@CarnageHeart said:
Not a surprise. A few weeks ago after she got straight As I asked my youngest what game she wanted and she said 'Minecraft'. I asked her how she knew about it and she told me all her friends were playing it and she had played it on a friend's Ipad mini. Right now she has a good sized farm going on.
I think the popularity of play/create/share among kids (and adults) is really awesome. My daughters didn't participate due to prior obligations, but our local library recently ran a competition in which kids learned about game design and then make a game using Kodu (a game creation program on the X360 and PC), with the winner(s?) being given some sort of prize.
And it's not just play/share/create games either. Yesterday I read a fascinating article about Early Access games (unfinished alpha or beta games that can be purchased) and how a new generation of gamers is very interested in being part of development and the growing pains of building a game. It was an Eurogamer article about Maia.
"What I've realised now, especially considering the Steam forums and some of the responses I get, is that there's a very young audience that have grown up, or been introduced to games as alpha games, with things like Minecraft. They're really interested in getting involved in the development. There's a kid on the forums who sends me an email every day of concept art he's drawn in Paint! And he's having a great time. It is a different way to do game development."
Personally, I never bought an Early Access game and I don't intend to, but it's fascinating to observe just how the gaming landscape is changing thanks to Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight. More and more people are prepared to fund/purchase unfinished games and choose to be involved in the development process. I think it's incredibly exciting as we are seeing a new breed of not only gamers, but potential game developers.
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