The Centre for Digital Library Research

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The Centre for Digital Library Research
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Video Game Entertainment the State of the Market

• John Kirriemuir,
• Centre for Digital Library Research
• October 25th 2000

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Overview of the presentation

• Lets check your Gamer Rating
• A brief history of gaming (1970 1995)
• Here we are contemporary consoles
• Oranges are not the only fruit
• Video entertainment issue

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Before we start

• Score 2 points for owning one of these at the
  moment
• Playstation
• Nintendo 64
• Game Boy
• Dreamcast
• A PC used mainly for playing games
• Score 4 points each for still actively using
• Neo Geo handheld
• Saturn
• Mega Drive

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• Score points for each of these you have
  programmed
• Spectrum or PC 3
• BBC Micro 5
• Playstation 11
• Dreamcast 15
• Nintendo 64 35
• Game Boy 55
• Score points for doing each of these
• Having your console chipped 5
• Taking an N64 cartridge apart 15
• Taking your console apart 25
• Telling Bill that the Xbox isnt compatible with
  the PC 100

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• Score 2 points if you have heard of each of
  these
• Mario
• Lara Croft
• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Zelda
• Pikachu
• Donkey Kong
• Score 5 points for each of these
• Spyro the Dragon
• Ecco (Dolphin)
• Joanna Dark
• Kilik

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Your Rating Explained

• 210 Is your surname Miyamoto?
• 150-210 Either long term games developer
• or keen hobbyist
• 110-150 Games developer for less than 10 years
  or journalist on EDGE
• 81-109 Hardcore gamer or software pirate
• 51-80 Keen gamer
• 31-50 Casual gamer largest category
• 10-30 Most of this today is new to you
• 0-10 Copy editor on tabloid newspaper

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In the beginning (or thereabouts) there was
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PONG (1970ish). Compare with
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Virtua Tennis (2000)
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Atari 800 (1979)
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Sinclair ZX81 (1981)
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Commodore 64 (1982ish)
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Gaming consoles

• Dark ages
• Slow data access e.g. 5 minute tape recorder
  loading
• Tiny memory (ZX Spectrum 16K or 48K)
• Computer programming aspects as naff as the
  keyboards, though excellent to learn on
• One person games developers
• More recent times
• Consoles stripped down very simple to use
• Not designed by the ergonomically challenged
• Games stored on very high memory CD ROM,
  cartridge
• Development of a game takes much money huge teams

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How popular do people think these game console
things are?

• Theres no mileage in computer games its just
  a few maladjusted kids who have no social skills
  and never come out of their bedrooms
• Aged Professor, East Midlands University
• Academic / media snobbery based on ignorance, but
  quickly dying out
• One of the fastest growing age group for games
  players are the silver surfers
• Large number of academic departments emerging
  that are primarily or solely dealing with aspects
  of computer gaming
• The amount of money in the computer games
  industry is generating interest in several (cash
  strapped) universities.

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Computer game sales

• Top selling game of all time Super Mario Bros.
  (6,810,000 on the NES)
• Dreamcast sales approaching 5 million
• Playstation2 sales to date 3 million
• Game Boy sales well over 100 million
• Estimated Playstation2 sales by March 10 million
• Playstation 1 sales around 73 million
• Top selling computer game now regularly outsells
  top selling music single despite costing 10
  times as much
• The average Playstation1 owner possesses 18
  games the average Playstation2 owner possesses 2
  games

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Sony Playstation (1995)
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Sony Playstation

• 32 BIT technology
• The most popular non-portable console ever
• (partially helped by piracy)
• Many games (though most are of a low quality).
  Several AAA games
• Over one in four households in the UK contains a
  Playstation
• SONY excellent marketers of their console
• Games easy to develop combined with guaranteed
  large sales for decent games, makes it attractive
  to developers
• Widely credited for making games playing a
  mainstream part of contemporary culture

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Nintendo 64 (1995)
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Nintendo 64

• Sales slow for the first few years
• mainly due to the lack of games. Struggled
  against the Playstation
• Proprietary data storage format cartridges. No
  load in times but more expensive to develop for,
  and produce
• Strong branding and quirky games e.g. Banjo
  Kazooie
• Edge awarded best three games of all time to N64
  games GoldenEye, Super Mario, Zelda Ocarina of
  Time
• Much copied games controller
• Recent resurgence, due to Pokemon and Perfect
  Dark
• Best bargain buy package of N64 top 3 games

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Sega Dreamcast (1999)
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Sega Dreamcast

• 128 BIT machine
• Around 150 games, of which 10-12 are AAA with
  another 10-12 AAA due in next few months
• Has some of the best games on any console (Soul
  Calibur, M-SR, Space Channel 5, Jet Set/Grind
  Radio)
• Online access through modem, though bedevilled
  with problems. Worse if you live in Australia
• Possibly one of the worst marketing campaign ever
  for a games console. Tomb Raider vs Rayman2, Code
  Veronica, and where is Metropolis Street Racer?
  (though deadlines on all consoles slip for
  example, Perfect Dark on the N64)
• Support from games producers drying up. Not
  expected to do well against PS2, XBox, GameCube

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Sony PS One (2000)
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Sony PS One

• The original Playstation repackaged
• Very small not much bigger than a CD
• Not new technology, but has a large software base
• LCD screen (next year in the UK) means dont have
  to possess a television in order to use it
• The mobile phone connection is intriguing
• but no modem connection
• Still requires mains power (pity), so is not
  truly portable like the Gameboy

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Sony Playstation 2 (2000)
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Sony Playstation 2 (PS2)

• The biggie for Sony aiming to deliver the
  killer blow to all other consoles
• Incorporates a DVD player (though quality is
  debatable) and other multimedia options
• Some oddities e.g. only two controller ports
• Difficult to develop games for
• Expensive (299) Sega fighting back
• Controversial distribution system cant walk
  into a shop and buy one off the shelf
• Releasing an optional hard drive
• Many games makers signed up can play 800 PS1
  titles massive loyal PS1 following success

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Ridge Racer V (2000) Playstation 2
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Microsoft X-Box (Xbox)

• Specification significantly higher than the PS2
  and GameCube
• Many key game makers signed up
• Has the financial backing of Microsoft
  (500,000,000 allocated to PR campaign)
• but Microsoft are newbies to the games console
  market
• Doesnt actually exist yet the screenshots and
  movies are simulations
• Important has a hard drive opens up lots of
  intriguing possibilities
• Doesnt have identifiable characters e.g.
  playstationcroft, segasonic, nintendomario,
  xbox?

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Microsoft X-Box (2001) demonstration
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Nintendo GameCube (2001 / 2002)
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Nintendo GameCube

• Will launch in (probably) a few years
• Looks funky
• As usual for Nintendo, proprietary features with
  miniature disc based games storage
• Probably compatible with the Game Boy Advance
• Specification not as high as other consoles of
  the time, but easier to develop for
• Nintendo has two cash cows the Game Boy, and
  Pokemon
• Very loyal following of gamers through franchises
• Heavy branding of characters e.g. Mario, Zelda

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Games Consoles are better than PCs as

• Only a fraction of the price Dreamcast 150,
  N64 and PS One less than 100 PC 500 to 2,000
• Much easier to operate Dreamcast has two buttons
  and a port for CD-ROMS
• No specification problems e.g. the right
  soundcard, memory, graphics card etc.
• More stable with a console, you put the game in
  and play. With a PC, you log on, boot up Windows,
  wait a while, load your game, hope it doesnt
  crash

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PCs are better than Games Consoles as

• With a PC, you can play games, word process, run
  applications, run databases, do lots of jazzy
  Internet things, DTP etc with a games console
  you can, erm, play games.
• Laptops are portable I can do most of the above
  when on the move.
• Software is made for PCs in general, not one
  specific proprietary type of PC. There will be a
  range of software available for my PC for years
  to come.

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Other emerging gaming devices

• Mobile Phone (WAP)
• Palm Pilots (computer in your hand)
• Digital Television
• Internet Kiosks
• In-car net access
• Bluetooth enabled devices e.g. your fridge can
  talk to your washing machine
• Intelligent clothing

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Handheld gaming devices

• Cartridge based
• Game Boy very successful Pokemon strengthened
  hold on the market
• Neo Geo retreated to Japan
• Game Boy Advance
• 32 BIT
• 2.9 inch screen (Game Boy has 2.3 inch)
• 20 hour battery life
• Game Boy compatible
• 511 simultaneous colours (GB has 56)
• Other rivals rumoured to be on the way difficult
  to see a strong competitor against

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WAP and Mobile Phone Gaming

• A great idea surf the net, send emails, do all
  manner of things on a truly mobile, low cost
  device.
• 25 of phones sold in the next year will be WAP
  compliant
• Mobile phone screens are small, low quality
• Data transfer inadequate for heavy online gaming
• The Great Lie - WAP is NOT instant Web Access.
  Web sites have to be recoded. Some high street
  electrical retailer adverts verging on falling
  foul of the trades description act.
• Several games being developed, but screens so far
  are less than inspiring. Though 200,000,000
  mobile game users by 2005, according to
  Datamonitor.
• Integration with Palm PCs (better screens and
  functionality) may be the way. Convergence of the
  pocket portable

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Digital Television

• Great in concept Web and email through your TV.
• No need to buy an extra TV also, big screen
  vision
• Same problem as games consoles no hard drive to
  save information on (capture, or
  persistence) peripherals are scarce
• Awkward keyboards for some models
• Costs mount up
• Family arguments dad wants to watch the match
  mom wants to watch Corrie daughter wants to
  watch EastEnders son wants to explore the WWF
  web site

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Bluetooth

• A standard that allows devices to talk to each
  other over short distances, using radio waves
  instead of wires
• Theoretically you can control the microwave,
  fridge and washing machine without getting up
  from your seat
• The fridge can inform the shop that it is out of
  milk, and order some automatically without your
  involvement
• The washing machine turns on only when there is
  no-one in the room or house
• Novelty application driven at the moment
  (hopefully another speaker will correct this)

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Video Entertainment Issues

• Convergence with the movie industry
• Promoted in increasingly similar ways
• Use computer generated animation and graphics
• The game of the filmthe film of the game
• Top games now costing huge amounts of money
• Mainstream culture
• Big promo people queue for a big film release,
  and a big game release
• Iconic could Mario have Dirty Harry in a fight?

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2. Innovation verses the Safe Genre

• Two most frequent types of game
• Football match / manager
• Formula one racing simulation
• Others nearly as endemic
• Doom / Quake (run around, shoot things)
• Snowboarding
• Resident-zombie-shoot-evil-dead-things-blood-gore
  etc.
• Fistie-cuffs (especially on Dreamcast)
• Track and field destroy 2 buttons by alternate
  hitting

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3. Waiting for a better machine

• Do you go out and buy the best machine that you
  can thats on the shelf at the moment
• or
• Wait for a better machine, promised in the next
  year or two
• Plus if there are two or three similar games
  consoles, which should I buy?
• The advice is

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3. dont wait for that better machine

• Key advice TRY BEFORE YOU BUY
• the better games shops let you try games
• cover discs on magazines
• game release dates are like mirages
• There will always be a better machine coming out
  next year
• Take into account
• how much will you use your machine
• how much can you afford
• Dip in games or long term players
• Many people own two or three consoles

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4. Piracy

• Bad
• Games profits dont go to developers
• Epidemic on the Playstation now appearing on the
  Dreamcast
• Good
• Makes the gaming experience affordable
• Oddly, success of Playstation often attributed to
  piracy
• Only way to avoid make proprietary storage
  devices a la Nintendo 64 cartridges.

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5. Misinformation

• The mass media are appalling at accurately
  reporting gaming details
• Much of the mass media have swallowed the Sony
  line Sega not doing well Nintendo and Microsoft
  should observe media manipulation
• No prime time games programme (but we have Top of
  the Pops)
• Games sections on daytime TV have to be seen to
  be believed
• Best gaming programme (BITS) banished to
  late-night viewing, despite excellent viewing
  figures.
• Console specific magazines are hopelessly biased,
  anti-other consoles. Similar to rabid football
  fanzines in tone.

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6. Convergence

• Two types of convergence
• Every piece of hardware converges into one box
  that does it all Playstation2 heading in this
  direction
• Same game playable on all hardware saved
  position access issue
• Issues with convergence
• The family arguments about who gets to use the TV
  personal converged hardware screens
• Everything being orientated around the Internet
• Palm/hand held PCs leading the way quickest
  integrate mini-PC, Game Boy, GPS, organiser,
  true-net web browser, 4 to 5 inch screen

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7. Which console will win?

• Define win-ning
• market domination?
• assured profits?
• not having to shove thousands of unsold games
  into a large hole in the Arizona Desert?
• Console market has never supported more than two
  machines at any one time
• but market has not been this big before
• GameCube and X-Box have a lot of catching up to
  the Playstation2 and Dreamcast.
• Have a feeling a lot of people will own 4
  consoles by 2003

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Recommended Reading

• Edge magazine (industry bible)
• other independent magazines
• Famitsu (if you can read Japanese)
• Digitiser (channel 4 Teletext page 480) -
  irreverent
• consoledomain.co.uk and many other web sites
• BBC news web site
• Emerging academic centres of games research, e.g.
  www.iccave.com, Sheffield, Teeside, Bournemouth
• Talks such as these are becoming more frequent
• Look at the hard facts revenue, number of users,
  size of the industry