Target audience for video games getting younger

SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. (CNET) -- Video games have always been designed with kids in mind, but these days the target age group is getting younger and younger.
At this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo -- or E3, held annually in Los Angeles -- game and console manufacturers made no secret of designing games for young kids.
Experts say it's a trend that's been developing for years, but now the hardware technology has evolved for even easier game-play.
Jane Douglas, GameSpot section editor says, "It's extremely accessible because they've taken away the controller. Because you haven't got anything in your hands, there are no buttons to learn. The idea is there is no barrier to entry and that very young kids can be playing."


As a parent, CNET Senior Editor Scott Stein is cautious about his son's gaming exposure. But he acknowledges that parenting styles need to adapt with the technology.
"It's sort of like candy, but you want to make sure you don't overuse that too much," he says. "We may be at an age where these types of games and interactions do get learned at a younger age and we as parents have to learn to integrate that better."
Gaming manufacturers are banking on capturing the imagination of little ones...and perhaps, even the parents. According to researchers with the Entertainment Software Association, the average video game player is 35 years old.
It's estimated that 68 percent of American households have computer or video games.