"They also like playing video games, right?" I said. "Not really," she shrugged.
I was genuinely taken aback.
I thought back to my childhood 35-40 years ago, when I was her age, and some of my core memories are playing games on a friend's Nintendo, Atari, Commodore Amiga, or the Sega Master System. It wasn't just an activity; it was the activity.
Then it dawned on me. The Nintendo Switch and a tablet are the last stand for kids to have a walled garden of game entertainment. What 9-year-old is firing up dad's PC for "regular" games? Tablets, phones are not even that exciting for kids' gaming, at least, not the mainstream, non-metaverse kind. Sure, Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite are out there and do phenomenally well, but that may be out of lack of options more than anything. They are the digital town squares because no one else is building playgrounds. Also, they are less "games" than they are an app running on a thing. A pastime, more similar to social media.
The core console experience seems to have aged up. Both Sony and Microsoft checked out of the kids' market a long time ago. In fact, both are getting older gamers, if anything. PlayStation and Xbox are chasing the cinematic, high-budget, mature experience that appeals to the 25-and-up demographic that grew up with their brands.
The gaming industry seems hellbent on landing on PCs as the gaming future, but I can't help but think that is regressive. That's where gaming started! It was young adults wanting to program something cool to play. The industry as a whole didn't truly take flight until the NES days, which was explicitly for kids.
The Loss of the Physical Toy
This is where the real nostalgia sting comes in. My generation’s gaming experience wasn't just digital; it was also tactile.
Remember the clunky, colorful cartridges for the NES or Genesis?
Remember the plastic shell, the artwork, and the satisfying thunk of putting it into the console?
Think about the physical toys, tie-ins, and accessories that enhanced the experience for a 5-to-15-year-old.
There was the Power Glove, the R.O.B., the Robot accessory for the NES, the light gun for Duck Hunt, and controllers that actually fit a childs' hands. These accessories blurred the line between toy and tool, inviting physical play that complemented the on-screen action. You were playing with the game.
Today's kid doesn't get that. Their game is a digital download. The toy aisle has been gutted by the digital shift, and while kids still love gaming, the market has shifted almost entirely to live service, free-to-play, and subscription models dominated by social play, like the Roblox/Fortnite/Minecraft triumvirate.
The data confirms that while gaming is still massive, and Generation Alpha (ages 5-12) is highly engaged, their engagement is often through mobile, social, and free-to-play platforms. They are more likely to be spending on in-game currency and cosmetics than a $60 game cartridge or a physical accessory.
A massive, lucrative, non-social, single-player console game experience tailored for 8- to 12-year-olds, a dedicated, contained experience that could be wrapped up under the Christmas tree with a cool plastic accessory, seems to be a relic of the past.
Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite will not last forever, and the market is leaving a growing hole for the next generation of gamers.
Sega. You out there? There's a generation waiting for a new hero.
Kids want games. Kids want toys. Kids want controllers that fit their hands.