Battle for gaming supremacy is on as new titles hit shelves

Dubai: The ongoing battle of attrition in the UAE games console market shows no sign of abating. All trends point to a ratcheting up of stakes for all players.

For Microsoft, the coming weeks will see a slew of launches on the games side.

"This is our biggest year of exclusive blockbuster games," said Aman Sangar, regional product marketing manager at Microsoft's entertainment and devices division.

Sangar is on to something there as new releases and sequels from some of the biggest gaming franchises — Splinter Cell Conviction, Crackdown 2, Mass Effect 2 and Fable III — will be available exclusively to Xbox 360. Then there's Halo Reach and Gears of War 3, for which there is already a build-up of anticipation.

A telltale sign of what could be in store is the record-breaking participation in the Halo: Reach multi-player beta process. The game launches in the UAE on September 14 and promises to be the biggest release of the year. All of these would set the stage for the introduction of Kinect, which Microsoft claims as the next big thing.

Growing market

Market observers agree that the Halo effect will be driving the games market through another year of strong growth. The market is expected to surge around 18 per cent in sales this year. In 2009 the gaming consoles market in the UAE was worth Dh381 million at the retail level, with a total of 349,636 console units sold, compared to 343,992 units sold a year before for Dh258.26 million.

The console market usually picks up steam globally during holiday seasons and this Christmas and New Year it is not going to be left behind.

The new consoles exude the cool factor in dollops. They have a more interactive element and with the emergence of better processor technologies, they come with more lifelike animated graphics and without any frames being lost.

"Video games are a fast growing form of entertainment in the UAE. We believe 2010 will be an interesting year," said Jimmy Patel, general manager of Jacky's Electronics.

And what of Sony? The market leader in the format is projecting a flat year.

This is in part due to falling sales of PlayStation2 (PS2) which is now a ten-year old format, and flat sales of PlayStation Portable (PSP), though there will be increased sales of the PlayStation3 (PS3), said Tim Stokes, director of sales and marketing, PlayStation division, Sony Gulf FZE.

New move

But expecting a flat year and not doing anything are two different things. This year, Sony will introduce PlayStation Move motion control gaming, full 3D gaming and movies, a line-up of exclusive and non-exclusive software titles, as well as new content and services via the PlayStation Network.

"Given the realistic and immersive nature of gaming, we feel 3D will bring an added dimension of reality and enjoyment to the PS3 experience," said Stokes.

In September, Sony will also introduce PlayStation Move, which creates interactive experiences and has support from a selection of software titles — Sports Champions, The Fight, Start the Party!, EyePet, Kung-Fu Riders, TV Superstars, The Shoot and Sorcery.

But Microsoft is not going to cede all of the 3D space to Sony. Sangar says the Xbox 360 has been 3D capable for some time and there are the 3D-enabled games as well.

"While everyone will evolve their 3D efforts as the market evolves, we're most excited about growth and innovation potential of controller-free games and entertainment," Stokes said.

"Kinect removes the last barrier between you and the experiences you love."

He added that ten years ago they launched Xbox, and ten years on they are launching Kinect, which will free people from the controller for gaming and entertainment.

"With Kinect there are no controllers, just you. It's so natural, so intuitive that technology evaporates, letting the natural magic in all of us shine through. All you need to do is jump in."

Available in the UAE from November, Kinect will launch with more than 15 games from the top creators in the industry. Announced games are Kinectimals, Kinect Sports, Kinect Joy Ride, Kinect Adventures, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, (Ubisoft) Dance Central (MTV/Harmonix).

Patel believes the consoles market will continue to grow.

"Consoles will not lose their lustre because on-line gamers compete against each other and the range of games they compete on are totally different to family audience who would still prefer the console games," Patel added.

Apart from consoles and online gaming, new gaming platforms such as Tablet PCs and mobile devices have given rise to a new segment of casual gamers who can download game apps from various online platforms either free or for a small fee. He said one significant factor driving consoles sales is content.

New gaming platforms such as Tablet PC's (such as the iPad) and mobile devices (such as the iPhone or BlackBerry) have given rise to a new segment of casual gamers who can easily download game Apps from various online platforms either for free or for a small fee.

Online gaming platforms will improve every year with reducing cost of ownership and higher connection speeds.

Get healthy with new video games

Recently gaming systems have become so sophisticated and powerful that they are now being used for health-oriented programmes.

This big leap from fun to therapy is possible because the consoles detect the patient's movements and allowing them to feel as if they are actually playing games like tennis, bowling, and golf etc.

Ever since Nintendo launched the Wii, gamers have been interacting with characters and working out with virtual trainers in titles like Electronic Arts' EA Sports Active or Ubisoft's Your Shape and even encouraging families to exercise together with Wii Games: Summer 2010. New devices to be launched by Sony and Microsoft are expected to not only open up gaming consoles to a new mainstream audience but also pioneer games for the health industry.

There are a lot of designers who are tapping into these physical interactions and bring new experiences that will be beneficial for patients and at the same time enjoyable.

Games for health industry have been growing exponentially over the last few years with no slowdown in sight. The news is encouraging for parents looking to get their video-game-addicted kids off the couch long enough to burn a few calories. Videogames were once blamed for rising obesity rates but are now being championed for their health benefits.