To succeed in a video game, equipment can be everything. For gamers looking for the ultimate weapon to defeat their enemies, the battle can start with the gear they use from the couch.
The rapidly growing video game industry provides extras for hard-core players looking for an edge or a more engrossing experience. Sales of such video game accessories totaled $1.2 billion in 2004, remaining steady over 2003, while hardware sales dropped 17.3 percent to $2.4 billion in 2004 from $2.9 billion the year earlier.
Accessories include cheap add-ons like wireless controllers, which sell for under $20, as well as $100 pads for Dance Dance Revolution. The target group is young professionals with money to spend and a passion for electronics.
“A lot of it is disposable income,” said Lakeview resident Greg Hardin, 30, a gamer and EB Games staffer. “A lot of it is the difference between a hard-core gamer and parents who are getting a dance pad for their 8-year-old.”
These hard-core gamers can trick out their systems to create private arcades, upgrading standard tools and buying special hardware that makes gaming more fully interactive.
Instead of pressing buttons, for example, driving games can be played with an attachable steering wheel and footpad, while shooting games can be augmented with guns that can be reloaded with memory cards. The Street Fighter Arcade Stick (Nubytech, $59.99) replicates the arcade console for use in the 15th anniversary edition of the game.
“It’s a very quality heavy-duty stick,” said Tursa Birute, director of public relations for Nubytech Inc. “Usually those items sell for a much higher price. It’s mainly for hard-core gamers, but definitely anyone can use it for fighting games.”
Some gamemakers have packaged software with hardware to facilitate interactive gaming. Hardin used his first paycheck from EB Games to purchase Steel Battalion (Capcom, $199.99), an Xbox game that comes with a special console featuring complex controls for piloting a battle-mech.
“Everything on this pad gets used for something, including windshield wipers and a fire extinguisher,” Hardin said of Steel Battalion. “It’s freaking expensive, but if you’ve got the disposable income, there’s really not much that’s cooler. It’s all about immersing yourself more in the game.”
For competitive players, accessories can provide a serious edge.
“I play a lot of online computer games, and I have a headset and microphone for people I talk with,” said Evanston resident Thomas Alford, 19. “I play in a computer game guild, and we organize and communicate to compete against other players. My guild doesn’t require people to have a headset to play, but we highly recommend it.”
Other add-ons are purely cosmetic.
The Resident Evil 4: Chainsaw Controller (Nubytech, $49.99) that will be released in February allows fans to hunt zombies while playing on a controller shaped like a gore-covered chainsaw. Custom skins, available from companies like Gamer Graffix and dansdecals.com, can change the color of your game system or cover the console with skulls or other designs.
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sanelson@tribune.com
Edited by Cara DiPasquale (cdipasquale@tribune.com) and Kris Karnopp (kkarnopp@tribune.com)
