The keynote by EA’s Matthew Jeffrey was topspot and one of the best ever presentations on gaming that one has seen in recent times. As comprehensive as it was detailed, and as objective as the contagious passion it spread.
Amongst the many interesting parts of the presentation was when Matthew spoke about how while graphics and technology had advanced, the gaming industry had yet to catch up with its film industry cousins on the story telling aspect and in creating emotionally believable characters. “It is critical for us to learn from films and learn to tell a story through a game. One aspect is the sotryline but even more important is the task of creating emotionally believable characters”
In what was music to Animation folks’ ears, Matthew also laid a lot of emphasis on the need to improve the quality of animation. “Animation is Gameplay and AI is key” he proclaimed. “The graphics, backgrounds and textures are all wonderful and advancing, but the key element to immersiveness and believablity of the characters is their responsiveness and that can be achieved through animation and AI. Both are very critical”
“Game play can have a lasting impact if there is accurate positioning, good responsiveness and aesthetics and procedural awareness” he added while showcasing some clips that demonstrated how the responsiveness and realism in games was progressing.
Matthew also spoke at length on the massive potential of online gaming. “Once you go online, you dont go back” shared Matthew. “It opens new vistas for gaming and consumption” he said. It also opens new revenue streams… subscriptions, digital downloads, micro transactions, user created content, dynamic advertising, and so on.
“The casual and family games segment is big” Matthew pointed out
He went onto to show a presentation of the games that EA as well as others had developed and those which would be released soon in the market. What one could gauge from the audiences’ response was that most of them were in awe of what they had just seen and absolutely blown away by the quality of work and the impact that it had on the in a matter of a few minutes.
According to Mathew we are progressing as an entertainment format moving from one level to another. Technology has evolved with the internet and formats such as Tivo, IP TV, ipod, itunes, home theatres, next generation consoles and third generation mobile phones. This entire domain has been embraced by a young demography ranging from the ages of 12 to 28 years.
“The development of new technology and platforms are impacting consumer trends,” commented Matthew. This is reflected in the emergence of personalization and customization, user generated content, multi-tasking and control of media consumption”
If one was to rank mediums of entertainment most consumed then the internet would rank first followed by TV, music and gaming. Added Mathew,”Money is a key factor as people want value for their money. Unlike other mediums gaming requires more personal investment and is less flexible. People have different and non linear experiences while playing games.”
During the course of his presentation Mathew spoke about gaming dynamics under which he covered new demographics, emergence of cost effective gaming, age groups of gamers and casual gaming becoming a big trend. In his opinion consumers in the digital space can be segmented into: My Spacers (30%), New Couch Potatoes (21%), Sports Guys (18%), Wealthy and Wired (14%),Generation Gamers (10%) and Outsiders (7%).
“The gaming industry is growing. The online gaming space is a global market and has close to 800000 gamers. Games popular on this front are multiplayer games. Matthew also showcased a demo of Sonyâ€?s Home which is an example of a massively online worlds. New exciting markets include China, South Korea and Japan”
Talking about India, Matthew commented, “You have one of the most dynamic young consumer base. The retail game cafe chains and the ubiquitiousness of the Mobile Phone are going to be key drivers. Also very impressive are the investments from players like Zapak. India has a phenomenal future in both online and mobile gaming”
Later on speaking to AnimationXpress.com after the festival, Matthew remarked, â€?I am amazed at the depth of knowledge and hunger that animation and gaming students have in this country and am sure these industries are going to flourish here. Mark my words”