Multiplayer, indie and retro video games attract customers

CEDAR RAPIDS — Video game consoles come and go, but multiplayer games continue to stay popular among gamers, according to Kelton Rice, salesman at Video Games Etc. in Cedar Rapids

Ever since the newer game consoles were released, Rice said the store has seen strong sales for the most recent game consoles, such as the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4.

'I think people are latching on to the fact that these are the newer systems,' Rice said. 'And they just kind of come to accept the reality that this is where video games are going.'

Shawn Lee, store manager at Family Video in Cedar Rapids, has seen the same trend. He said the store has seen an increase in game rentals for the newer consoles — such as PS4 and Xbox One — and has seen a decrease for the older consoles, PS3 and Xbox 360.

While some gamers have both, Lee said most consumers are more comfortable with one game console or the other.

'It's whatever they have grown up with and gotten used to,' he said.

Rice said as developers release more games for the most recent game consoles, more people tend to upgrade their consoles and make the switch. He said multiplayer franchise games, such as 'Call of Duty' and 'Grand Theft Auto,' are popular because they allow people to play with their friends and add a distinct social aspect to gaming.

Darin Elm, store manager of the Family Video Marion branch, said first-person shooter games and big sports games such as 'Madden' continue to be popular among consumers. He said the store sees an increase in the rental sales of football video games during the fall and basketball video games during the winter.

Elm said large franchise games have a dedicated following and do not have to do much marketing leading up to a game's release.

Over the years, Elm has seen the available playing time on games increase as well as the rate at which sequels come out.

'So the games are really a lot bigger than they used to be,' he said, adding that games are more involved and have a longer playing time.

While these big franchise games are still popular, Rice said he has seen an increase in the number of people looking for indie video games as well. He said the independently produced games do not have the backing of large companies and are gaining popularity among consumers, he said.

'It's really a cool little movement,' Rice said of the independent games.

Rice said indie game developers often have more control over the production of the game and do not have to comply with the marketing restrictions of larger game companies.

'With the indie game, you can always tell what the creator was going for,' Rice said.

At Family Video, Elm said the store usually will rent an independent game if there is enough buzz and excitement around it.

In general, Elm said the company keeps close track of which games are gaining traction among consumers.

'We really depend on that information — on what's hot, what's popular right now,' Elm said, adding that the information affects how they stock the store.

Along with indie games, Rice said he also has seen an increased interest in retro games. He said people enjoy playing childhood games on classic consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Lee added that Family Video also sells Wii games that continue to be popular among families and often have more age-appropriate games.

'They are usually more of the family-orientated games,' he said.

Rice at Video Game Etc. said its biggest customer base falls between older teenagers and adults in their 30s.

Elm said summer is one of the busiest times of the year for the store because children have more time.

'Summer is definitely way busier for games,' he said.