Posts Tagged ‘Gamers’

Few people are qualified to break down and accurately observe a game based on their construction. Most people must rely on a purely subjective opinion of what they are seeing experiencing. Reviews focus on a few key points, such as whether a game is aesthetically pleasing or if there is sufficient variety in the levels but all of this is subjective and open to a variety of interpretations.

Why is a free casual game any less worthy of high industry praise?

Within the western world of gaming press and blogs there are some accepted wisdom what a ‘good’ game should be. But it is such a narrow view of the industry and so audience focused that at times it becomes difficult for new comers, especially those looking for something different from their games, to understand the shared opinions of the dedicated fan base.

There is a reason that I don’t understand why Japanese game reviews are not inline with my own opinions and those of Western press. There is even a reason why Wii Play and EA’s Carnival Games have been able to sell more than I would ever have believed. It is a very simple reason that we as (Western) gamers have to accept and become comfortable with, simply that we are in the minority.

Geographical location and cultural norms can dramatically affect game preferences

What any individual group looks for in a game is different. Young children enjoy repetition, and families want something simple for everyone to enjoy. People with limited time want more casual, drop in and out games. Even ‘serious’ gamers in different cultures have different expectations. Any gaming poll in Japan regarding most popular games see Japanese role playing games consistently top the charts, often to the total exclusion of Western titles. A quick look at Japanese weekly gaming magazine Famitsu’s 2008 awards sees only one foreign title getting a mention (GTA4) and that was in the world-wide category. Incidentally GTA4 was also one of only two western developed games to rank in the top hundred sales last year at sixty six, along with SimCity DS 2 at eighty three.

I am not suggesting that this is a revelation to anyone but it is something to think about as we bemoan companies for their lack of support to more committed, long term gamers. Also it is worth considering before berate game sites and magazines for favorable reviews of games that more serious players may consider ‘casual’ or even just for having an opinion which differs from our own.