Michael Kimb Jones

This TV Ad for the Xbox 360 game “Gears of War” ran on ITV last night:

I think its an excellent ad. The only let down was the “Actual In-Game Footage” sticker that had to overlaid in order to comply with recent legal proceedings concerning misleading gaming ads. But I digress…

The problem is I just do not see enough of this sort of thing from game makers. We are in the HD-era of gaming with games like Gears, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and Fight Night 3 blowing the socks of anything else out there. And its not just graphics. Elements such as online play, social networking and media integration have all been added to the next generation of games consoles. All fine reasons to take the jump into this new arena. But the sad truth is, Joe Public is in the dark about most of this. Only the hardcore gamers really ‘care’ for such traits.

Sometimes I feel alone in my passion for this sort of thing. Its as if gaming companies simply ‘expect’ the public to be aware of what is available.

Its time for more effort in the ad-arena when it comes to next-gen gaming.

Sure its already a multi-billion dollar industry fuelled by nerds who are willing to save up their cash for a few years and then stand in line for a week just to get their hands on the latest and greatest gear. But the industry should really be moving on and widening its appeal.

The games industry need to further educate the general public using the media, TV ads, sponsorship, magazine/newspaper articles. Education that will not only sell units but will take gaming and the idea of using consoles in the home to the next level. A level where the public has no fear of this technology and where it is part of the entertainment lifestyle of everyone. In the same way that DVDs and more recently iPods have become.