You're not logged in! That means you're missing out on the best features of
WiiLoaded! Be sure to log in or register if you don't already have an account!
This week in Japan, WiiWare has been invaded by Kappa-kun to Asobou: Kappa-kun to Mori no Nakamatachi (Play with Kappa: Kappa and his Forest Friends). This "edutainment" game is part of a long line of similar software, both in Japan and the western world, which has been dating back to the early nineties. Some have succeeded e.g. math tutoring software, while most others have failed.
Most of us who are aware of Japanese video game culture, will be all-knowing of the fact that gaming in Japan covers almost every aspect of social interaction. Japanese gamers generally engage in much more extensive, yet less intensive, sessions of play, which cover things such as grammar, and verbal exercise. Brain Age, which has seen phenomenal success in the US and European markets, has been another title which has demolished existing boundaries between gaming and society, partly due to its clever marketing.
We've already heard of GPS technology being incorporated into handheld devices, further facts in support of the social gaming revolution. Things such as being able to tell where a friend is, and what he/she is doing at that time. "Micro-blogging", brought to global fame through Twitter, could already be sowing the seeds for social communication. So knowing where a friend is, and what they are doing, could alter the outcome of a particular game. PlayStation's Home software is already planning to take advantage of the more modest social factors, such as online meeting places and VoIP chat in-session.
With so many ideas and technologies yet to be exploited by the gaming industry, it will be, in my opinion, only a matter of time before we see video gaming becoming more socially connected than ever before.
