Boardgames more popular than videogames?

[MerricB]

From here: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/7459.html
"WotC plans to announce its full line-up of board games from Avalon Hill in early January. The five releases in 2005 have been the most since Hasbro acquired the company in 1998, and another full lineup is planned for 2006. WotC is hoping to take advantage of the burgeoning interest in board games; their research shows that more people have played board games in the previous twelve months than have played videogames."

I can sort of see that... board games are more family-friendly, and are likely to be played by a wider range of ages.

Cheers!

 

[Crothian]

I can see the more people, but videogames is a multi billion dollar industry so I think it wins.

 

[frankthedm]

If the survey was taken in europe & if D&D was included, maybe its possible.

 

[Mystery Man]

I can sort of see that... board games are more family-friendly, and are likely to be played by a wider range of ages.

Well, duh.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Interestingly enough, I spotted an article over at Gamespot a couple weeks back talking about the declining number of teens playing video games compared to previous years.

 

[Corsair]

The difference between video games and board games is that dropping 30 bucks on a board game might give you a game you play for the rest of your life. Dropping 50 you can get a PS2 game which you won't be playing in 6 months.

 

[DonTadow]

The difference between video games and board games is that dropping 30 bucks on a board game might give you a game you play for the rest of your life. Dropping 50 you can get a PS2 game which you won't be playing in 6 months.

Six months... try 5 days. In six months the sequal will be out. Video games have become to follow into hte movie rutt. A number of the aren't as innovative as they used to be. I will admit though they are the bigger industry because of this. The games are shorter and somewhat less challenging so that consumers will have a sense of gratification and be eager to buy the sequal or the clone.

 

[Meloncov]

I am certain more people have played boardgames in the last six months than vidio games; you grandmother proably hasn't been playing Halo II recently, but it is very likely she played, say, parchessi. It is possible that more hours are spent on computer games, as most people who play video games play them frequently, but most who play boardgames do say only occasionally.

 

[ssampier]

Possibly, especially if you include older folks age 50 and older typically ignored by most survey data.

Of course my grand-father loved the SSI AD&D games on his 386, so who knows

 

[Shadowslayer]

I don't doubt that board games could be huge. Unfortunately, there haven't been many innovations in the mass market in the last few years. They concentrate too much on "Lord of the Rings Risk" and "Simpsons Clue" and "Star Wars Monopoly" They can only rehash that stuff so many times.

There's lots of nifty games out there, but you have to go to the little high end specialty shops to find them...at least around my area.