Do Gamers Want Simpler Games?

[Antithesis]

Do Gamers Want Simpler Games?


A recent GamePro article sums up a lesson that developers and publishers have been slowly learning over the last few years: gamers don't want as much from games as they say they do. Quoting: "Conventional gaming wisdom thus far has been 'bigger, better, MORE!' It's something affirmed by the vocal minority on forums, and by the vast majority of critics that praise games for ambition and scale. The problem is, in reality its almost completely wrong. ... How do we know this? Because an increasing number of games incorporate telemetry systems that track our every action. They measure the time we play, they watch where we get stuck, and they broadcast our behavior back to the people that make the games so they can tune the experience accordingly. Every studio I've spoken to that does this, to a fault, says that many of the games they've released are far too big and far too hard for most players' behavior. As a general rule, less than five percent of a game's audience plays a title through to completion. I've had several studios tell me that their general observation is that 'more than 90 percent' of a game's audience will play it for 'just four or five hours.'"

http://games.slashdot.org/story/10/0...-Simpler-Games

I found some of the comments to be quite interesting. Wondering what users on this board have to say though.

[ArchDizzle]

Quality > Quantity

[Pikarya]

Quality > Quantity

Nintendo politely disagrees.

[Antithesis]

I'm just relived they didn't bring up Flower in that article. After playing it, I don't even know how you can qualify that as a game.

[Antithesis]

Nintendo use to politely disagree.

FTFY

It has become increasingly obvious that Nintendo is loosing ground in the gaming market (And they are notcing it.) The Wii has become nothing more than a piece of Feng Shui more most gamers. To find a good game on the Wii that isn't shovelware is becoming increasingly difficult. The only people buying the Wii anymore are the obese grandmothers who were recommended Wii Fit by their Doctor.

[Day]

I want simpler games yes.

[ArchDizzle]

Nintendo politely disagrees.

International conspiracy to take over the world with slant logic.

[ArchDizzle]

I want simpler games yes.

CASUAL.

[TacoTaru]

I prefer longer games or games with enough content to keep entranced with them for weeks or months preferably. As long as the average game doesn't become four to five hours in length; I'm overall comfortable with the way games are now. Games aren't that hard now anyway; has anything other than Demon's Souls and whatever that Ninja Gaiden game was come out in the past few years that's been that unbearably hard?

*Edit*
I think I misread the context of simpler meaning easier games and not less fluff. Either way I don't see the issues with games as they are now; a bad game is a bad game if it's five hours or twenty hours.

[Lucavi]

If simpler games get us back to the original Ninja Gaiden trillogy instead of this bullshit team ninja throws out nowadays, then yes, I want simpler games.

If simpler gets us back to Super Metroid, then yes, I want simpler games.

If simpler gets us back to Custer's Revenge, then no, I really don't want simpler games.

[Day]

CASUAL.

Yes. And you have an issue with this because?

[Ivaden]

Wouldn't something like this be skewed by the fact that people rent games? At least the percentage of people completing versus the amount of time some people play a game?

[Day]

Also that cowboy gta is going to be lame as hell.

[ArchDizzle]

Yes. And you have an issue with this because?

Didn't state I had an issue with it.

Also that cowboy gta is going to be lame as hell.

Shit is uncalled for and unfounded, you casual is showing, etc.

[Exoduso]

By simple games, do you mean going back to Ocarina of Time and to actually interesting FF storylines? If so, then yes.

[Day]

Oh I thought the CAPS implied it was upsetting you. GTA is made for casuals nignog, so is the western version that's going to suck.

[BadKarma]

Day is dropping bombs on Arch's feelings.

[Zeb]

Considering you can play through a number of games in 4-5 hours, I wonder how they're defining 'completion'. If it means 1000/1000 achievement score, or platinum trophies, I think they're off their rocker. If it means just beating the main storyline of a game and not having to do with sidequests, then maybe it's because the game just isn't as good as the hype it had(I'm talking about you FFXIII). The only games in the last year that I started to play and haven't beaten are Bayonetta, Tekken 6, Brutal Legend, Dirt 2, ODST, and Halo Wars. Tekken 6 just plain sucked. The other 5 weren't really my style and couldn't get in to (Gamefly is really nice btw). That's 6 out of at least 50 games.

I have a hard time believing so many people don't at least beat the main part of a game before shelving it. But I can definitely believe people don't want to put in the "100 hours of gameplay" in to a game, that developers think people will, if it's just grinding repetative battles for stronger weapons that you can beat the game without (I'm talking about you WKC...and FFXIII).

[ArchDizzle]

Oh I thought the CAPS implied it was upsetting you. GTA is made for casuals nignog, so is the western version that's going to suck.

Nope, driving while typing didn't realize caps was on.

Day is dropping bombs on Arch's feelings.

nah brah.

[Day]