Opinion: The Average Gamer's Lament
February 4, 2009 8:00 AM | Simon Carless
[We get some interesting, slightly random letters to Gamasutra and Game Developer magazine from time to time, and, after asking permission from the original author, we've made this one available on GameSetWatch. Why? Because we reckon he speaks for a lot of today's gamers.]
Name: Joe Below Average
Title: accidental gamer
Company: Coach when possible
I have to let some steam off, and I was looking for place to do it. My first langage is french, so edit my mistakes.
I'm a not-so-young dad, not even a casual gamer. I would rather say accidental gamer, like many of my colleagues (35-40 y.o.). I have developed an urge to slap in the face the a**h***s who wrote some games I have just tried lately.
Have you ever think to add a "DAD" or "MOM" mode, just to be able to see some levels, just to figure out what the hell this game is all about, just to be able, in the next 15 min. available, to enjoy a kind of ride?
Don't talk about "the learning curve" or whatever reasons the beta testers gives you to make it impossible wo 35 hours of practice to make it to the save point.
Don't talk about the joy of trying 20 times a level just to make sure you master the supadupa combo moves, and the length of the level, wo saving possibilities. Or a game wo the possibility to customize the controls.
So many stupid things are being put or omitted in games that cost so much to develop, it makes you wonder where those slap in the face (coup de pied au cul) went, or who forgot to give them.
Cheats sometimes make it enjoyable. They must be included in the game, for Christ's sake.
Don't think I will spend DAYS in a game when I have 15 min per week to spare.
WILL YOU HEAR ME ??
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7 Comments
JBA, just pick up a Wii and you'll be up to your aisselles in easy games. (Or, if you have an Xbox 360, buy a copy of Crackdown and enjoy its more-fun-than-you-can-imagine cheat mode.)
jeffk | February 4, 2009 9:11 AM
Core gamers hate the thought of games being easy (and bitch about it all day on forums--Hi Prince of Persia!). This is refreshing to read, though. I don't have a lot of time (or the desire) to devote to games anymore either. I just want to have fun; this doesn't mean that all games should be insanely easy--just not arbitrarily hard. Games are starting to be argued about almost like books. Sure, some of the best ones are "hard" to get, but not all of them. It isn't mandatory that a game be difficult for it to be considered quality.
Steve | February 4, 2009 10:45 AM
Will someone please nail this to the faces of the developers of Dead Rising?
hell, and Forza 2 while we're at it, it's not "hard" it's just long and tedious.
Richard Lawler | February 4, 2009 11:41 AM
Core gamers hate the thought of games being easy because they buy games to be challenged -- let me start again here.
Traditionally, the game industry has only catered to one playstyle, the Achiever. These people love overcoming challenges, and relish being blocked by a fiendish boss that forces them to step up their game. These are why they're referred to as "core" gamers - they're by far the largest group that currently plays games, and they're the industry's traditional audience. What those who enjoy Achiever-oriented challenges are worried about is that attempting to cater to other playstyles will, necessarily, mean that they won't be able to get the kind of games that they want. These fears aren't unfounded. You can't please everyone, and social gamers don't necessarily care for challenge. The thing is, neither do Explorer gamers, who want to see what secrets the game has to offer and get bored by high score tables and incredibly difficult challenges that stand in the way of their fun.
The industry's been incredibly poor at even acknowledging that people have different playstyles, made worse my players more or less learning how to play as an achiever, and I imagine there's going to be some teething problems as people work out how to make sure people know what kind of fun a game has.
That said, has the original poster considered playing something else? There is no point playing Contra 4 if you don't like it when a game kicks your ass six ways to Sunday. At some point, you have to accept that your playstyle's changed and that you simply can't play some games any more.
Merus | February 4, 2009 3:47 PM
"So what I want is all the world's most ambitious and talented developers to stop designing newer, more complex games, and go back and endlessly rehash decades-old games, only with shinier, higher-resolution graphics, gritty, realistic proportions, and perhaps random motion-sensing gimmicks. Yes, that's what I'd like! In other words, I want the videogame industry to halt all progress and instead endlessly repeat itself in order to accommodate little ignorant, lazy retards with bad taste like me."
http://insomnia.ac/commentary/mini-games_are_for_morons/
Rat | February 5, 2009 8:26 AM
What the heck, commenters - "we don't want games to be easy", "go play the wii", etc?
Have none of you heard of difficulty settings? It's possible for a game to be challenging for you and still have an easy mode for those who don't have as much time to kill, or prior experience with the genre.
It's probably also worth mentioning that as this writer is a dad, he may have a vested interest in playing the games his kids are playing to see what they're about. Considering how the game industry would much rather have parents screen their kids' games than have the government start doing it for us, maybe we should take this guy's advice seriously for *all* games, no matter how "hardcore" you think your target audience is.
josh g. | February 9, 2009 6:19 AM
There are many games that cater to both core gamers and Below Average Joes. Rock Band 2 has a no fail mode and Guitar Hero 4's "Beginner" difficulty just requires that you keep a rhythm.
Stranglehold was a pretty good (and short) game that also had a "Casual" difficulty level. I think Gears of War 2 also has a Casual difficulty level.
I'm surprised to hear criticisms like this still. What games are you playing that are too hard? And if you're playing on a "Casual" difficulty, then I'd recommend writing a letter to the developer. They might not know that Casual isn't easy enough.
David | February 9, 2009 10:41 AM