Games Of Summer: Introduction

By Stephen Woodward
Special to the Herald Courier
Published: July 6, 2008

Video Games Just As Popular As Movies; Get Caught Up With This Guide

Because of the holiday rush of retail shopping, video games rarely create the buzz that Hollywood makes this time of year.
Many folks are more familiar with the big budget action flicks that kick off April and May, like “Iron Man” and the “Indiana Jones” sequel. But what do video games have to offer this summer?
Well, more than you would think.
Things changed this year – dramatically. With the release in April of the critically acclaimed “Grand Theft Auto IV,” one week behind “Iron Man,” video games were propelled into the forefront of mainstream consciousness.
“GTA IV” took in $310 million on its first day of release and over $500 million in its first week, making it the biggest entertainment release of all-time (vastly exceeding records set by the “Spiderman” movies or even “Harry Potter”). Yes, games are that big now.
And even more suprising, Nintendo continues to change the way games are played with its non-gamer seeking Wii and portable DS consoles. Breaking ground with new motion-control technologies on the Wii, Nintendo is also breaking sales records, outselling competitive consoles Xbox 360 and PS3 three-to-one – on a monthly basis. 
In a new campaign to reach non-gamers, Nintendo released its much-anticipated Wii Fit in May, which uses a motion-sensing Balance Board to ease non-gamers both into gaming and exercise.
With all these new releases, how could anyone unfamiliar to video games make sense of them all? 
Thankfully, there is now a resource. I encourage any parents who are unsure about what to buy for their kids to look up WhatTheyPlay.com. 
It’s a site designed specifically for the unfamiliar video game shoppers out there (Mom, that’s you), and its reviews describe the content in games in laymen’s terms – you’ll never have to feel alienated by what your kid is playing ever again. 
With these stories, I have outlined more in-depth the games I mentioned above and some more I think folks will want to check out. I also scored an exclusive interview with the creator of WhatTheyPlay.com and got him to elaborate on the site and the games industry. So share these games with your kids, enjoy the summer and game on.

STEPHEN WOODWARD is a freelance writer and a regular contributor to Gamezone.com.