Through the Looking Glass Sharply - The Video Game Industry: Formation, Present State, and Future - page 227

happen. Microsoft and Sony tailored entries that produced enhanced per-
formance destined possibly to function as entertainment centres. Nintendo
took a dif erent tack, and Mirko Ernkvist tells that story. In terms of game
software, Wii enabled a broadening of the defi nition of what traditionally
had been considered video games and introducing new game genres. In terms
of users, the ef ort to expand the market to reach new user groups and lapsed
players was the focus at the onset, despite that some of the Nintendo's most
dedicated user-base perceived it as an ef ort of the company to abandon focus
and resources with its traditional core. Instrumental in this approach was
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata's insistence that discontinuous development
be given preference over incremental improvements. As we reviewed drafts
of this chapter, we wondered how many rabbits Nintendo might pull out of
its hats. Mirko says, “Starting with 2012, the transition to a new generation
of consoles has been initiated. It takes shape during a time when the game
market has been reshaped by SNS games, providing a source of competition
and inspiration. The new generation of consoles emerge during a time of sev-
eral technological changes in areas such as downloadable games, 3-D tech-
nology, cloud computing, motion-sensing technology and micro-payments.
Implementing new technologies in an innovative way that makes the console
experience dif erentiated and uniquely appealing in relation to competing
game platforms will be a key in how the market for video games develops.
If the Wii's development provides any clues for future game console develop-
ment, then the most appealing product attributes of these coming consoles
might not be the obvious ones. Rather, they might be product attributes that
have emerged through a lengthy process infl uenced by an idiosyncratic intui-
tive understanding of the game experience”. In other words, if it is not Nin-
tendo, it will be someone else.
Several chapters were written to characterize the ef ects that the industry
has had on society. Toby Miller and Rick Maxwell have written the chapter
relating to the ecological impact of electronic games. They note, “If Game
Studies is to meet the most basic citizenship responsibilities, it must account
for the impact of its beloved industry's inputs from the Earth, extracted via
mining and drilling, and outputs into the Earth such as emissions into air,
land and water. . . . they [games] are not only sources of awareness, analysis,
ecstasy, violence, imperialism and education. They also share responsibility
for climate change, pollution growth, biodiversity decline and habitat dec-
imation—core constituents of our global ecological crisis”. They conclude,
“We do not have to accept the governing binary of adoration or rejection
that rules Game Studies. We can love or dislike games—even be agnostic—
and recognize their environmental costs. Working to ameliorate that eco-
logical impact is vital, so let's break down the binary code and confront the
real”. They suggest compliance will take governmental regulation, which
must be forthcoming in a general sense—it is only a matter of when.
A heroic approach is taken by Flavio Escribano, who has authored
an interesting chapter on the psychology of gamers and games and their