Looking back, most of us remember weekly family game nights with our go-to board game. Whether it was the classic family game of scrabble or the never-ending game of life, we used to share laughs and enjoy healthy rivalries. Now that we are deep in the digital age, we have grown up and our favorite childhood games have too. This sense of nostalgia comes out when we recall these fun-filled game nights and it’s a shame that the children of today don’t recognize the cardboard and plastic-piece games. However, some of the classics have made a comeback online. Let’s look at a few examples of how our favorite classic games have grown up in the technological age.
From family game nights to the app store
For most families in the digital age, family game night has been moved from the dining room table to the app store. As some tearfully say goodbye to weekly game nights, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel, to keep this beloved tradition alive. A benefit of our favorite board games going digital is that families can continue to have game nights no matter where they are in the world, even with the college goodbyes as well as the growing pains. The digital transition that our favourite games are undergoing is how the industry hopes to reach generations that never played traditional board games. a.k.a Gen Zers who’s phones are an extension of themselves. The industry utilizes what this generation knows best…iPhone apps. Traditional board games have gone digital, but Hasbro, one of the largest global companies for games and toys, stated that its classic board games have also been cross-fertilized with other brands to retain interest and remain relevant, for example, Star Wars Risk.
From Scrabble to Words with Friends
Scrabble, one of the longest standing classic board games of our time, has developed significantly over the last 70 years. Interestingly enough, this game was actually first conceived during the Great Depression, and was thought of as a level-up from crosswords in the newspaper. Scrabble found great success after World War II, specifically in the 1950’s, and was then on the go-to nightly game choice for families across the globe. Fast forward several decades to the creation of the phenomenon, Words with Friends – essentially the online version of Scrabble, where users can play with one another around the world. The game has been consistently downloaded since 2009 and has added more than 50,000 pop-culture words, and generates top revenue for Zynga, the infamous game developer.
From Game of life to the LIFE mobile game
The Game of Life has also become a beloved classic over the years, despite the long hours, which usually resulted in giving up before reaching the finish line. Originating in England as the Mansion of Happiness, it was initially described as a game with a heavy religious influence, and has experienced a similar progression to actual society. The game continues to adjust to the times, and remains relevant to this day. For instance, in 1960 the game offered the incentive of finding a uranium mine, because at the time people were on the hunt to find uranium, as it was considered very valuable. The Game of Life has travelled to our phones, with new features, including mini games, chat options, and multiplayer functions, so friends can play with one another from any place at any time.
From Risk to Risk Global Domination
Risk was invented by French film director, Albert Lamorisse, and originally released in 1957 as The Conquest of the World in France. The game transitioned to the virtual world decades after, with the creation of the Risk: Global Domination app with multiplayer and match-maker functions. Numerous unofficial expansions of risk with new maps have also been presented in the last 10 years. Risk is still considered to be one of the top games in the industry, by introducing new versions including Halo Wars Collector’s Edition, Halo Legendary, Starcraft, several Star Wars editions, The Walking Dead Survival Edition, Game of Thrones, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America Civil War, and a Star Trek 50th Anniversary Edition. Keeping up with what’s going on in pop-culture, and the entertainment world, has allowed the game of Risk to stay relevant.
As a society, especially in the digital age, we have seen what happens when a company fails to connect to the latest generation. We may have tucked away our flimsy boards and what’s left of the plastic pieces in the storage closet, but a new wave of online classics is here to stay. Developers and game companies alike have set out to change the way these younger generations are enjoying the fun of a weekly game night, but in 2019 it happens to include an iPhone or android.
About:
Glidingdeer was created in 2015, with the purpose of creating enchanting and creative games with top-notch animation. The minds behind Gildingdeer took their technology and directed their focus towards making quality games for users to challenge and enjoy themselves. Gildingdeer consists of a solid team of artists, developers, marketers, data scientists, and service representatives, all pooling their talents to launch Bingo Drive.
