Games People Play
Adults and families are re-discovering the pleasure of play, and re-connecting with each other through games.
By Caroline Kennedy and Maria Weiskott -- Gifts and Dec, 1/1/2005 12:00:00 AM
Wanna play a game? Often these days, the answer is a resounding "YES!" And what do people want to play? Board games, card games, trivia games, and the like. While renewed interest began with a dusting off of the old favorites, families and friends are now looking to expand their gaming repertoires — so much so that even a giant like Mattel (with the acquisition of licensing rights to the popular game Outburst, and the addition of games previously marketed by others) is tapping further into the adult game market. Meanwhile, manufacturers and game designers are coming up with an array of inventive new entertainments intended especially for the more mature, 12-and-older market.
But what's driving this new interest? Partly, it's a post-9/11 phenomenon. When people withdrew into their home "cocoons," they began looking for indoor activities, especially those that included family or friends. And that's when they rediscovered those treasures at the back of the closet.
Simple pleasures
Historically, in a soft economy people tend to look for inexpensive ways to be entertained. Monopoly, one of the most popular and evergreen games to hit the retail shelves, was created during the Great Depression. The current soft economy has also contributed to the rise in interest of games. After all, with the price of a ticket, popcorn, and soda, it beats the cost of a first-run movie, as well as regional theater, sporting events, or a concert.
Americans are also looking for ways to reconnect and overcome the technology-driven isolation of being constantly plugged in to computers, MP3 players, cell phones, and DVD players. While these electronic "toys" provide individual entertainment, they don't encourage interaction. Games do. Game playing offers companionship and sharing, and produces mutual memories — experiences that are once again being encouraged with renewed enthusiasm.
More and more these days, people are having game nights in their homes. "[They're] doing something that doesn't involve the computer," says Kevin Renaud of Buffalo Games, Buffalo, New York. "Because that is what many of us do all day." The concept has been promoted by board game giant Hasbro and its Parker Brothers division for years. And it seems that Hasbro's Family Game Night program is an idea whose time has finally arrived.
Gifts of fun
There's plenty of opportunity for gift retailers to get in on the fun and generate sales through games. While you may not want to compete with the big toy stores and mass market retailers for business in games such as Monopoly and Scrabble, there are many wonderful, entertaining, and creative games from smaller vendors that exhibit at gift shows. And many of these games have decorative aspects that make them perfect for the merchandise mix of the typical gift shop.
"When play is finished, our games can be left out as part of the decor rather than being put away and forgotten on the shelf," notes Tom Phillips of Front Porch Classics, Seattle.
Now is the perfect time to promote and sell games. With the excitement and hubbub of the holidays over, games are the perfect diversion for those cozy, snowy afternoons, or evenings in front of the fire, or après ski fun, or even pleasant evenings around a table or porch in warmer weather. So get in on the fun, connect with family and friends, and … Let's play a game!
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