It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Yes, the holiday videogame slate is approaching quickly, so before you grab those blockbuster and eclectic games, get some expert opinions and industry updates from Blogcritics’ interview with Scott Steinberg, DigitalTrends.com publisher, Get Rich Playing Games author, and all around videogame expert .
Let’s start with a high profile game that will be on shelves soon - Beatles Rock Band, which has some impressive visuals to match the familiar music.
This game looks to introduce a whole new legion of fans to the hobby. It could bridge the gap between ages, genders, cultures, and backgrounds, and is essentially a title that transcends our traditional concept of what a videogame can be. We’re talking about two very popular media brands. The duo could make sweet music together and even become a “system seller” where people would buy a console just to play this game. So it’s easy to see why the potential for a big success is high. It’s about the very essence of what today’s games are – fun, social experiences that bring people together. Keep in mind that the game is also being supported by an immense media and advertising blitz. You’ll see it plastered across print, online, radio and TV, with the title guaranteed to receive a huge boost by piggybacking on the simultaneous launch of The Beatles’ newly remastered CD catalogue. The game will also ship with special edition bundles and instruments modeled after the Fab Four’s own, which are basically luxury pieces of memorabilia targeted at the band’s most ardent admirers. Few and far between are the videogame launches of this magnitude, let alone those so readily capable of reaching out to a mainstream audience.
How does overall holiday videogame calendar look this year?
Games have certainly come into their own as entertainment. The stereotype of introverted people huddled in their basement is fading away. Men and women, young and old coming out and saying we’re proud to call ourselves gamers. Gaming is becoming more culturally acceptable with the Nintendo Wii, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band where nearly every person has been exposed in some way. The sequels or familiar concept games have less risk. We can see some amazing things in social, mobile, independent, and online games. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 will be especially good in home theaters. Assassins Creed 2, Halo 3 ODST, DJ Hero, and New Super Mario Bros. will be big. Many games allow multiplayer options. Nobody will come up short on options.
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