Games for Kids, Then and Now

Games for kids. It’s a simple, almost obvious concept which nonetheless manages to elicit a negative reaction from those who hear it.

If you are reading this, then you are probably an adult who grew up playing video games. If not… do your parents know you’re visiting websites like this?

In any case, back in the 80′s, perhaps even in the 70′s, video games were largely considered a pastime for children. Sometimes adults would play them, but for the most part, video games were largely considered the realm of kids.

Then something happened. Those kids who played games started to grow up. And while some moved on, others would stay behind and continue partaking in the hobby, though tastes would often begin to mature, and games such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would start to give way to Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat.

And as that trend continued, giving way to the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), more and more developers and publishers seemed to eye the older audience as the target for more quality games. Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid were the recipients of rave reviews and record sales numbers.

In the meantime, it seemed that the next generation of gamers, the younger kids, were more often subjected to titles and licensed fare which were considered below-par, of lower quality. If a game was made “for children,” it was usually written off as crap.

The Sonic the Hedgehog series provides a unique look at this phenomenon. The first game was released in the early 90′s, and targeted kids who had supposedly “outgrown” Mario.

Though the Genesis titles are often fondly remembered by adults today as classics, newer Sonic games have failed to resonate with that same crowd. And yet, they seem to be scooped up just the same by today’s kids, who can’t seem to get enough of that hedgehog.

This has led SEGA to an attempt to appeal to both audiences. Strangely enough, rather than try to make a single game which can appeal to everyone (much as many of Nintendo’s titles do, Mario in particular), they are tackling the problem with two separate games.

On one end of the spectrum, there is Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, a downloadable title for the Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 which takes the Blue Blur back to his 2D (or 2.5D, if you must) sidescrolling roots. With clear homages to the hedgehog’s glory days on the Genesis, this game is meant to cater to those older fans who made Sonic the chief rival of Mario so many moons ago.

On the other end of the spectrum is the Wii and DS title Sonic Colors. This game has basically taken what has been regarded as the best parts of Sonic Unleashed, the “Daytime” stages,” and built a whimsical, colorful 2D and 3D platforming game around it.

In the past, SEGA has stated that Sonic Colors is being aimed at a target audience of children. However, following its announcement, there have been a surprising number of adult gamers who have taken a liking to the game. As far as 3D Sonic goes, it would seem that SEGA has finally (albeit accidentally) found something for everyone.

…and yet, perhaps even more surprising than that is that SEGA has recently rejected the notion. CVG reports that in a recent interview with GAME, lead designer Takashi Iizuka stated the following:

“We know there are sometimes opinions about control from core gamers, but we’re intending Sonic Colours to be played by children of probably between six and twelve years-old.”

“So, with Sonic Colours we have aimed to make a game that everyone can control and have fun in. So, it’s not really a game for the core gamers. If you take the rail grind, it’s something that’s fast, not difficult but is fun to do and looks great. It’s about making a game that’s right for the core audience of the game.”

“I think that there are two types of Sonic players. One is the people who have played since the MegaDrive [Genesis], who are mainly fans of 2D Sonic games and didn’t really play the 3D Sonic games so much. For those gamers Sonic Team will be giving them Sonic 4 so they can pick the Sonic game they want to play.”

“The other is the ones who have played 3D Sonic games and felt that the game was too difficult. Sonic Colours is the game for those types of players. It’s still a 3D Sonic game but the controls are more user-friendly; it’s an easy to pick up and play type of game. So through the two Sonic games I feel the needs of both of the two core groups of Sonic fans are being addressed.”

Naturally, there are some Sonic fans who are displeased with this notion. Here is what Destructoid’s Jim Sterling had to say about Iizuka’s statements:

Weird that he says that “everyone” can have fun with Sonic Colors … except for Sonic’s oldest fans. Apparently the “hardcore” gamer is incapable of enjoying Sonic Colors, which is an amazing PR claim considering the fact that so far, many hardcore gamers are more excited for Colors than they are for Sonic 4.

I really liked what I played of Sonic Colors, but according to Sega, I should just stop looking forward to it. Fair enough, guys! I’ll henceforth write the game off as a load of crap, since apparently that’s what you want.

Seriously, what a dreadful way to go about promoting your game.

Sonic isn’t the only one targeting a younger audience with a longstanding series that has found appeal among older gamers; in an unusual bit of timing, Kotaku’s Stephen Totilo recently had the opportunity to check out the latest installment in Activision’s long-running hit skateboard series, Tony Hawk Shred.

But whereas adults who worked on the game or public relations people are usually the ones to show them off to the press, that is not what Totilo found this day. Instead, the game was shown to him by Gabe, a seven-year-old who falls neatly into the age 6-12 demographic Activision is targeting this new title towards.

Like Ride before it, Shred uses a skateboard controller. The peripheral led to scorn from teenage and adult gamers who had supported the franchise in its earlier years. But apparently, that seems fine by Activision, who is skewing the new title to a younger crowd by including giant jumps in a cartoon world inhabited by cavemen.

There is more info about what the new game brings in Kotaku’s report, with Totilo offering the following:

The Shred board looks like a toy. And adults might look better suited to be doing something else than waving their arms around as they spin their board on a carpet. But a kid doing it looks like fun. Gabe was the right mixture of intensely focused on the action and clearly having a good time, cheering his jumps and throwing his hands in the air. He may be the son of an Activision employee, but his joy with the game seemed pleasantly unscripted.

In addition, Gabe noted that the game would be out in time for Christmas this year, “so you can buy it for your kids.”

With that said, one has to wonder if things must be so divisive in the video game marketplace. To see SEGA trying to ward off eager Sonic fans and Activision about-face from their older Tony Hawk supporters feels weird, especially when there are other titles out there capable of reaching gamers both young and old.

On the other hand, not all game companies and developers are equal. Perhaps this is simply the better route to appease more customers for some of them?