Is Call of Duty a series for casual gamers?

When I first saw flyable helicopters in Black Ops, I was thrilled. It's been a while since I've played an FPS where I could fly a helicopter (so maybe I'm an on again, off again gamer, but it hasn't been since Battlefield Vietnam). I then watched an interview where the developer said the helicopters were going to automatically adjust elevation for you. Basically, helicopters are going to be on a track to make it easy for people to fly. That doesn't sound very hard core to me and I find this decision dissapointing. The first time I tried to fly a helicopter in Battlefield Vietnam, I crashed. I crashed quite a few times before I got the hang of it,but I still had fun learning how to fly the helicopters and it brought another dimension to the game (one more thing for you to do). Plus, once you got good at it, you felt like you accomplished something. That's an experience you will not get from Black Ops, and I find it strange since they hire ritired army to make the game more authentic.

Call of Dutygames are also entirely scripted and sometimes micromanaged. No matter what you do, your path is pre-determined. How is that hard core? Personally, I'd prefer it if they left thecinematic experience to the movies and focussed on gameplay (what games should be about). Let me make decisions that affect the game, please. Even Disney's Epic Mickey allows me to do that.

We all know casual sells. Just look at the Wii. Could CoD games achieve the level of sales it does if it were really a hard core game?

It is, but not as much as say Halo. Halo is by far the most casual of all the popular shooters. Games like Socom are made more for the hardcore.

Not really. That they have been tailoring it to appeal more to casual gamers is true, but it hasn't crossed the line to become a casual game. Actually I can't even think how a FPS could be a casual game. Maybe make it like a rail-shooter with a DOOM like system where you just aim in one dimension, or something else kinda like that?????? Now you made me think.......:?

Not really. That they have been tailoring it to appeal more to casual gamers is true, but it hasn't crossed the line to become a casual game. Actually I can't even think how a FPS could be a casual game.

glez13

Not really, it appeals to them though. Easy to get into and simple.

no but mw2 is :P

[QUOTE="glez13"]

Not really. That they have been tailoring it to appeal more to casual gamers is true, but it hasn't crossed the line to become a casual game. Actually I can't even think how a FPS could be a casual game.

YuriSH

Yes. Something like that is the only thing that comes to mind.

It is, but not as much as say Halo. Halo is by far the most casual of all the popular shooters. Games like Socom are made more for the hardcore.

Gamtrix

Wait a minute....

You are saying that Halo is more casual than CoD?

Ok, Now I've heard it all.....

Yes, it's about as casual as shooters get, the single player at least. The gameplay is so linear that not knowing where to go in a level is almost literally impossible, and the game holds you by the hand a lot in terms of instructions and support from NPCs. It features cannon-fodder AI, simplistic objectives, and very easy gunplay (there's barely any recoil and the accuracy of every weapon is near perfect, enemies fall after a few hits). Call of Duty pretty much defines fast-paced, easily accessible, simple and straightforward gameplay in FPS, so in this sense it's about as casual as you can get.

Not saying this is a bad thing, by the way, but it's not my prefered breed of shooter.

If being easy to pick up and play means it's for casuals, then sure...Doom_HellKnight

Well yes this could be another possibility. It being "casual", as in making it casual by force :twisted:

So if easy to pick=casual and CoD=easy to pick, then CoD=casual.

This is fact, since it follows logic.;)

[QUOTE="Gamtrix"]

It is, but not as much as say Halo. Halo is by far the most casual of all the popular shooters. Games like Socom are made more for the hardcore.

siddhu33

Wait a minute....

You are saying that Halo is more casual than CoD?

Ok, Now I've heard it all.....

[QUOTE="Doom_HellKnight"]If being easy to pick up and play means it's for casuals, then sure...glez13

Well yes this could be another possibility. It being "casual", as in making it casual by force :twisted:

So if easy to pick=casual and CoD=easy to pick, then CoD=casual.

This is fact, since it follows logic.;)

[QUOTE="glez13"]

[QUOTE="Doom_HellKnight"]If being easy to pick up and play means it's for casuals, then sure...YuriSH

Well yes this could be another possibility. It being "casual", as in making it casual by force :twisted:

So if easy to pick=casual and CoD=easy to pick, then CoD=casual.

This is fact, since it follows logic.;)

Even Wii Sports takes some getting used to when you first play it, so I don't think this is relevant unless it's the first time they ever play games.

[QUOTE="glez13"]

[QUOTE="Doom_HellKnight"]If being easy to pick up and play means it's for casuals, then sure...YuriSH

Well yes this could be another possibility. It being "casual", as in making it casual by force :twisted:

So if easy to pick=casual and CoD=easy to pick, then CoD=casual.

This is fact, since it follows logic.;)

I don't know. Sure, it might take some getting used to, but part of that is because dual analogs don't work very well for FPSs. It does, however, seem that anybody will be able to get in to a helicopter and fly one with no preoblem in Black Ops.

Sadly, yes. Call of Duty 1 and United offensive was the peak of the series. After Call of Duty 2 with health regeneration, it all went downhill.

COD 2 and onward are the definition of casual games.

Even Wii Sports takes some getting used to when you first play it, so I don't think this is relevant unless it's the first time they ever play games.

DraugenCP

of course it is.

[QUOTE="DraugenCP"]

Even Wii Sports takes some getting used to when you first play it, so I don't think this is relevant unless it's the first time they ever play games.

YuriSH

It's a casual game aimed at casual gamers who think they are hard core because they can master a bloody yet simple FPS.

Do you really think CoD is a casual game? lol Seriously?

YuriSH

And do you really think CoD isn't?

I'd say it's more for people with low standards, and casuals fit into that group.

[QUOTE="YuriSH"]

Do you really think CoD is a casual game? lol Seriously?

N30F3N1X

And do you really think CoD isn't?

There is no way for CoD to be an actual casual game. Unless you follow a system similar to the one I described earlier.

[QUOTE="YuriSH"]

Do you really think CoD is a casual game? lol Seriously?

N30F3N1X

And do you really think CoD isn't?

"Hardcore" is being thrown around again I see.....

It is, but not as much as say Halo. Halo is by far the most casual of all the popular shooters. Games like Socom are made more for the hardcore.

Gamtrix

ok, so a man who made 3 threads saying how ps3 is the most superior system bashes halo, i lol'd

on topic though, yes it is a casual game, as casual as it can get

Yeah, no bullet drop, regenerating health, perks, killstreaks, unrealistically fast gun swapping, unrealistic range for guns, infinite run (if I remember correctly), camp friendly, etc.

All of these things make the game casual to me.

Edit: I do not agree that it's as casual as a game can get, and I do not believe a game being casual is a bad thing.

[QUOTE="Gamtrix"]

It is, but not as much as say Halo. Halo is by far the most casual of all the popular shooters. Games like Socom are made more for the hardcore.

HailedJohnDman

ok, so a man who made 3 threads saying how ps3 is the most superior system bashes halo, i lol'd

on topic though, yes it is a casual game, as casual as it can get

[QUOTE="iammason"]Call of Duty is fairly hard core in it's own rights. Those who say it's casual are just haters since the game is so mainstream now. I'm not even going to bother voting because it's obviously a land slide vote. And if it was that casual, my fiance would be able to play. And what's wrong with a linear game? Just because you don't get to make a choice, doesn't make it a terrible game.Sp4rtan_3

Yes.But keep in mind thatcasual games appeal to casual and core gamers while core games only appeal to core gamers.

No it is not. Just because it's easy to play for you guys doesn't mean it's easy for casuals. They tend to have lack of coordination when dealing with controllers and I've seen this plenty of times to know it isn't as casual as people think it is. Games like Duck Hunt and Time Crisis I'd say is more casual than CoDYuriSH

It's easy to play for my CLASSMATES. People who has never, ever, touched a game, and only tried it with my laptop at school.

If you really believe it's not casual, then you should check how in touch with reality you are.

[QUOTE="YuriSH"]No it is not. Just because it's easy to play for you guys doesn't mean it's easy for casuals. They tend to have lack of coordination when dealing with controllers and I've seen this plenty of times to know it isn't as casual as people think it is. Games like Duck Hunt and Time Crisis I'd say is more casual than CoDN30F3N1X

It's easy to play for my CLASSMATES. People who has never, ever, touched a game, and only tried it with my laptop at school.

If you really believe it's not casual, then you should check how in touch with reality you are.

Play some Hardcore modes in any CoD game. That is pretty darn hardcore if you ask me.iammason

I *only* play hardcore in CoD4...didn't bother with WaW and MW2.

[QUOTE="YuriSH"]No it is not. Just because it's easy to play for you guys doesn't mean it's easy for casuals. They tend to have lack of coordination when dealing with controllers and I've seen this plenty of times to know it isn't as casual as people think it is. Games like Duck Hunt and Time Crisis I'd say is more casual than CoDN30F3N1X

It's easy to play for my CLASSMATES. People who has never, ever, touched a game, and only tried it with my laptop at school.

If you really believe it's not casual, then you should check how in touch with reality you are.

[QUOTE="iammason"]Play some Hardcore modes in any CoD game. That is pretty darn hardcore if you ask me.N30F3N1X

I *only* play hardcore in CoD4...didn't bother with WaW and MW2.

Call of Duty is fairly hard core in it's own rights. Those who say it's casual are just haters since the game is so mainstream now. I'm not even going to bother voting because it's obviously a land slide vote. And if it was that casual, my fiance would be able to play. And what's wrong with a linear game? Just because you don't get to make a choice, doesn't make it a terrible game.iammason

About the linearity. That doesn't indicate a game being casual in itself, but the hand holding way in which CoD does it is. Moreover, there's a big difference between linear games that subtlely push you in the right direction (Half-Life 2) and games that violently push you into the only right path as every alternative route is blocked off by machine gun turrets and even invisible walls.

Also, I don't think 'casual' necessarily means that anyone can play it. It depends entirely on your definition, but I usually see casual gamers as people who don't spend a lot of time gaming, and only stick to familiar blockbuster titles such as Halo, GTA, and indeed CoD. I'd classify people who usually never even go near video games as non-gamers.

Play some Hardcore modes in any CoD game. That is pretty darn hardcore if you ask me.iammason

'Hardcore' and 'hard' are not the same thing.