Content area
Full Text
With nearly one million units sold and showing no signs of slowing down, WizardWorks' Deer Hunter, an "interactive hunting experience" published by GT Interactive, has taken the computer software industry by storm. The inevitable surge of me-too titles will soon be filling the retail shelves as publishers look for ways to capitalize on the new "value" software bonanza.
When released late last year, Deer Hunter, a value title priced at $19.99, was not considered real competition by gaming publishers -- after all, most hardcore gamers weren't likely to abandon blasting away alien races on distant planets in favor of sitting around and slowly tracking and shooting deer. However, a whole new market of consumers, fresh from purchasing sub-Xl,000 PCs and looking for inexpensive, easy-to-use software, have kept Deer Hunter on the top-ten lists throughout 1998.
"I believe Deer Hunter is a wakeup call to the industry of how the software market is changing," said Mike Jacob, producer of Outdoor/ Recreation titles at Sierra Sports. "Until recently, most people who played games on computers are what we are now starting to call a mature gaming market," he explained. "They are discerning, and expect a certain level of quality and gameplay. Now there is a much larger group that has a wide variety of interests who simply weren't in the market just a couple of years ago.
Sierra has its own value line, which includes the Hoyle board and card titles like Poker and Solitaire, and will soon enter the hunting genre with the release of Trophy Buck, which at $29.99 straddles the line between budget and standard pricing.
Price matters, observed Beth Featherstone, games group marketing manager at Microsoft, about Deer Hunter. "They had the right product at the right price point. There were no hunting titles available until Deer Hunter came along, and hunting is a very popular sport with a lot of enthusiasts. GT saw that and took advantage of the opportunity."
She also feels the title wouldn't have sold as well if priced between $39$49. "A product that appeals to the masses needs a mass appeal price point," she said. Microsoft does not currently have any plans for a value line, preferring to focus on "a small portfolio of high quality games working...