"Nintendo has the right idea"

In a recent article in the New York Times, writer Carl Howes discusses some of the problems regarding the image of the gaming industry, and how Nintendo can maybe rectify certain problems.

"Think about it. If someone asks you what you did this weekend, and you respond, "Ah, I was kind of tired and just hung out at home and watched a bunch of movies," that's normal. If you say, "Ah, I was kind of tired and just hung out at home and watched a bunch of sports on TV," that's normal. But if you say, "Ah, I was kind of tired and just hung out at home and played a bunch of video games," that is simply not a normal adult response in most social circles."

"Nintendo has the right idea in re-inventing the game controller to focus less on "twitch" button reflexes and more on the types of motions used in real-world activities. And innovative new games like Dance Dance Revolution have proved that other genres can succeed. The question is whether the gaming industry can evolve its marketing to address more than the niche it grew up with. So far, the answer to that question has been no. Let's hope that 2007 is the year when the answer becomes yes."

Of course, this is just one person's opinion. Whether or not gaming is still seen as a 'taboo' in society is really open to interpretation. Feel free to discuss this within our forums and have your say.