Analyst: Casual gaming ready to explode

Wilson said:
"...while nongamers are increasingly excluded by the increasing difficulty of games."
Poor wording...complexity, for the most part, yes, but difficulty, surely not! I mean I remember playing a plethora of games 'back in the day' (mostly on PC...286) and not actually having a clue how to play it or what I should actually be doing.

Games nowadays are, however, not as outwardly accessible, I guess, particularly in terms of control schemes (and with so much to digest on-screen). I find it very entertaining (and incredibly frustrating) watching non-gamers using a console...it's not that they are ALL spastic but that we're just so used to 'complex' controls.

Sounds nice, more casual games in the future.... hopefully there will be more games like Indigo Prophecy... "Looks like another LOVE TKO"
I wonder if anybody knows what I'm talking about. That was a pretty cool game. Very Sims-like indeed.

Games have actually been getting easier and easier for quite some time. The CONTROLS, on the other hand, have become ludicrously complex. I remember non-gamers being taken aback by how many buttons were on the SNES controller. Those same people would probably faint if they saw the gamepads for the 360 or PS3.

I can't believe people would prefer to play WindWaker then a decent FPS. People like that tend to spend ALOT of time alone...oh no wait, they have Link their too. awwww. you people grow some cohones and start shooting stuff!!!

The number 1 IP in the world of entertainment is Mario. The number 1 single day money maker is Halo2. 9 million people are playing WOW. The industry buzz-word should be "diversity". People play games to have fun, and playing the same thing forever isn't any more fun then watching the same movie or listening to the same album. I bet you if you could look at most "hardcore" fans collections, there is alot of variety there. Nintendo has the right idea, ease people into games, then they may move on to RPGs or RTS titles, or they may stick with sudoku; but thats ok. Of the major entertainment options, gaming is the most prohibitive. Watching a movie or listening to a CD is cheap and easy, where as gaming is neither for the uninitiated. If "casual gaming" bridges the gap then great, and theres plenty opportunity for us all to enjoy it and the benefits from it.

Jermwarfare -

Ha ha. True, true. But their market does seem to be a bit more diverse than ours. Remember, everything from MGS and Resident Evil to Pokemon to Metroid is Japanese.

Let's not talk about originality and platform games.EVERY movie game and about 70% of the rest in the 16-bit era was a side-scrolling platform game.There was even a HOME IMPROVEMENT platform game where you controlled Tim Allen for crying out loud.Micheal Jordan had one where you threw basketballs at the enemies.Bubsy,Zool(glorified lollipop commercial),etc.Anyone here old enough to remember them is probably cringing with me.

GAMES ARE NOT GETTING HARDER DANG IT!

How did this myth even begin?

yuko-agreed

proto-fair enough

carrier-kind of like the Japanese games with all of the effiminate boys with big swords? ; )

jermwarfare - You notice how all American games feature characters who look like WWE characters wearing Army gear?

jermwarfare:

You keep saying that casual influence is ruining all your favorite games, and I understand. I felt exactly the same way when Halo got big and everyone started thinking of Nintendo games as utter garbage. Platformers died so that more FPS's could be made, because legions of Americans wanted games with lots of blood and violence. Games stopped being funny and started being overly macho. Nobody cared about creative art styles (like in Wind Waker)--they only wanted realism.

In short, now you know how plenty of other gamers feel. I was just trying to show you that you're not the only one who feels short-changed.

The problem here is the "hardcore vs. casual" mindset. Companies think "hey, let's make this derivitive Halo clone for hardcores and this derivitive Bejeweled clone for casuals." As long as game companies continue to think inside tiny boxes, the market's not going to grow. We need NEW IDEAS. We need companies to take the occaisional risk between shooters and/or puzzle games, because otherwise the only markets for gaming will be drunken locker room guys and bored secretaries.

Also, gaming isn't anywhere near small-time anymore. While it'll never pass the movie industry and its' many revenue streams, we're set to pass the music industry by 2008. Gaming isn't in any form of danger, and the wealth of new IPs this holiday are helping things along.

However, moving toward dumbed-down Bejeweled clones aren't going to move the industry. There needs to be more platformers, adventure, strategy, sim, basically more non-shooter, non-puzzle games, as well as a few brand new ideas. Shooters and puzzles pretty much have set audiences already.

rahn-

harcore gamers have been complaining for years about the clones and sequels.that isnt an issue of hardcore-v-casual.its publishers wanting a safe bet for their investment.hardcore gamers may play them,because they're hardcore,they play almost everything.

im not sure where this idea comes from that games are "small time"(ive heard it a few times arround here) and havent been competing with the "big boys"(movies/music).

some people obviously havent seen the numbers that gaming is bringing in.Halo 2 for example was the largest single day money maker in all of the entertainments industry's history(bigger than any album release or movie premier),Halo 3 looks to smash its predecessors record.

....halo isnt an isolated example either.the industry is huge.

proto-

just because there has been alot of shooters put out in recent times doesnt mean all FPS fans are pleased.

im personally into "realistic tactical shooters".the last one that was made on a console was what?America's Army or OFP?both were fairly low budget PC ports.any more people in my sub-genre get junk like Vegas and GRAW as examples of "realistic shooters"....please.not that those games are junk,but as examples of "realistic tactical shooters" they are.

3rd person cams,regen health,headshot accuracy across the map while standing and moving....thats not hardcore or realistic.its the "more accessible model".

That's a pretty good theory, RahnAetas.

I feel kinda stuck in the middle--I don't really enjoy games like Cooking Mama, but I don't want my whole collection to be Halo clones. Sure, Halo and Gears of War are fun, but that's about all the shooting games I need.

I miss the days when platformers were big. The Original and X series of Mega Man were both great. I also love Earthworm Jim 1 & 2 because they don't take themselves too seriously and can actually make me laugh. I also like the Banjo-Kazooie, Super Mario, and Donkey Kong series. I often find these so-called "kiddie" games to be more enjoyable and entertaining than violent and menacing games.

I consider myself a pretty serious gamer, but my favorite types of games are few and far between. FPS fans need to realize that they have been pretty lucky in the past few years, and maybe start to realize that gamers like me have been getting ignored for years.

EazyD91- "Let me guess, you only have a wii?

Nope. I have a Wii and a 360. So far on the 360 I have played Call of Duty 2 and 3, Ultimate Alliance, Gears of War, Perfect Dark and Forza. I liked all of these games but they mostly seemed like games from last generation with better graphics. Gears of War was different because I've never played a game like that before but it seems like if you just dimmed the graphics it could be done on a last gen system. Besides that all of the differences I've noticed are things like more enemies, barrels getting shot down, better graphics and sound.

Casuals and "non-gamers" like to game too. The video game industry has been moving in the wrong direction for a long time. Creating sequel, after sequel, after spin-off, after clone of another game served to do nothing more but to shrink the market of gamers out there.

What was happening was that developers a relatively small gaming market and only made games for people who liked (insert name of game) The problem is that these games would not attract new gamers. They would only attract the gamers who had bought (insert name of game) minus a few people who had their fill last time around.
The hardcore demographic is pretty much headed to an implosion. Casuals grow the gaming market, and the size of the hardcore demographic as well. As casuals who step into gaming, may find themselves really liking games and thus become hardcore in the process. What the new hardcore ends up being is still in the air. If it's hardcore brain-training people, well, we'll just end up with people who can do math and problem solve at really insane levels of speed.

Well, there goes the hardcore games and gamers. Hopefully once they lose us hardcores they'll realize how stupid they were.

sure i dont like the direction nintendo is going, but its not all their fault. casual gamers just dont have the skill to play "hard" hardcore games =]

The more causal games, the more games that I can play while have coffee. I can't play and eat if i'm playing a game like Gears of War where it seems like every second counts. Plus that also means you can let someone else play it for you to get those points for you it you have a 360 (your wife, or brother, sister, mother, father, ect...).

AnubanUT-

atleast you're amusing,i'll give you that.still simple though....kind of like a "casual game".

yeah,im the one making specious arguments?

with examples and references.....while you make assumptions and call names.

who's the smug "elitist" here?

i want you to have your simple little distractions,i just dont want them molded from once great games.

casuals may grow the industry.but we will always be the base,the solid foundation,the backbone,the bedrock...

the hard...core,if you will. ; )

hows that for specious? : )

btw-i may have missed it somehwere,but i think you're putting words into proto's mouth.

carrierj1 "I think the lack in innovation in the functions of the 360 and PS3 are exactly what this article is about. These systems have updated sound and graphics. I haven't played a game on those systems yet that does anything a game last generation couldn't do."

lol what a fanboy statement. Let me guess, you only have a wii?

I think the lack in innovation in the functions of the 360 and PS3 are exactly what this article is about. These systems have updated sound and graphics. I haven't played a game on those systems yet that does anything a game last generation couldn't do.

Makes sense. It seems as for this year 7 out of the top 20 games are casual games, 7 are sports games 3 of them being Nascar 2008, and 6 are hardcore games 5 which are for Nintendo systems and one for the PS2. Hardcore gamers are in the minority and it seems as if most people who have 360s and PS3s are sports game fans.

I think this is just the first phase to getting everyone to not freakin HATE gaming. I mean, it starts with casual games, and then someone makes a "gateway" game that will take the casual gamers to the hardcore. So, I'd say that either the end of this generation or the beginning of the next, the casual will become hardcore. Just wait and see..........

I hate casual gamers and casual games, they are destroying the gaming industry. Hardcore gaming for life!

hardcore gamers will soon become extinct if this continues.

"publishers have misplaced focus on hardcore segment."

I disagree!

Jermwarfare -

You know what man ... you are a total idiot and you are so far off base it is funny. My view is not simplistic in the least and I also said that in addition to the increases in difficulty that no options had to be explored as well. Try reading everything a person says before you try and make yourself look like you know what you are talking about. You don't ... it is that simple. But considering you are an elitist hardcore gamer I am not surprised in the least. You can't even understand simple logic ... like that proto said. You are really lost and out of touch about gaming but hey like I said that is tpo be expected .... at least from a wise guy who only uses specious arguments to defend what he is saying.

proto-

well,i dont consider scripted and linear play to be "hardcore".maybe we're talking about 2 different things.im not talking about adult themes/stories and violence.im talking about deep,complex,and demanding gameplay.

of those you named i can say many have become far less so(demanding/complex),relative to past games...

R6 and GR are great examples(favorites of mine).

they've have added things like regen health,scripted and linear play rather than open ended depth,and are far more forgiving and less "harcore" than their predecessors.....all in attempt to draw more casuals.

there are many other examples.

favorites of mine being sold out to draw in novices.rather than building a new game for more casual gamers(which wouldnt bother me in the slightest) they cash out on series that were built by hardcore gamers.....once again,leaving us out in the cold.

jermwarfare:
Well, there's always going to be sub-par movie-themed games. I was referring to games like:

Gears of War, God of War II, Resistance, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Bioshock, Mass Effect, The Darkness, Resident Evil 5, Virtua Fighter 5, Final Fantasy XIII, Halo 3, Grand Theft Auto IV, Metal Gear Solid 4, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Tom Clancy's GRAW and Rainbow Six Vegas, Call of Duty 3, Dead or Alive 4, Command and Conquer 3, F.E.A.R., Hitman: Blood Money, Lost Planet, Tekken 5, Manhunt 2, etc.

I don't know if those fit your definition of "hardcore," but they seem like pretty complex and serious games to me. I mean, they're not exactly games that a casual gamer could really get into.

I understand how you feel about the changing game industry, because a similar thing happened to me. With the rise of Sony and Microsoft, comical and lighthearted games got thrown out the window in favor of shooters, sports, and racing. There are still a few clever and funny games nowadays, but most American gamers are looking for games that are dark and foreboding.

anubanUT-

i guess it shouldnt surprise me that such a simplistic view would be put forth by a self-proclaimed "casual".

thinking that everyone can be satisfied with something as simple as difficulty settings shows a complete lack of understanding when it comes to game design.

sorry,but contrived elements to increase difficulty isnt what the "hardcore" are looking for....no more than adding foul language would make a disney film ideal for an adult audience.

its much easier to make a deep and demanding game with optional features to make the game easier for casuals,than to do things the other way arround(which is whats happening).making the game more difficult doesnt equate to making it more complex.

protoman...

most of the games coming out on the 360 and ps3 are not "hardcore".atleast not relative to earlier iterations in the same series.

thats the point.

even on "a system for the hard core",accessibility is now king.

I don't understand what all the fuss is about. If you don't like casual games, don't buy them. Look at all the "hardcore" titles for 360 and PS3! Those consoles were designed specifically for you!

There will always be challenging and complex games--from The Legend of Zelda all the way up to today's RPG's. In my opinion, there will always be developers out there who want to make "hardcore" games. These developers are often gamers themselves, and they're not going to sit by and watch a bunch of shoddy games come out.

Like I said earlier, I expect this all to be one big fad. And if it isn't, who cares? It's not like Bungie and Epic Games are going to suddenly turn around and produce party games.

All the complaining in the world will do nothing. We just have to keep playing our favorite games and see what happens.

"elitist"?

some of you "casuals" need to take a look in the mirror...

making assumptions about peoples lives and education(or lack there of).

the casual market is highly coveted these days,there are plenty of games for you and there will be a plethera more to come.

the animosity comes from the fact that its at our expense much of the time.games are consistantly becoming more accessible(dumbed down).just because i dont want to play the same games as my 4 y/0,or that some novice can "pick up and play" doesnt make me an elitist.....it just makes you a novice.

there is plenty of room for everyone,the problem is the industry seems to have a one track mind.right now they're in love with people who cant be bothered with or are unable to appreciate deep and demanding play.

Fear? If anyone is showing fear is you hardcore gamers ... threatened by the fact that casual gamers have had enough of you folks and your elitest attitudes and your specious arguments that you hardcore gamers will have nothing to play ... get serious. STOP LYING ..... that really bugs the sh!t out of me. You will still have your MGS4, and your RE5 and Halo 3 on legendary and Gears on Insane, etc etc ... so please stop with the lying crap and stop trying to get us to feel sorry for hardcore gamers for no reason at all. You are just going to have to accept the fact that the industry is going to start paying real attention to the needs and desires of the casual gamers ... and man does it feel good to know that is what is happening .. even among the releases like Heavenly Sword, Liar, Mass Effect, Bioshock, CoD 4, Blacksite 21, and so many other games that are coming that are meant to seriously challenge gamers (they will all have some super hard setting to satisfy your hardcore needs) you hardcore gamers are still crying. It is really laughable ... you just want the industry to cater to your desires only ... sorry but it doesn't work that way and you had better start getting used to it.

Ok sorry, maybe that article was a little too long, but hey, I'm not an "elitist", Im just a gamer who doesn't want to have a big shortage of good, challenging games! That's all. And I dont hate casual games, I just think that there shouldn't be too many of em.

Again, sorry for that big ass comment. I was a little bored today waiting for some package in the mail.

Sure, with a lot of hardcore-driven stuff, The Casuals will be "left out", but what the hell about US? We are the people who started this freakin' industry, so it's up to us to keep it alive!!!!

Making games "easier and more accessible" will definately enlarge the casual market, but us hardcores are gonna have nothing to play. Nothing to have fun with. Nothing to look forward to.

So I want everybody here to think about this for a minute, as well as everyone who reads this message: Think about the last 20 years and the not-too-distant future. When me and some of my friends were kids so many years ago, we were instantly into video games, and we loved them for their challenge, and their complexity. We also loved how they used these two factors as a means to express artistic value. It has been this way for several years.

But unfortunately, We were made fun of at school, called geeks, nerds whatever you wanna call it. Even our parents thought these games were "a waste of time". That's right. Never considered the possibility that MAYBE they're not so different than their movies and books. Nobody ever acknowledged that.

But then I first saw the Wii, and the DS, and so on... I was rather excited, and I got a Wii and It was a very fun console, and I decided that "hey, first person shooters and RPG's are perfect for this thing!"

But then I see more and more articles and ads and whatnot about the Game industry being used to appeal to "casual and nongamers" and Immediately I was both dissapointed and threatened - The constant emotional torture that I had to endure from people from my childhood and family, their senseless discrimination are all coming back to haunt me again.

I believe hardcore gamers have a right to keep what is theirs - A lifelong hobby that should and will not be stolen from a group of people who look down upon them so senselessly, and yet, so ignorantly...

Just what is this "fear" that all casual and nongamers have against the game industry? Is it the controllers and their buttons? Is it the whole Nerd or Geek idea that drives people away? Or maybe it's just the blind instinct to believe in popular opinion suggested by various celebrities and forms of media?

Nintendo and so many other game companies and publishers believe that they can "expand the gaming market" and appeal to these COWARDS. Instead, what they are really doing is trying to make people like me and my friends scared. Trying to make us look even worse by robbing us of our hobbies and paying little attention to hardcore games.

I just don't think I can stand to loose interest in a hobby that I have enjoyed for many years and to see my friends with nothing to do when they have time to kill. And unless you are stupid enough to call tetris clones , Mario bros. ripoffs, and countless piles of Puzzle games to be "new and innovative video games", I think this "primary focus on casual gaming" is sure as hell going to benefit business, but not Hardcore gamers like myself, a title that I am proud to have in this age.

Yeah the game developers shouldn't listen to college educated people who study trends for a living and have done well enough in life that they are in demand for their skills ... heaven forbid the industry use common sense and listen to intelligent people and instead listen to a group of whining hardcore gamers ... many of whom have not finished high school let alone gotten a college degree in any field ... yet they have the nerve to put down folks who have taken that extra leap in education. That really makes sense ... yeah ... you hardcore gamers don't have an agenda ... you want games to be made for everyone to play ... yeah right! Please. I would much rather listen to an intelligent analyst then some elitest hardcore gamer who only cares that games are made to their specs and screw everyone else. It is sad. But thankfully the industry is paying attention to the correct things and not listening to a bunch of blowhards looking to hold onto to that last thing that makes them special and sets them apart from the rest of us ... their so-called excellence in video gaming ... ooohhh I am so intimidated. NOT!


If all you hardcore gamers are so good then become pro gamers or please just keep your ridiculous selfishness to yourselves ... the time of the casual gamer is upon us ... either deal with or stop gaming because there is nothing your whining can do to prevent us casual gamers from being included in all the future fun.

I'm not saying all casual games are bad, heck, look at games like Geometry Wars and Hexic. Those games are awesome, but the problem is that for every one Geometry Wars there are about two dozen mediocre clones that try to be like Geometry Wars. That is what caused the first videogame industry crash. the market was flooded with garbage videogame titles that nobody wanted and the average consumer eventually lost interest. My hope is that game developers will not listen to fly-by-night analyists who know nothing about videogames, and keep on doing what they do best.

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

@helium_flash I get what your saying, but I still feel that games are not that complex for people to learn. To me it seems like they dont want to take the time to learn the controls. I dont mind a game or two that you can just pick up and play. I like some of them. But it seems like the "hardcore" crowd gets looked down upon at times and we sometimes suffer for it game wise.

for those who say....

"anything that grows gaming is good for the hardcore market as well as casuals"...

it sounds like a good theory,but you are completely missing the trend thats been going on for years.

"hardcore games" are already few and far between imo.many of the games that once offered alot of depth and complexity have already been dumbed down for the sake of accessibility.

if the industry starts catering even more to the casual market,us hardcore will be pushed out into the cold.....i mean we've already been pushed into the basement.what makes anyone think we wont be even more alienated in the future?

thinking that this type of ....thinking is good for all gamers is having your head burried in the sand,or just showing that maybe you are a casual gamer.

btw-im talking about the trend over the last 5-10 years,not the last 20.obviously games have become more complex since we started playing with a single joystick/button.but games now tend to be alot more "casual friendly" than those form the last gen or the ones before etc....

somejobro: some bought the GC to pay Metroid.. Technically that was an FPS.

Just wanted to add: I think Sony's Home has potential. They need to offer a lot of free variety..or nobody will like it. If everyone starts out in jeans and tee, and has to pay $4 just to get a new outfit? bad. But start out with dozens of choices that gives ppl the feeling of being unique.. focus on sales of in-Home games and software.. Later add some "unique" for-pay clothing options.. At this point ppl will buy them to stand out from the crowd.

Will be interesting.

Once more,the "hardcore" gamers here are whining about a non-existent threat from "casual" games.So-called "casual"games have always been around.Even on the Atari 2600 for every Combat or Adventure you had a Codebreakers or Basic Math.It wasn't until the media put the "casual game" label on them that it became this "us vs. them" thing.If you want shooters or other "hardcore" games buy a 360 or even a PS3 and don't look to Nintendo.Up until a year ago Nintendo was being referred to as a "kiddie" game company.No one bought a Gamecube to play a FPS.(If you did:Why?)When you buy a Nintendo system you know what you get :a Mario game, A Zelda game, maybe a Metroid game,a bunch of Mario-themed filler,and one token "mature" game.Nintendo is what they always were: safe,family-friendly, and absolutely not even approaching"hardcore".So you see a few more puzzle games on the shelf now or maybe your dad buys a DS to play Clubhouse Games.Whoopdee-friggin-doo.Go play Gears Of War and stop crying.

I agree with the headline, but when I read the story here I'm like huh?" Korea is not a good example. Korea is either proof that: a) hardcore gaming can grow substantially if marketed correctly to a casual population, or b) Korea just happens to be a country with a ton of hardcore gamers already.

Casual game players want cheap, small, quick games.. Micropayments can work, but only for things of real value, like songs (ala ringtones). No casual gamer will care enough aboout a game to buy a virtual sword..assuming they'd even play a game involving swords.

I'm thinking sudoku might be a bigger hit. And charging for a pink background .. won't sell too well. Charging for "puzzle packs" will, if priced reasonably. my 2 cents.

I'd say the casual market's explosion has already started and will indeed continue to grow at a fast pace. The growth of the casual market will undoubtedly benefit the gaming industry as a whole. Whether or not the casuals just buy a Wii or DS for one or two games does not matter because the casual market has the potential to be so much larger than the hardcore market.

Sorry, but they're dead wrong...

... This whole analytical assessment smacks of "tech bubble".

I support the comment NonSpog did, I mean we had this situation before, when the king of consoles was SNES: develop a SNES game was far too cheap that many crappy games we're published, but then came the good titles like StarFox, Chrono Trigger, and so on.
Hardcore gamers: I respect you all, but we need to see the good stuff, we needed Doom, Duke Nukem, Quake, Unreal Tournament and so many shooters to be created before we could get games like Halo, Crysis, etc.
I think this is good sh*t and history will be repeated.

Nintendo already knows this

@ LuNcHbOx313.

Games these days are a lot more complex. Controllers have 10+ different buttons and no casual or nongames will know what to do or how to play. If you want the game industry to continue to be an after-thought to be big boys (music, movies, tv, ect), fine. But i think that most gamers will be willing to give up the spot-lights to expand the industry.