Endlessly....

(kolom musim panas yang lupa di-upload. Kolom yang ditulis khusus untuk Nytid, Norway edisi Agustus)

Japanese children are now enjoying a month long summer holiday. In this cultural rich country, there are many traditional festivals to celebrate the season. For children and families, bug hunting or beetle fighting, are among the popular ones. However, I notice that there is a differrent attitude among Japanese kids compared to the old times. Well, Japanese families still enjoy such traditional festivals but now some children prefer to play with their Nintendo DS or Play Station Portable while joining the festivals.

By listening to what these kids are talking about, I understand that the next generation videogames have become a new magic spellamong other summer holiday things such as purchasing the last serial of Harry Potter.

In Japan, people say that mobilephone and computer are inseperable with Japanese teenagers. So, videogame (especially the portable one) is acknowledged as the must-have gadget for kids in Japan (of course with exception to a super strict parents). Kids carry their gadget whenever they go.

Well, it is quite easy to measure videogame popularity in Japan. Take Tokyo as an example. By jumping into any train in this never-sleep city, anyone can easily see one or two passengers play videogame on the train. TV advertising program on the trains also have a non-stop videogame promotion clip.

In recent years, particularly, the popularity of video game is back, thanks to the next generation consoles introduced by major companies such as Sony and Nintendo. The huge popularity of Playstation3, Nintendo DS dan Wii, has brought back people`s attention to videogames. Young people who have enjoyed online game and mobile-phone game, are now turning their heads once again to the next generation game consoles. In many Japanese households, home video game such as PS3 or Wii are increasingly popular. For Wii in particular, the advertisment that portays the game as an entertainment gadget for all ages, has also attracted middle- aged and elderly to have fun with it.

No doubt that videogame industry in Japan is a vital element. Videogame serial such as Pocket Monster (Pokemon) and the series of Final Fantasy have become hits all over the world. For hardware and software as well, this country is still the leader in the industry.

Japan External Trade Organination (JETRO), a government affiliation body which releases annual report on economic, putting Japanese Video Game Industry as one of the important part of Japanese Economic Division. In its latest report JETRO explains that shipment of home video games increased for the first time in four years, bolstered by launches of the Nintendo DS dan Sony PlayStation Portable.

Next-generation game consoles such as the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation which marketed from the end of 2006, are expected to further expand the home video game market into 2007.

Take the Nintendo DS sales for example. It was doing well as the end of September 2006, with 26.82 million units sold – 11,52 million in Japan and 15.3 million overseas. PlayStation Portable (PSP) has sold 22.94 million units – 5.37 million in Japan and the rest of Asia and 17.57 million elsewhere.

Japan`s video game hardware and software markets have been enjoying revived sales of late, due to gorwing deman for PC Games, online games, cellphones and arcade games.

The Digital Content Association of Japan`s 2006 Digital Content White Paper reports that the combined market for game-related content and consoles has been growing since 2003 due to robust expansion of the online and cell-phone markets. The increased volume of product has been the main factor along with the spread of flat-rate broadband services.

Market sale of Game Industry in Japan, combined with software, online games, mobilephone games, desktop and portable over 1,312 billion yen in 2005, and this figure is expected to further increase.

How to translate those figure into our daily life here? Well, it is simple. Amids the hot weather, game and toys stores as well as electronic centers are flooded by customers. Kids eagerly try the game consoles for free. They are provided by major stores across Japan. If parents still say no for the PS3 or Wii, well OK then, having some fun with the free game gadgets in the promotion outlets would be a perfect summer activity!I guess that what those kids have in mind whlile they are waiting their turn to try the next generation game for free, thanks to the genereous non-stop promotion in the country of gaming industry. (*)