New video game features Hawaii as honeymoon destination

HAWAII takes center stage in yet another video game, "Dream Day Honeymoon."

Oberon Games, a Seattle-based division of New York-based Oberon Media Inc., created it as a sequel to "Dream Day Wedding." Both are search-and-find games in which players travel the scenery and collect items, to avert some sort of crisis.

"It's not exactly set in Hawaii, but it's Hawaii-themed," said Jackie Nolan, publicist.

On the Net:
» gamecenter.oberon-media.com
» www.igda.org.

Further details, such as whether players will see real Hawaii landmarks and destinations, were not available by press time. The game will be released for download in July for Windows-based PCs -- but not Macintosh -- and mobile phones. The PC versions run $19.95; mobile games are $6.99.

"Dream Day Honeymoon" takes prequel game newlyweds Jenny and Robert to Hawaii -- or, the designer's vision of Hawaii -- where a player helps the couple gather souvenirs, making for a dream-come-true honeymoon.

It ain't World of Warcraft, but it's not intended to be.

The hard-core gaming industry is an über-horsepowered economic force, but casual gaming is on the rise, according to the New Jersey-based International Game Developers Association. It predicted in 2005 that the casual gaming industry would grow to $2 billion in 2008, up from $600 million in 2004.

Oberon is tapping into the growing number of female casual gamers with girly games like the honeymoon and wedding titles.

"From initial concept to finished download, the Dream Day series games are specially created as a fun and entertaining diversion with women in mind," said Cara Ely, senior producer at Oberon Games.

Oberon's other Hawaii-themed games include Big Kahuna Reef and Big Kahuna Reef: Hawaii Quest. The online demo for the former, which worked on a Star-Bulletin Macintosh, was less about Hawaii or Kahunas than solving a puzzle, a determination that only took about 20, oops, three minutes.

Despite the Hawaii-osity of these and other videogames, the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, "has not been involved in the development of a videogame that integrates Hawaii," said spokesman Nathan Kam.

Not that that should interfere with your game play, on company time or otherwise.

Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Call 529-4747, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached at: eengle@starbulletin.com