Games, Technology Growing Up With Original Players

The simple schematic of games such as Nintendo's original "Super Mario Bros." has become a distant memory, eclipsed by elaborate characters and storylines.

"Ten years ago, it could be argued that video gaming was still the arena of hobbyists and children," said Steve Perkins, senior product manager with Electronic Arts. "Video games systems were viewed much as toys. ... Today the hardware is much more sophisticated and video games are no longer viewed as toys but as entertainment systems."

EA Sports' most popular games are prime examples of this advancement. Though "Madden NFL" was EA's leading game 10 years ago, Perkins said it was far from realistic.

"Today it's like watching a sports game on TV, like the actual event's happening," he said. "You've taken a lot more of the sport and brought it into the video game, which you haven't been able to do before."

Multiple camera angles, players whose faces are modeled after those of the actual athletes and even customization of play take sports games leaps and bounds from their two-dimensional, childish predecessors.

An older, more expectant gaming audience is now the hot target for the video game industry, which is moving in the direction of more elaborate, often more mature, games.

"The audiences have matured, and their tastes have matured," said Beth Llewelyn, director of public relations for Nintendo of America. "They want something that is more engaging, with a harder edge."

It seems the gaming industry has jumped to cater to this desire among gamers. Playstation's popular "Final Fantasy" franchise, made by SquareSoft, is directed at teens. "BMX XXX," an upcoming and controversial release from Acclaim, has been classified as mature, for users 17 and older.

Hugo Reyes, public relations manager for Namco, said the more mature leanings are natural, considering the aging gaming audience.

"Nowadays, more successful games are those that are being rated mature," he said. "Basically, from what I understand, the average age of the gamer is between 18 and 24, or it could be even older than that. The people who grew up playing the original arcade games are in their 20s and 30s now."

This aging curve is seen at Namco, where the most popular games are those made for teens, Reyes said. These include "Tekken 4," a fighting module for Playstation 2 and "Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies," an aerial combat game with 18 missions.

Targeted by the gaming industry, UNC sophomore Eden Kung favors role-playing, fighting and action games. Among his frequently played games are any of the "Final Fantasy" group and "Super Smash Bros." for Nintendo's GameCube.

"The games I play are generally more teen and mature ones, just because the more childish games are a lot easier and are the same games I played 10 years ago," Kung said.

David Maple, a UNC senior, said he does not think the premise of games has changed as much as the technology has improved. He said he plays games from the Tony Hawk franchise and "Resident Evil" for their quality and replay value.

Llewelyn touted technology as a major reason for gaming growth.

"Back in the '80s, a kid in his garage could program a game for these systems," she said. "Now with the new technology, it has just expanded. There could now be a team of 200 or more programmers working on a game for a year or more. Things have gotten bigger, better and more complicated."

And audiences have become accustomed to these newer games. Now, people expect much more from video games than they did in the days of Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis.

"Games that are succeeding are the older (age) games," Perkins said. "Some of the simpler ones aren't succeeding because people want the better games. ... When you play a game like 'Grand Theft Auto,' how do you go back to a cute little guy jumping around? It's hard to do."

And with consoles now hooking up to the Internet so Playstation 2 fans can play "Madden NFL" around the globe and Xbox owners can game with other players who have broadband connections, it doesn't look like the change and advancement in the video game industry is flagging.

"In five years from now, who knows, this industry changes so quickly," Llewelyn said. "It all comes down to just figuring out what excites and entices a game player -- it's about providing a new or exciting experience."

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.