INDUSTRY MULLS MORE GAMES FOR GIRLS

DAN ALAIMO

More video games for girls may be good news for supermarkets in the game rental and sell-through business. The game industry has been mainly male-oriented, enjoying its greatest success until now with action and sports games that appeal to boys and young men. Many other best-selling games, like the Mario and Sonic titles, cut across gender preferences, while a handful of games have come out that target girls. But with competition increasing and growth slowing, the games makers and developers are looking for new opportunities to market their products. Games for girls and women are seen by many as a wide-open niche. This comes at a time when supermarkets -- where women shoppers are in the majority -- are increasing their commitment to video game rentals and sales. "Girls represent at least 25% of the primary users of video game machines, and up to 50% of the secondary users," said Marty Bradt, vice president of marketing at Hi Tech Expressions, New York. Bradt and other game industry executives were interviewed during the recent Video Software Dealers Association conference on games. "I think girls are underserved by the video game business. They tend to like more cooperative games. They don't necessarily want to play the shoot-'em-ups," she said. "If you think about supermarket demographics, which are traditionally female, those products could mean having the consumer spend more time in the video area," said Bruce Reilly, director of national sales at Sunsoft Interactive Entertainment, Cypress, Calif. "Trying to drive people by the video section is a challenge for the grocery industry." But the key to increasing game sales and rentals, said others, is producing good games that will cut across all demographic boundaries. "You can make a game targeted to young women, but I'm not sure it is going to be that successful if it is not a good game to begin with," said Joe Morici, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Capcom U.S.A., Sunnyvale, Calif. "We don't go out with the intention or desire to create a boy's game or a girl's game," said Barry Taylor, vice president of sales at Acclaim Entertainment, Oyster Bay, N.Y. "It is our desire to create a good game, and then who chooses to play it will be seen in the marketplace." Here's what the game company executives had to say about games for girls:

Joe Morici

senior VP, sales and marketing

Capcom U.S.A. Sunnyvale, Calif.

Certain products will appeal to everybody. Certain games that are geared to women don't do well anyway because they are not good games. It just depends on the game and the type of product that it is. Most of our Disney titles appeal to young girls also. That's been a very profitable part of our business. We get warranty cards back and many of them are from young girls, age 8, 9, 10. It's not from the "Streetfighter" series, but from the games that we have for younger girls and boys.

Marty Bradt

VP, marketing

Hi Tech Expressions New York

I think girls are underserved by the video game business. They tend to like more cooperative games. They don't necessarily want to play the shoot-'em-ups. They want to have more cooperative fun and some adventure play. There will be more game software shipped this year than in any previous year, so as a retailer, you have to ask, "What's my mix?" There may be 10 obvious titles that you have to have, and then if you carry another 20 to 30, you want to have a section for kids. Within that you want to have some games that appeal to girls. If Sega is the No.-1 selling toy in America, there are a lot of little girls out there who will be happy to play games that appeal either to both sexes or specifically to girls.

Bruce Reilly

director, national sales

Sunsoft Interactive Entertainment Cypress, Calif.

A good example of how the video game industry is progressing on providing more games for girls is Sunsoft's development of a two-game system for "Beauty and the Beast," targeting young females with "Belle's Quest." It did quite well. If you produce a game that's targeted and promoted correctly, then the younger female player will come to you. There are a lot of games, for example, the Looney Tunes licenses, that should be attractive to the female consumer. Those are characters universal in nature, their appeal is not limited to male or female, and they're not strictly fighting games.

Peter Yoskin

eastern regional sales manager

Namco Hometek San Jose, Calif.

A handful of companies have made an effort to approach it as a niche. But there are bigger concerns industry-wide, for example the violence content of games. I don't think it has been adequately demonstrated that there is a true difference in the type of game that would necessarily appeal to a girl vs. a boy. Barbie? Of course. That is a girl's product. Another company addressed the girl's market by making two "Beauty and the Beast" games, one for boys, one for girls. But these are clearly exceptions, not the rule. Other products, like our "Pac Man" title, appeal to girls. But that's the case of a product that has a broad appeal to not only boys and girls, but to a wide range of ages. The Mario and the Sonic games appeal to both boys and girls. But the fighting games and the racing games appeal more to boys. I think it is easier for the developers to follow along that track than to break the mold and try to address girls specifically, outside of doing a "Barbie," a "Belle's Quest" or some other exceptions.

Barry Taylor

VP, sales

Acclaim Entertainment Oyster Bay, N.Y.

There have been products out that have been focused on the female audience, and there are a lot of females that play all the games that are out there. We are taking existing licenses and capitalizing on those based on relationships that we have. So, as far as getting more females involved in game play, we are not focused on that as a target area. Bill Arkwright

southwestern regional sales manager

Software Toolworks Novato, Calif.

You take a popular, highly recognizable character like Mario and you add educational value, then it will appeal to the younger kids and their parents. That translates to the girls, too. There are products coming out, such as "Barbie," and more arts-and-crafts types of products, like "Mario's Paint World," that are more geared toward the girls. There is a growth opportunity in games for young girls. I don't know if I would say it was an underserved market, although I would say that the market for toddler-aged girls is underdeveloped. Given the demographics of supermarkets, these games would probably do extremely well. There are probably more young girls going through supermarkets with their moms shopping than there are young girls going to toy stores or the Wal-Marts of the world and those places.

Jeff Kahn

regional sales manager

Konami Buffalo Grove, Ill.

There are now more games available for girls and more games available for the different demographic parts of the business. The products are becoming more diversified as everyone tries to find a way to gain some market share in a very, very competitive industry. That will result in more diversification of games and more diversification of the marketplace.