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Les_the_Sarge_9_1 -> RE: Matrix Games Limits Retail and Expands Direct Sales (3/26/2004 5:27:33 PM)
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You guys just don't want to accept a very real detail.
Kids play console games, and old wargamers play PC games plus console games.
Kids didn't grow up with board games, and a lot of the better wargames are essentially speaking ramped up graphically enhanced board games.
Some wargames are not really wargames as a wargamer uses the term in the strictest sense. A shooter is just a shooter. It is a 21st Century arcade experience. I used to love arcades, was quite addicted to them in fact.
But then again, I liked arcades when I was guess what, a youngun. But arcades were around before all these fancy console machines.
Console games are really just the modern equal to arcades. You ain't playing by the quater anymore is all. Now you pay by the rental, or you take the plunge and buy the game itself. But in the end, it is still just a modernised arcade experience.
I got bored of arcades.
But I am also a long time board gamer.
Trouble is, kids remain kids, and 20 somethings remain young adults wanting what is relevant to their time.
And today's kids, with no background in board games, have no real connection to them.
Naturally though, todays kids will in time become tomorrow's old people.
I hope I live long enough to see consoles usurped by the next technological breakthrough, if only to have the pleasure at laughing at their dismay.
20 years from now might see almost anything occur. It is possible our grognard hobby will shhink and shrink and shrink till it just becomes something you read about.
Or in 20 years, people might eventually realise, the hobby will always be there, but just unable to ever be anything beyond a small niche.
Console gamers are just todays kids doing what is the thing to do for today's kids.
So, if Matrix Games wants to market old school wargames to an old school market, they really just need to keep track of where the old school wargamer wants to buy their old school wargames (or PC games in general).
To date, I consider EB just a software store. The first thing I usually see when I enter em around here, is the new release section in the front entrance area (and not a small one either). They are still giving PC games the sweet spot of best location when you first enter the store. That says to me, console games might require a lot of floor space, but they still ain't king of the hill defacto.
But with 3-4 console platforms out there, and each platform trying to sell THEIR games, it is inevitable PC titles take up less room. Because PC games will generally speaking play on any PC if it has the needed components inside it.
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