Matsuura: DS Innovation For New Gamers, Not Old Ones

The DS is, arguably, the posterchild for expanding the demographics of gamers. Yet for all its success in baiting old folks and lady folks into playing games, is the system’s innovation innovating for some and not others? That’s what PaRappa creator Masaya Matsuura is thinking, telling Gamasutra:

We have to keep increasing the chance to make more unique titles, but for us it’s getting much more difficult because the game market — especially in Japan — is still very conservative.

Many people know that the DS has very unique titles, like Brain Training, or something like that, but it’s not for younger-aged market. It’s kind of older people, like me.

Hmm. Might be onto something. Ace Attorney, Phantom Hourglass, Mario, Advance Wars…most of the DS’s best games for “regular” gamers have been additions and upgrades to existing franchises, not out and out new experiences. Flip side: having shown we’ll buy the same Nintendo games over and over for 10-15 years, why would developers bother?
Matsuura Got Rhythm: The State Of NanaOn-Sha’s Founder [Gamasutra] [Image]