Happy Birthday To Me

This past weekend it was my birthday. The entire weekend was pretty uneventful. I got a bunch of gift cards and some jerky and meat sticks. Actually the meat sticks were some of the best that I have ever had.

I was wondering what to blow my birthday money on and then I realized that the new Guitar Hero World Tour for the XBox 360 should be coming out soon. In fact, it will be out October 27th. Unlike Rock Band, this new game is going to have GOOD peripherals. The drums and the microphone are supposed to be way better than what is currently available for the Rock Band game. I actually bought Rock Band and immediately took it back when, right out of the box, the drums and the mic didn't work.



For you Guitar Hero fans, this new edition is supposed to be something special. Make sure you check out this other video on YouTube (embedding code disabled by request?). Once I pick it up I will make sure I write a review about it.

 

The Growing Game Console Market

The game console market hit a high in 2007 with a record 12.8 billion dollars being spent. From the Xbox360 and PS3 to the Wii, people are spending a record amount on systems and games. Jupiter Research says that by 2008, the game console penetration for households in the U.S. will be more than 50%.

During the 80's, I remember pumping countless quarters into the newest games that found their way into the arcades of the day. This was when the the Atari 2600 and eventually the Commodore 64 were the kings of home gaming. Obviously, video games have come a LONG way since the days of Space Invaders and PacMan. The market back then was a pretty specific demographic. Today, if you take a look at the players of video games, it spans a much broader demo. Some gaming authorities claim this level of spending is contributed to the innovation brought to the table from software producers and hardware manufacturers. I think there are additional factors that have contributed as well. Consumers that have always played video still do. Whether it is on a PC or a gaming console, the market for potential customers continues to grow as the people are tending not to drop out of the market. I know quite a few 40 year-olds that are playing video games with their children as well as friends. High speed Internet access and online gaming has introduced a new element that will continue to grow as the industry provides new and more complicated games that are tailored to the older generation of gamers.

Advertisers have been on board with this trend for some time now. The next time you are playing your favorite game, take a moment to look at the surroundings. See how many ads you see in the game. Most games, that have a modern setting, have some form of ads in them. From Pepsi and Coke to Quaker State and Pennzoil. For those of you have have played around in Second Life, you know exactly what I am talking about.