Geek Chic: Street Style Simulation For Gamers
Posted by casey on 06-17-2008
Only a very small percentage of hard core console gamers are female, so video game corporations are constantly trying to come up with new ways to appeal to women. One company might have just tapped gold, with a game that combines the age-old hobby of shopping with high-tech virtual simulation.
"Pop Cutie!" is a street fashion simulation game that combines street style, fashion design, retail shopping and trend hunting into an interactive game. In what sounds like a style-savvy Sims game, you work your way up from a fashion designer selling clothes at a flea market all the way to the boss of a fashion empire.
From Koei, the brand (and brains) behind the game:
Players manage the day-to-day happenings of their very own fashion boutique. They'll hire models and assistants, choose the look and music for their shop, run the cash register and even place magazine ads. Best of all, they'll take to the streets and meet different characters in search of up-and-coming trends. Players will then use this inspiration in their studios where they'll create new clothes, accessories and even hairstyles. However, other shop owners are also prowling the streets looking for the next big thing.
By gathering "images" from people on the street and combining them, players will create clothing lines ranging from the conventional to the most outrageous trends from the streets of Tokyo. A simple touch interface allows players to consider color and shape combinations on the bottom screen while reviewing the actual design on the upper screen. Using Nintendo DS Multi-Card Wireless Play, up to two friends can challenge each other in fabulous Fashion Battles.
I'm not much of a gamer, but cheesy names aside, "Pop Cutie!" almost makes me want to invest in my own Nintendo. Instead of spending several hours zoning out to some mindless game, the press release makes this seem as though this will inspire players to be creative, enterprising, competitive, and, well, stylish. It is bound to be solely targeted to females, but even those who aren't clothes-crazy girlie girls can get into the competition and business aspects of the game. I think it will be brilliant for tweens and teens, and can even picture it becoming popular among 20- and 30-somethings.
Set to release this September, the "shopping simulation" game will be exclusively available for Nintendo DS. Read more here.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Its very true that in such a modern world, still some people creates difference among men and women. I think bringing girls in games is a innovative approach to remove such difference.