The biggest, shiniest toys heading up Christmas lists around the world this year will form the new wave of 'next generation' entertainment technology. Cutting-edge HDTV and surround sound systems, sleek, sexy plasma or LCD screens, and the latest innovative games consoles are all likely to capture the hearts of many, and not just the traditional niche market of 'technoheads' who just have to have the newest gadgets. It may seem odd, but it's undeniable that the profile of games and consoles has been steadily rising over the last year. With the arrival of the big three 'next gen consoles' - Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's Playstation 3 and Nintendo's Wii - computer gaming was suddenly making headlines all over the media, while starting to shed its rather geeky image.
A few years ago you could be forgiven for thinking, as many people did, that games were for kids and the only people who didn't 'grow out of' them were antisocial misfits probably dealing with some deep-seated anger management problems. The latest systems, to a greater or lesser extent, can be seen as the fresh-faced debutantes of a brave new dawn for the gaming industry, the ugly duckling that grew up to be a beautiful swan. After all, we've recently seen video games advertised by the rather gorgeous likes of Ian Wright and Nicole Kidman - a far cry from the nerds of yesteryear.
Gaming's place in the collective consciousness has been firmly cemented by the efforts of the friendly little white box we call a Wii. Having been squarely aimed at a wider demographic, including more women, it seems to have largely succeeded in hitting Britain right in the generation gap.
Once we got over sniggering at the silly name (which Nintendo have defended as 'short, to the point, easy to pronounce, and distinctive'), it worked - pensioners aged up to 103 have reportedly been enjoying the Wii.
So, while a few years ago your granny wouldn't have known a games console if it poked her in the eye, now you shouldn't be surprised to hear she's got one and is enjoying the new Metroid Prime just fine, thank you. If you haven't joined in the fun yet, you're probably feeling a bit left out at this point! Consoles are great for young and old, and families, because there are hundreds of titles aimed at absolutely all ages and tastes. Choose from innovative, cutting-edge new adventures or lo-fi old favourites, which can be played on backwards-compatible systems. They're also seriously multitasking, games aside: the Playstation 3 is also a Blu-ray, DVD and CD player while the Wii includes a web browser. You might decide to go the whole hog, take out a loan and get a new flat-screen TV or sound system to do your new friend justice: after all, you'll end up saving lots of money because a night in front of the telly suddenly seems fun again. It's a new era for your living room!
About the Author
Andrew Regan is an online, freelance author from Scotland. He is a keen rugby player and enjoys travelling.
Andrew Regan is an online, freelance author from Scotland. He is a keen rugby player and enjoys travelling.
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