when is this casual gaming plauge going to stop?

[Dracovec]

I completely disagree with what you are saying for a number of reasons

1: "casual" gaming, while more popular than ever before is not a problem. Yes it has resulted in an increase of shovelware but that shovelware has paid for many of the "hardcore" games we love. In addition casual gaming has no effect on anyone who reads review scores and pays attention to what they buy instead of just walking into gamestop and buying whatever looks cool.

2: Games are much longer than they have ever been before and contain much more advanced stories. Just look at Bioware or Quantic Dream: Mass Effect and Dragon Age can last hundreds of hours and contain stories on par with if not better than most movies, and Heavy Rain has an amazing story and an unimaginable amount of replay value.

Therefore while "casual" gaming has helped increase the amount of shovelware in videogames. "Hardcore" gaming is just as popular as ever and while yes graphics are better and there is an influx of "samey" shooters, the length and stories of games are infinitely better today than in the days of pac-man or even super mario 64.

play old rps...way more involved than anything now planescape,fallout2,hell ff6 the stories are far more advanced to be honest mass effect and dragon age have been done before at least story concept,slight changes..and i have never had dragon age last more than 30 or mass effect last more than twenty and replay is just like any other game lets do the same thing again but this time ill do it slightly different and heavy rain is exactly the same no matter which way you play it watched my friend do it twice ending...always the same unless you screw up lol..and dont care about reviews dont play demos or watch trailers rather see the finished product first

 

[StarofAzura]

Sorry, but the answer to that question is "never".

 

[SecondmateFlint]

If people are enjoying the games they are playing, what does it matter to you?

In my opinion, if you can't find a game that comes out that you like, you aren't looking hard enough. I just don't think it's fair to say which genre is better than others. It's all a matter of tastes.

If you consider casual games to be a "plague" on gaming, then you are taking things way to seriously. Games are supposed to be fun guys, don't worry about what other people are doing.

There's my two cents, take them how you will.

 

[SonicWaffle]

this is true to a point and i agree i love gaming and love some fucking terrible games lol and my comment was this- remember when there was more than 2 games a month that came out that were longer than 2-3 hours,had real stories,and had original,well balanced,un-generic game play...i miss those days-and trying to find games i really enjoy is getting harder and harder and i have tried not to attack any titles in specific aiming more at the mass of what i see and how its a hour long debate to find a game for me to buy usually walking back out when even while ps2 was the current i could find a couple games i realy enjoyed every week or so

Last few games I've bought;

Dragon Age: Origins - played for around 30-35 hours. Deeply immersive, great characters, interesting storyline. Fun to play.
Oblivion - played for around 60 hours. Deeply immersive also, loads to do, not perfect by any means but still fun.
Mass Effect 2 - great game, about 40 hours. Fun combat, RPG elements worked, fantastic storyline and characters.
Batman: Arkham Asylum - Not as long as the other, probably about 20 hours, but the gameplay was fantastic. Atmosphere was good, storyline a little lacking but it gets some slack for being based on a comic book.

I also pre-ordered Red Dead Redemption, and it looks fucking fantastic. Huge, beautiful Wild West open-world setting. Lots of missions, side-missions, interesting characters and storylines. Basicaly, eveything that you claim mode games aren't.

So your claim that all games are unbalanced, short and badly scripted is incredibly easy to shoot down. All you have to do is actually play some of these games, and it'll become very obvious to you that you're mis-judging the industry.

Still, the point remains, why do you care about casual gaming? If people enjoy what they play then fuck it. Let them. It seems your problem is that you don't enjoy gaming, and haven't bothered to investigate any games that you might enjoy.

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

Can we get MovieBob in here? I am sick and tired of this whole casual/hardcore debate.

Everyone has a right to enjoy video games. There's nothing wrong with a Wii Sports Resort coming out once in a while.

 

[Dracovec]

but for real this time im out....thanks for all the replies and i leave with this gaming is in an interesting phase where anything can happen i am proud to be a gamer and hope that this thread hasnt pissed anyone off alot lol we all have our opinions which i respect and i hope all of our gaming wishes come true and exceed our expectations
and to be honest the issue doesnt really piss me off that much lol things will swing around and eventually one way or another gaming will level out and be great for everyone
have an awesome day to all
Mr.Samson

 

[Mr.Petey]

Apart from the words "casual strategy game" which make me shiver like somebody put the heating down a few degrees, this market of gaming has opened the mind of those who shun gaming and consider it beneath them.
Even now, the term gamer can still be a stigma to some (my parents for instance who've never tried a game, not since the Amstrad days anyway) and casual gaming can be a proverbial stepping stone into this form of electronic entertainment, as I know how intimidating some online gaming communities/services can be to the newcomer.
So no, I don't feel there are too many casual games abound. Yes it wouldn't kill some developers to put some time and effort into their products to produce something less repetitive and deeper game play aspects, but until then...things could be a lot worse couldn't they

 

[Dracovec]

this is true to a point and i agree i love gaming and love some fucking terrible games lol and my comment was this- remember when there was more than 2 games a month that came out that were longer than 2-3 hours,had real stories,and had original,well balanced,un-generic game play...i miss those days-and trying to find games i really enjoy is getting harder and harder and i have tried not to attack any titles in specific aiming more at the mass of what i see and how its a hour long debate to find a game for me to buy usually walking back out when even while ps2 was the current i could find a couple games i realy enjoyed every week or so

Last few games I've bought;

Dragon Age: Origins - played for around 30-35 hours. Deeply immersive, great characters, interesting storyline. Fun to play.
Oblivion - played for around 60 hours. Deeply immersive also, loads to do, not perfect by any means but still fun.
Mass Effect 2 - great game, about 40 hours. Fun combat, RPG elements worked, fantastic storyline and characters.
Batman: Arkham Asylum - Not as long as the other, probably about 20 hours, but the gameplay was fantastic. Atmosphere was good, storyline a little lacking but it gets some slack for being based on a comic book.

I also pre-ordered Red Dead Redemption, and it looks fucking fantastic. Huge, beautiful Wild West open-world setting. Lots of missions, side-missions, interesting characters and storylines. Basicaly, eveything that you claim mode games aren't.

So your claim that all games are unbalanced, short and badly scripted is incredibly easy to shoot down. All you have to do is actually play some of these games, and it'll become very obvious to you that you're mis-judging the industry.

Still, the point remains, why do you care about casual gaming? If people enjoy what they play then fuck it. Let them. It seems your problem is that you don't enjoy gaming, and haven't bothered to investigate any games that you might enjoy.

i dont care,i own all of those games and like them.. and i never said all games lol people came to that conclusion for themselves lol

 

[WafflesToo]

Oh, about the time self-righteous pricks stop posting to forums I'd say.

 

[linwolf]

Well as long as the number of good game that are coming out, is bigger than the number of games that I have the money to buy I don't care about the number of casual games.

 

[bruunwald]

See, what we're seeing here is the same fatigue experienced by anybody who overindulges in a single hobby or lifestyle choice.

I don't get bored of video games because I don't obssess over them all day long and I don't believe I have to play every piece of crap I see advertized.

You have other hobbies, interests, a job, or exit the house once in a while, and you don't get burnt out on any one thing.

 

[maninahat]

As a casual "split screen with the girlfriend only" or "drunken rockband with friends" type gamer, i must voice my strong feeling of exclusion and repression upon reading this thread.... :,(

You should feel excluded for having a girlfriend, that's mighty uncommon around these forums.

[/joke goddammit]

 

[veloper]

if enough gamers make themselves heared and also fork out money for the good games, then the industry may learn that real gamers still exist and are worth catering to.

 

[UberNoodle]

remember when there was more than 2 games a month that came out that were longer than 2-3 hours,had real stories,and had original,well balanced,un-generic game play...i miss those days

You are exagerating to an extreme. And if you want 'casual gaming' to go, then you can say goodbye to budgets, diversity and most of the emmerging game studios around today.

I have been gaming since Pong and honestly, when was this golden age of 'real stories' and 'originality'? They were rarely at the same time, that's for sure. Game stories are, for the most part, simplistic and functional, and they always have been. There were NEVER more than '2 games a month' with the qualities that you mention. Such titles were rare, and have always been rare.

And in terms of the 'plague', perhaps you want to plunge gaming back into the dark ages where it only appealed to sexually frustrated boys and man-children. This 'plague' is also known as 'equalisation' and it is slowly but surely finding balance. It is no different to 'teh casual' movies, music and books out there.

'Oh when oh when will the casual music, movies and books end?! I remember when every movie, album and novel was an example of sophisticated, 'hardcore' brilliance - even the ones for kids, the elderly, tired people just off work, and families, etc."

Yeah ... that makes no sense, so why should gaming be any different? No, I will rephrase that - gaming is NOT any different.

 

[wgreer25]

remember when there was more than 2 games a month that came out that were longer than 2-3 hours,had real stories,and had original,well balanced,un-generic game play...i miss those days

No, I don't remember those days, because they never existed. Every console ever made has always had a disproportionate number of dull, unbalanced, or just plain bad games for every good game made.

Exactly this. I've been gaming for over 25 years, and those times never existed. The ratio of good to bad games is about the same now as it was 10 years ago. The industry is just a little more mainstream.

 

[UberNoodle]

Can we get MovieBob in here? I am sick and tired of this whole casual/hardcore debate.

Everyone has a right to enjoy video games. There's nothing wrong with a Wii Sports Resort coming out once in a while.

I agree, and realy, there's nothing wrong with such games coming out MORE than a 'once in while'. I do not see threads like this in any other media forums. I don't see film fans whinging because Disney made another pop idol movie. I don't see people crying because Robert Rodriguez made several Spy Kids movies. No other media type nurtures fans who feel that they must 'play everying' and everything must 'suit them'. Why is it that GAMING DOES? What the heck is wrong with the logic processors in so many gamers' brains.

OH NO there are games for pretty much everyone! NEWS FLASH: there always HAS BEEN, but perhaps many gamers grew out of them and yet now fail to realise how 'teh casual' those games really were. And there always has been games of the ilk of Tetris and so on. Now, developers would like to put more effort into a balanced, healthy and inclusive industry. The way that the so-called 'hardcore' want it, would signal the End.

And hardcore games aren't getting fewer. Look how many come out in a year. It is about the same as it always was, and even if it there were less of them, it is no wonder considering how much money is sunk into them. And where does that money come from? It comes from a wholistic industry designed to be inclusive, not exclusive.

Perhaps that is the real problem here: bruised egos.

 

[EBHughsThe1st]

Plague?
The gray-fps is the plague.
I really don't understand these "hardcore folk" who shun a company they've stood by for releasing a casual game. That aint hardcore, that's elitist.
Anyway, open your eyes, man. The games that are hard and last long exist. Go find them instead of going here.

 

[blood77]

I say just rent an undersea bunker, stock it with food and older games + consoles, and wait out until people become motivated again.

nahh to stuffy and dont get me wrong i buy and or play a lot of new games every month and find good in some and bad in some...i love gaming and its an exciting time to be a gamer especially one who started on and old apple and an atari it could go a lot of ways but i do believe things getting so large and marketable will make the need for companies to make really involved,heavy story,adventure games die because the gamers like myself need more from games than bang bang,and twinkly rows of jewels to keep us going the old saying not dying with a bang but with a whisper comes to mind

Sadly though, gamers like yourself are not in the majority. And equally as sad the gaming industry, like any successful industry, is obsessed with making money. Thus, if companies can still make some by spitting out bland version of other games then they will continue to do it.

Thankfully there are still enough creative and caring developers out there that make the gamer sphere bearable.

 

[TOGSolid]

Oddly enough this rant of hardcore vs casual, when dialed back a few years would have been originally discussed as "when is this console gaming plague going to stop." Now everyone else gets to go through what the PC gaming crowd went through as we watched our hobby get watered down by the industry's need to churn out games that mostly just appeal to the herpaderp masses.

I find it funny that you think that way considering console games were here first. To say that they watered down anything when they are the source is just silly. And, if we are going to be throwing around phrases like 'casual' and such, The Sims and WoW are some of the best selling games on your platform of choice AND no other platform is bogged down with as much Pop Cap gaming goodness as the PC. It is the platform of choice for most casual gamers (not saying there is anything wrong with being casual).

Ah, but there was a very clean break between the PC and console markets for a long time. The PC had its market share, and the consoles did their thing, and everything hummed along nicely. It's only with the latest console generation have we seen such a massive swing in how games are created and depending on which side of the fence you did most of your gaming, you either were introduced to game types you had never even seen before, or got to watch your hobby get watered down and gutted. To us PC gamers who have been at this for a long time, the invasion of the consoles was as annoying as the new trend towards making everything accessible and 'casual.'

As far as the PC being the primary platform of choice for casual gaming, that has a lot to do with the fact that most casual games require as much computer power as solitaire and most casual games tend to be browser based making them pretty much perfect for quick games to kill time and for fucking off at work.

You did miss my general point though. The influx of casuals and casual gaming isn't a big deal for anyone who was in my position a few years ago. It's honestly quite funny that I'm seeing dedicated console gamers cry about the subject when in all honesty, the majority of the industry has already 'gone casual' and watered games down to make everything as accessible as possible. See, to me, Splinter Cell: Conviction is a very casual game just because of how little real interaction and complexity there is to it. It's got all of the difficulty of a child's Harry Potter game. You push the same button to do basically everything and essentially have your hand held the whole way. MMOs are nothing but slightly more involved Zynga produced Facebook games. First person shooters in general keep getting progressively easier with every new iteration of the genre. RPGs are turning more and more into barely interactive movies rather than involved and deep experiences. RTSs thankfully are the last bastion of gaming goodness, but even then there have been attempts to water them down and make them easier for everyone so that they sell better (That Halo RTS and EndWar anyone?).

This is one of the better gens of gaming I have been through, and since I have been playing video games since the early 80's, I have been through about all of them. Anyone thinking that older generations had hit after hit is kidding themselves. Super Nintendo gets a lot of love from folks for example, some stating it was the best console ever, however for every Super Metroid, there was a Bart's Nightmare. For every Final Fantasy, there was a Ren and Stimpy game.

This gen has produced many quality games in rapid succession. Were the older games harder? Sure they were, but they were hard for all the wrong reasons most of the time, hard for reasons that gamers Today would complain about to no end. No save system for most games, cheap deaths, off screen enemies shooting you, limited lives, no continues, broken enemies, horrible controls, etc. How many times did you do a screen transition in the original Legend of Zelda, only to be placed directly upon a randomly generated enemy? How many times did you have to try to do a proper series of wall jumps in Super Metroid to climb out of a pit because the controls just weren't responsive enough? There are many more examples, but you get the general idea.

You want to make current gen games harder, this is what you do. Turn off the hint system (if you are able to) right when you get the game, turn the difficulty all the way to highest setting, TURN OFF AUTOSAVE AND DON'T SAVE YOUR GAME. When playing RPGs, never level up your skills and don't get any better equipment. Games are only piss easy these days because you would complain if they were too difficult on your anyway. *points to Yahtzee's review of Demon's Souls*.

You've got some good points here, but you do have to admit that gaming has also gotten easier in all the wrong ways too. Once again, just look at Splinter Cell: Conviction.
Now, some games do strike a happy balance of difficulty and accessibility, but they are slowly becoming the exception. It definitely seems like as time goes on, games are getting more and more 'casual oriented' because that's what sells. This "plague" has nothing to do with Sims/WoW/Zynga/etc. and everything to do with the fact that what sells these days are easy to get into games and it covers almost the entirety of gaming. It's just another step in the steady march towards the retardation of gaming.