So what if there are more active videogame platforms around at the moment than there have ever been in the past - that's not enough for most publishers. No matter how many people own a PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, DS, PSP or PC, there are always millions who just don't have access to dedicated consoles. In a world where audio visual entertainment is utterly pervasive, there's always a new avenue to get your brands to the masses.
A couple of examples have cropped up this week. EA, for example, has just announced a deal with in-flight entertainment specialist DTI Software to bring Sims 2 and a range of Pogo casual titles to airlines worldwide. Imagine how much more bearable those long haul economy flights are going to be if you can screw up the lives of several digital people en route...
Elsewhere, Bright Entertainment Ltd has just announced Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Action Adventure, an Interactive DVD game based around the Eidos series. According to the press release:
"Designed for an audience who may have never played a video game before, the game offers players an average of an afternoon or evening's gameplay from starting to completing the game. The game can be played over and over again achieving better scores and also allows players to divide into teams and challenge one another."
Interactive DVD games have been around for a while, but tend to be simple quiz and adventure titles. This, on the other hand, is an interesting use of a high-profile videogame brand - although if these DVDs really are for people who don't play games, then how valuable is a game brand actually going to be? Perhaps Bright Entertainment is aiming at those odd people who went to see the Lara Croft movies without ever having played the games. But when both of them buy a copy, what then?
