Most of the growth in game use in Australia is with ‘family’ games. In fact, one of the stand-out successes in Australia has been Wii.

Indeed, the  Fit attachment has been pretty much consistently sold out since it was launched. Unlike the ‘World of Warcraft’ this has games and exercises which all of the family can use and all surveys show that is the way that it is used. As a family machine.

All indications in Australia are that the video and computer game market is changing.

A survey by market research group GfK shows sales of US$1.3 billion in 2008 ­ up 47% on 2007 sales. And much of that growth came from ‘family games’, up 137% for the year and now established in Australia as the
No. 1 game genre, followed by action games.

The playing of games by grown-ups could be even more widespread: this year’s survey did not include the amazing growth of titles downloaded by iPhone and other touchscreen mobile users. Ron Curry, CEO of the
Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia, said the association is looking at the possibility of counting mobile phone downloads next year.

GfK says sales of games software in 2008 were up 57%, game console sales grew 43% and gaming hardware accessories were up 68%.

Ron Curry said, ‘Family games were key to growth with the number of games classified with a G rating growing 58% in 2008, and games rated PG showing a 33% increase. There is a huge variety of games now on the market, with a wide selection for the entire family as well as specifically for adults, and it’s a great way for people to spend time together.’

The IEAA points also to research by Bond University, titled Interactive Australia 2009, which found that the average age of gamers is 30 and that 68% of all Australians play video and computer games.

However, that does not mean that violent games do not have a place. The latest hot seller from Sega for Nintendo Wii, is the blood-laden MadWorld. It will carry an MA15+ classification, despite being totally violent where giants attack each other with chainsaws — on reflection not dissimilar to the newsroom of a daily newspaper.

That sort of game may, eventually, become the exception rather than the rule. You can get seriously violent play out of a Nintendo Wii when just exercising striking one’s partner, accidentally, in the face with an electronic numchuck. This has been shown by actual experience.

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Entry was posted on Saturday, February 14th, 2009 at 3:11 am under Adult content.

Read more entries by Gareth Powell.
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