn’t. Gaming just wasn’t that popular.

Fortunately, things are changing. The rising popularity of video games over the last few years has exploded into the mainstream, leaving everyone to take notice. The Entertainment Software Association stated that in 2007 24% of all gamers were over the age of 50 AND 38% of all gamers are female.

Only time will tell if we are dealing with a trend. But I believe that, given the amount of “Rock Band” parties I’ve come across, the number of “Guitar Hero” contests at bars and restaurants, and the excitement I’ve seen in older people when playing Wii sports, this new age of gaming is just beginning. Start adding video game parties to the likes of catching a movie, going to dinner, seeing a concert, or even going out to bars, because it’s fun, inexpensive, and all of a sudden socially acceptable. And, hey, it might even be a great way to meet someone.

A lot of “quarter-lifers” grew up with video games. For many of us it’s been an outlet; a chance to escape from the ‘everyday.’ The casual audience is catching on to this. It’s spreading, and it’s spreading fast. I say, “Jump on the bandwagon and start playing.” So, to all the casual gamers out there, “Game on!” “Game on, Aunt Sherrie!” “Game on, high-priced lawyers!” “Game on, homecoming Queens!” “Game on, soccer Moms” “Game on, politicians!” “Game on, jocks!” And lastly, “Game on, Grandma! You never needed those rotisserie ovens anyway.”