Articles of Interest

  • Game Developer Magazine reports that, according to research group Strange Agency, “survival horror is the most appealing genre to hardcore female game players.” Explanation offered: these games typically provide a “compelling reason” to fight — i.e. plot elements that counterbalance the violence.
  • If you still don’t understand the scope of the virtual market in Second Life, check out this SL marketing guide. Wooo….
  • Gamasutra calls Planescape: Torment the 2nd-best RPG ever. Best ever, IMO.
  • Another article on product placements in games; this one explores their increasing pervasiveness and sophistication. One quote by Dave Perry caught my eye: “If you want this sword, [Acclaim’s 2Moons] would put up a message and ask if you would like Coca-Cola to buy this item for you.
  • A recent Neilsen study on gamer habits reveals some interesting things, including:
    • RPG buyers are the most likely to pre-order a desired title (which possibly suggests that RPGs would make especially good candidates for episodic content…)
    • Music is second most popular interest after games among active gamers (which explains, in part, MTVN’s aggressive posture in the space.)
    • “Active gamers” spend 14 hours per week playing console games, and 17 hours per week playing handheld games.
    • …and more (just go read it)

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