The Socialization of Gaming
 The stereotype of the video gamer as a hapless loner cloistered in his parents' basement is increasingly as antiquated as the floppy disk. Today's gamers are social animals - whether they're trash-talking friends over XBox Live, wasting time at work playing Mafia Wars on Facebook, or even passing the Wiimote around their retirement homes, no one games alone anymore.
Of course, this development is hardly accidental - every major gaming platform introduced since 2003, handhelds and consoles alike, includes a significant online component to permit gamers around the world to meet and play. Every day new games are released which take advantage of these fresh horizons in innovative new ways - LittleBigPlanet's level creation tools, for instance, or Rock Band Network's content distribution system. And as gaming hardware becomes as inseparable from the modern lifestyle as the cell phone or the microwave, social sites such as Facebook and YouTube have raced to support interaction and playback on devices such as the DSi and the Playstation 3. [Read more...]
Tiger Woods Goes Mobile
 Mobile content is such an expanding marketplace and gaming is where it’s at. EA set out to launch Tiger Woods PGA Tour for iPhone and iTouch and Fanscape was right there to lend its digital word of mouth support. This exciting interactive application lets users not only golf as or against the legendary pro, but also allows users to virtually step onto some of the best courses in the world.
 GameStop's Indie Game Challenge
Calling all gamers! Ever played a videogame and thought, hey, I could’ve made this game? That’s the concept behind the new Indie Game Challenge, the preeminent competition for developers. Fanscape is helping GameStop promote this exciting new contest that offers cash and scholastic prizes as well as the chance to have your game published.
Facts For Your Next Meeting
A recent Entertainment Software Association survey found that the average game player is 35 years old. As gamers get older their tendencies lean towards more casual involvement. In 2009:
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68% of American households play computer or videogames |
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43% of Americans have purchased or plan to purchase one or more games |
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26% of gamers are over the age of 50 |
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40% of gamers are female |
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