Issue 14, vol. 2 - October 2006

Last week one of our team members had a great conversation about video games. It was during an annual physical with a 30-something doctor and the discussion was the arduously long game of Oblivion. We're not kidding

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, if you think video games are only for nerd boys and little kids, you are wrong. But there’s a lot of confusing data out there trying to pin down exactly who gamers are. It seems every week there’s a new report that says that the average age of video gamers are 42, or was that 38, er...maybe 29 or 15?

The bottom line is that video gaming is becoming a strong youth pillar that has mass appeal across ages and genders. We can see this manifesting strongly in popular culture last week South Park premiered their season with an episode all about World of Warcraft!

From our recent PING survey, we found that the majority of young Canadians are engaged in video games at all age groups. Tweens are the heaviest segment of gamers, mostly because their connection to play (and lack of responsibilities like homework, work or chores). But even teens and adults are participating in game play in different ways females playing Tetris on their cell phones as time killers, and males playing Halo on their consoles or computers in competitive play.

What’s important to keep in mind is the fragmentation within the video game category. There are very different preferences between females and males, kids and teens, and hardcore and casual gamers. Understanding the nuances of how a person experiences gaming and the type of satisfaction they are looking for is critical to the success of any title or product. Appealing to the nerd was a lot easier back then.

But appealing to the different segments is a challenge the industry is very much committed to. In a month’s time, the market will see two new game products that appeal to two very different types of game consumers. Sony PS3 will try their luck with their install base of hardcore and traditional gamers while Nintendo Wii will try to reach out to those that don’t necessarily wear the badge of “gamer.” Even Microsoft’s XBOX 360, long repudiated for its connection with hardcore gamers, is trying to reach the masses with its game Viva Pinata (you might have seen your kids watching the animated version on 4Kids TV or YTV lately).

It’s an exciting time to be a gamer, and a non-gamer, and a kind-of gamer. Whether it’s a conversation with your doctor about Oblivion or playing Animal Crossing with your 7-year-old niece, gaming is settling into Canadian homes...and not the basement!

We'd be remiss to talk about video games in Canada and not to touch on the impact of Paris-based developer, Ubisoft, and their Montreal team of 1,300. Ubisoft is known for their blockbuster titles like Splinter Cell, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, the Prince of Persia series, and Rayman series. But Ubisoft continues to expand their portfolio with movie blockbusters and sports titles, many of which have a Canadian connection. Of note is the upcoming snowboard game expected in late 2007 or early 2008 in partnership with Olympic Gold medalist and six time X Games Gold medalist (and Rolling Stone cover star), Shaun White. The Shaun White game is being developed completely here in Montreal, and as a result, rumour has it that Canadian snowboard events will most likely be integrated as levels in the game. That's the equivalent of being able to pick the Toronto Gardiner Expressway level in the next Project Gotham or Need for Speed (it could happen!). We recommend that forward-thinking marketers consider partnerships with major video game publishers like Ubisoft. From in-game advertising to co-branded promotions to digital GWP's, youth brands can reach gamers with these types of partnerships. Want to find out how? jeff@youthography.com