I stumbled across something extremely intriguing while trying to figure out why my newly modded Wii refused to play a Japanese copy of Endless Ocean, a game that I've been looking forward to for ages, mostly because the title mixes my two favorite hobbies of all time, scuba diving, and games. The game itself is the successor in terms of content to developer Arika's previous games Everblue 1 & 2 (Of which only 2 was released in the US by Capcom). Gameplay consists of mostly exploration, collecting, and more discovery and collection based objectives. The focus of the game is supposed to be an alternative open ended world that the player is just supposed to slowly explore and relax in.
But enough plugging for the game, I've linked a video below that I highly suggest you taking a look at, it'll be released in the US at the end of January and I think it would be a good investment to at least rent it to take a look at. OK, now to the main point. What I noticed on the EU Nintendo site when I was looking for some more English info on the game was how each game on there had a list of benefits on the side like relaxation (Endless Ocean), socialise (Mario Party), exercise (Wii Sports), focus (Brain Age), creativity (Electroplankton), etc.. You can see this in the picture at the top of the post. Now, I checked the US and JP Nintendo sites because I had never seen this before, and lo and behold, nothing.
I wondered why this was, especially since gaming isn't as stigmatized in Europe as it is in the United States, wouldn't it be beneficial to educate the main buyers of the majority of these products, ie parents, the media, and generally citizens who may not be as familiar with or already have a negative opinion of games and gaming culture. Besides helping these consumers make a better informed decision, I think this kind of active marketing could also help uplift the general environment surrounding games in the US as well as educating the average person about the positive side of gaming instead of the endless violence and sexuality that's shown in mass media.
Comments (1)
First off, Endless Ocean looks beautiful and is a game that I could imagine spending hours on after a stressful day with the SMI's at the clinic. That's the kind of game that, given the impression we all have that the bulk of the Wii's user base in America consists of casuals, would potentially sell well over here if given the right marketing. (That stipulation alone does kind of ruin its chances, doesn't it?) My only issue with the game would be the sound effects of the pointer. Those sounds are common on the Wii but inappropriate for a game like that.
Second, I would greatly enjoy if games included benefits on them. Thing is, the benefits would be self-determined unless a board was formed. Unless pieced together by the right people, the last thing the gaming industry needs is another review board. Then again, put me on that board and it's a go:
Mario Party series - cooperation, good sportsmansh
WiiSports - exercise, cooperation
WiiFit - exercise and only exercise
Harvey Birdman - attention improvement, reading skills, humor exercise
ip, socialization
Gundam vs. series - cooperation, visuocognitive enhancement, reaction speed improvement, recognition of awesomeness
Seriously, let's do this!
Posted by Gospel X | December 24, 2007 2:44 PM
Posted on December 24, 2007 14:44