The Industry Caters For Us
If you walk into your nearest Game, GameStop or other retail outlet with “game” in its title, you’ll notice a recurring theme amongst the slew of products available. Namely, there are a lot of them that are only suitable for a certain age range. They may appeal to children and those under 18 will always find a way to get their hands on them, but developers and publishers have seen a shift in consumer age groups and have adjusted accordingly.
As of December 2013, Metacritic listed GTA V and BioShock: Infinite as the two best reviewed Xbox 360 games for the whole of last year. Keep going down that list. You’ll see the likes of Diablo III, the new Tomb Raider, Devil May Cry, Saints Row IV etc. Yes, there are games that cater for younger audiences, such as Rayman Legends and Skylanders, as well as more universally appealing games, like FIFA and NBA 2K14. But the sheer volume of mature titles readily available as of right now is proof that the industry is keeping the older generation in mind.
Remember, people who are reaching 30 or 40 in this millennium are the same people who grew up when video games were in their infancy. Back then, most of the titles did appeal to children and families because gaming consoles were seen as just a toy back then.
So, we were treated to Mario and his Sega rival Sonic the Hedgehog. Lo and behold, those games are still being made today, much to the delight of new and younger games, but also to the nostalgic cries of the seventies and eighties generation.
