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E3
Atlanta (Electronic Entertainment Expo `97)
communiqués from KIDS FIRST!®
Webmaster
 Thu
, 19 Jun 1997 9:15 AM
Hee, hee, hee... Hurrah for the virtual press office...
The coffee is bad, but press breakfast was good.
Anyway, HighLites from the Pre-Show Media
Briefing:
- No new consoles
in market this year, conference is entirely
content-oriented.
- There is a
surplus of product coming to market and higher distribution costs
all the time. Also rising product development costs.
- Growth in
industry will mean less total product on shelves (more
elite).
- Video and
computer games are second most popular form of distraction
after TV.
- Division in
gaming is about 2/3 consoles (Sega/Nintendo) and 1/2 PCs (some
people have both).
- Consumer
intent to buy learning games has risen from 25% in 96 to 35%
in 1997.
- Hours spent
playing online games per week for the most avid game player in
game-playing households has risen from 5 hours in 96 to almost 15
hours in 1997.
- The largest
challenge facing the industry is compelling
content.
- Of 500
exhibitors, only 2 independents target the "girl"
market.
- The female/girl
demographic expansion is the "Holy Grail" of
multimedia.
- However, women
are not making the buying decisions (in stores) for the purchase
of computer games... they don't go out shopping "for" games. They
do play them, once a male has purchased them.
- Expected
attendance at E3 Atlanta: 35-40 thousand.
Fri, 20 Jun 1997 10:07 AM
All anyone talks about is games, kill, kill, kill...
I bet these people have a large market in prisons - people who have
time on their hands and just want to destroy things.
There are 10,400 licenses for game
software, but only about an average of 250 spaces on retail
shelves for games... meaning that the big guys will slowly squeeze
out the independents?
Fri, 20 Jun 1997 1:04 PM
Well, for the first hour `twas fun.
The exhibit floor, as last year, is taken up mainly by computers set
on platforms, with kids playing games. My eyes get weary fast from
all the artificial smoke in the air, the obnoxiously loud sound
effects that each booth turns up to be louder than the one next to
it.
There are a few people that are concerned
about quality children's programming, but it's more the
attendees than the exhibitors. Most of the people attending
are Mom & Pop stores that try out the products and set up
distribution arrangements.
The conferences in general discuss the sorts of
things that you read over and over again... I'm not hearing anything
new, and though you can extract what you need, it's all tightly
focused on destructive games.
A question was raised in a conference this morning
on the future of PCs about wholesome entertainment, and was
dodged completely. Most developers are working towards faster,
better, brighter, bloodier, louder and bigger games.
Again, I know this is a gaming conference, but
it's such an odd area of the human psyche that has grown to be such a
huge market, and, now that military interests are not pushing
technology as much, it is this marker that is pushing the development
of the hardware/technology.
As Intel said, people do fine with their word
processors and spreadsheets on older computers, it's the games that
they play, which may consume ever increasing amounts of their "spare"
time that drive them to spend $2000 - $5000 for a hobby that they can
pass off as business related.
E3
. Growth
. In
The Mix .
Meg's
Videos .
Kudos
to MCA .
Technology
News
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The
changes and growth of KIDS FIRST!® in the last year are
impressive!
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- 180 new endorsements in
1996
- Evaluating interactive
software
- Redesigning our evaluation
tools
- Participating in the Washington TV
ratings discussions
- Completing our successful violence
prevention initiative in New Mexico
- Upgrading in-house hardware and
software
- Adjudicating over 200
titles
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WOW!
This year, our
KIDS FIRST!® Jurors contributed a half million dollars worth of
professional time to the Coalition for Quality Children's Media.
Thanks!
Here at
last -The new KIDS FIRST!® Directory
E3
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The
Emmy Award winning PBS series IN THE MIX...
premieres "MEDIA LITERACY: TV! - WHAT YOU
DON'T SEE" the week of May 17, 1997. Covering such topics as
music videos, the daily news and advertising, this episode
provides young people with the skills they need to become
media savvy viewers. Hosted by Eddie Vichaidith and Andrea
Barrow, the show takes a close look at the medium of
television and teaches teenagers how to evaluate what they
are watching. The audience will spend time with a television
editor who reveals some of the techniques used in television
to manipulate material, and meet ABC's veteran journalists
Peter Jennings who offers his opinion
on the truthfulness of television news. In addition, IN THE
MIX examines hip hop music videos and the messages they
convey, and visits an advertising agency to break down an ad
campaign.
"MEDIA LITERACY: TV! - WHAT YOU DON'T
SEE" debuts nationally on PBS and airs on affiliates
throughout the week, including WNET/New York at 11:30 a.m.
on Sunday, May 18, 1997. Check your local listings or
contact your PBS station for exact air dates and times.
Discussion Guides to accompany the show are also available.
For more information, contact:
In The Mix, 114 East 32nd St., Suite 903 New
York, NY 10016, Tel.: 212.684.3940 Fax: 212.684.4015
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E3
. Growth
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The Mix .
Meg's
Videos .
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Technology
News
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MEG'S
VIDEOS
The Coalition for Quality Children's
Media donated a collection of videotapes to 17 children's
hospitals this holiday season. These tapes were selected for
their potential to benefit hospitalized children. Cheri
Goldman, Director of the Child life Center at the University
of New Mexico Children's Hospital, provided guidance in the
selection criterion. The tapes were dedicated on behalf a
young woman, Meg Clemens, who died from leukemia and whose
mother initiated the project.
MANY THANKS
to Liz Boshoven, CQCM's Jury Coordinator,
for successfully launching this project
and to our supplier members who contributed
tapes:
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- Children's Circle
- Children's Television
Workshop
- Columbia Tri-Star
- Family Home
Entertainment/LIVE
- FOX Home Entertainment
- Hallmark Home Video
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- Lightyear Entertainment
- Little Mammoth Media
- The Lyons Group
- MGM Home Video
- Random House
- Sony Wonder
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The response from the hospitals has been
overwhelming. Hospitalized children are unable to
participate in many activities. Watching videos is a great
distraction that helps boredom, fear and most of all, their
growth and development.
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E3
. Growth
. In
The Mix .
Meg's
Videos .
Kudos
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Technology
News
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KUDOS
TO MCA
Few companies have addressed translating
videos for physically challenged or culturally diverse kids.
MCA recently released a translation of its KIDS FIRST!®
All-Star Title, "The Land Before Time IV, Journey Through
The Mists," in American Sign Language. "Sesame Street"
actress, Linda Bove, provides the translation
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E3
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The Mix .
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Videos .
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TECHNOLOGY
NEWS
A group called 21st Century
Teachers is forming to help each other use technology to
enrich students' learning. The teachers pledge to build
their own expertise in using new technologies; share their
expertise and experience with colleagues; use their
expertise with students; and make classroom technology
available to all students and teachers. Each 21st Century
teacher volunteers to train 5 colleagues in how to use
technology as a tool to enrich students' classroom
experience and improve the quality of education. Check out
the 21st
Century Teachers home
page.
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E3
. Growth
. In
The Mix .
Meg's
Videos .
Kudos
to MCA .
Technology
News
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The
new 68 page, four-color KIDS
FIRST!® Directory
is here at last!
Over 700 KIDS FIRST!®endorsed
titles are included, with descriptions, Juror comments, and
expert guidelines from child development specialists,
educators, parents and kids.
Coalition members will be sent a copy
as a benefit of membership. If your membership is not
current, this is a good time to renew. Additional copies of
the Directory are available for
$5 each.
Call 1-505-989-8076 or
order on-line today!
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Other organizations that support the KIDS
FIRST!™ initiative are offering the Directory to their
members and will generate a small profit from doing so. If
you know an organization interested in doing this, please
have them contact our office.
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"People,"
from Lightyear Entertainment,
recipient of the Coalition's President's
Award
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With great pleasure I announce the
selection of Lightyear's marvelous video title, "People," as
a recipient of the Coalition for Quality Children's Media
President's Award.
The extraordinary work of producer Joshua
M. Greene celebrating diversity has created a new model for
multicultural children's programming. I hope that many other
children's producers will follow his lead in generating
positive messages such as this. It is the type of work that
contributes to social change.
I believe that only when we understand,
accept and appreciate our culture and the culture of others
can there be world peace. The acknowledgment of our "roots"
is true cause for celebration.
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To quote the playwright, Vaclav Havel, as
he addressed the people of Czechoslovakia as their president
on New Year's Day 1990, "Only a person or a nation
self-confident in the best sense of the word is capable of
listening to the voice of others and accepting them as equal
to oneself. Let us try to introduce self-confidence into the
life of our community and into the conduct of
nations."
The fine work of Joshua Greene and
Lightyear Entertainment is the result of perseverance,
talent and concern. I thank them for the gift they have
provided to the children of the world.
Ranny Levy, President, Coalition for
Quality Children's Media
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