Are We Missing the Market?

Are We Missing the Market?

As the suppliers to the consumer market continue to sign and license recognised themes and people, is the coin op market market losing touch with the players, whilst the home market continues to grow?

In the consumer orientated world we all live in, people are attracted to recognisable images and faces - something that the home consumer has taken in their stride. A quick scan of games released on the home market sees many well known faces. In news this week, England soccer captain David Beckham will star in his own range of computer games after signing a deal with a software company. The games will be made for a number of platforms including the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Game Boy by Liverpool-based software company Rage.

The game will be an arcade-style game based on one of Rage's existing football products, and the player will be able to control a number of players including Beckham. Versions for the Playstation 2 and Microsoft X-Box will be available from spring 2002. The games form a part of Rage's push to drive up profits by signing high-profile names. They already produce the Jonah Lomu Rugby game and recently announced a deal with world champion inline skaters Cesar Mora and Fabiola da Silva.

Current games for the home market range from FIFA 2001, Barbie Magic, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a host of Disney games, Blair Witch, Pokemon, and a host of sports from EPSN, NBA, NFL, PGA.....and many other themes. In contrast to arcade and the way it is marketed, the "scope" signings are fading as the competition for licensing well know themes may becoming out of reach of manufacturers.

When we look at the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), the marketing, where the game was released on Dreamcast a few months before arcade, did not give the game justice. We need to give the players a reason to go to arcade, instead of paying $5 and hiring the game at their local video store.

Our thoughts are that as the home market continues to saturate, there is still a window of opportunity - software manufacturers who sign big names can release into arcade first, then with some added stages, release to the home market. Promoted properly through consumer magazines and online websites, it should have some merit.

SJ.