These days, it’s impossible to ignore casual games. With the popularity of the Wii, and with Microsoft and Sony expanding their downloadable content offerings, casual gaming is growing into much more than just a niche market. However, this growth may come with a cost. As more money is made off casual gaming it's possible developers will begin investing a bigger percentage of their budget into their games. And this begs the question, will the growth in casual gaming be detrimental to the traditional, hardcore gamer?
A Growing Divide
Back in 1985, when the Nintendo Entertainment System was released, video games were simpler and much more accessible. Controllers had a D-pad and two buttons. Graphics were mostly limited to blocky side-scrollers and games with top down views. Press ‘A’, and you jump. Press ‘B’, and you shoot. Ask most girls in their mid twenties, and they’ll tell you they loved Super Mario Brothers 3 or Bubble Bobble. It was a simpler time, when games were primarily marketed to children, and they were easy enough that your sister could jump in for a few hours and not be intimidated.
But slowly games evolved. The Super Nintendo added ‘X’ and ‘Y’ buttons along with ‘L’ and ‘R’ buttons on the top of the controller. Pretty soon you had dual analog sticks along with your D-Pad and as many as four triggers. Games became 3D, and PC gaming took off with twitchy first person shooters and real time strategy games so complex they would take weeks to truly master. If you were a teenage boy learning and growing with each new trend and addition, you could keep up. But everyone else who just had a passing interest in video games was left behind to play their old consoles or maybe even a web based flash game.Games are now truly marketed to a hardcore audience. Games like Grand Theft Auto and Gears of War are mature, violent, and complex. We here at G4 and other gamers like us are thrilled to have such engaging and interactive experiences, and publishers are thrilled that we are buying them by the millions.
However, recently there has been a shift in the gaming landscape. With the introduction of the Nintendo Wii in late 2006, controls on a console were simplified for the first time ever. High-end graphics were not made a priority. And suddenly, people’s grandparents were playing Wii Sports. Stories from across the country told of entire families spending their Thanksgiving eating turkey and playing the Wii together. The Wii (along with the handheld DS) sold like crazy, broadening the gaming market to groups much larger than just men under the age of 35. Game makers took notice, and this development may force them to shift their strategies in response.Hard To Be Hardcore
The number of traditional of hardcore gamers is significant. The Playstation 2 sold over 120 million units, and both the X-Box 360 and Playstation 3 are selling rapidly in the current console war. However, while the install base of potential users is high, the development cost of games has skyrocketed. It is commonly estimated that a triple A title on either the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 costs between $15-20 million to develop. All it takes is for one game to flop and a studio can find itself in financial trouble. For example, Clover Studios, makers of Viewtiful Joe and the critically acclaimed Okami, was shut down in 2006 after its games just didn’t sell.
With games like the annual Madden sequel always amongst the best sellers, it often doesn’t make sense for big publishers who are beholden to the demands of shareholders to risk a huge amount of money on an original idea. Therefore, the hardcore gamer suffers as they are subjected to sequel after sequel of established IPs. Granted, we aren’t complaining about Call of Duty 4 or Halo 3, but good original games are what bring new players into the gaming audience. A game like Gears of War or Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune could appeal to someone who has never been that into games before, and as soon as they buy a system, it expands the market and lessens a developer’s risk.In addition, developers must be cautious in designing their games. While gamers often want either increased realism or fantasy levels of gore and violence, opportunistic politicians and uninformed media are quick to attack them as immoral. Part of the problem is that many people over the age of 40 believe that games are for kids, while a huge number of men over the age of 18 actually play them. It creates a problem when developers can’t create the mature games that their audience desires without subjecting themselves to attack. With all of the controversy that followed the GTA: San Andreas Hot Coffee mod, and the banning of Manhunt 2 in various countries; it’s safer for developers to create simple, family friendly games and not risk a backlash.
Casual Is In
“Casual games are really, really big. You can tell just by the size of the room we're in this year. The point here is we have the opportunity to elevate video games to become a first-tier form of entertainment, like TV. We will have succeeded when 'casual games' goes away as a category and 'hardcore games' is the niche."
--PlayFirst CEO John Welch at this years Game Developer’s Conference Casual Games Summit. (Via Gamespot.com)
While casual games have had some success in the past (such as EA’s The Sims franchise), it hasn’t been until recently that they have become fully “mainstream.” The primary facilitator of this new wave of gaming is the Nintendo Wii, which, through its pack-in title Wii Sports, has made gaming accessible to young and old alike. In addition, the positive media blitz that Nintendo has received has elevated the Wii’s status as not only an excellent casual gaming device, but as the must-have toy of the past two holiday seasons. With sales outperforming those of the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 every month since launch, the developers have taken notice of Nintendo’s little white box, and are shifting strategy to support the system. Mini game collections have been released by the boatload, leaving owners of the system who prefer more intricate games questioning if they should have purchased a 360 or PS3 instead.
However, both Sony and Microsoft have made in-roads in the casual games market. Microsoft has been touting the Xbox Live Arcade from day 1 of the 360’s launch, and a number of solid downloadable titles have been released. In addition, a key component of Microsoft’s Press Conference at the just completed GDC focused on the community developed XNA games, which are simpler games created by independent developers. Sony, on the other hand, is heavily promoting its upcoming customizable, side scrolling platformer Little Big Planet, and is developing its own downloadable content, led by Echocrome. It is clear that no one can afford to ignore casual gaming, although both Sony and Microsoft are still primarily focused on cultivating their hard-core audience.
In addition, there has been a growth in games that bridge the gap between the casual and hardcore audiences. Guitar Hero and Rock Band are instrumental in bringing these two distinct groups together. Rock Band is especially accessible, as hard and expert guitar and drums will provide a challenge to most avid gamers, while you can also usually get just about any girl at a party to pick up the mic and sing a few songs. The developers at Harmonix are very aware of the broad appeal of their game, as they have been releasing downloadable songs from bands like The Police and The Ramones that appeal to an older audience, while also unleashing the occasional chick rock track for the ladies. Another game with the potential to be appealing to all gamers is Spore. This giant upcoming game from the creators of The Sims promises immeasurable amounts of user created content along with varied gameplay that will hopefully provide something for everybody.A Hard To The Core Industry
While the case is compelling for casual games to one day rule the gaming world, there are a few simple reasons why this may never happen. One is that casual gamers tend to buy one or two games and play them for a long time, while the core gaming audience purchases many, many more. So far, no game has managed to captivate the audience that plays The Sims with a new franchise. Also the Xbox 360 has the highest attach rate of games purchased in history, while the Nintendo has struggled to sell additional software for the Wii. So while it may seem like there is this vast untapped audience of casual gamers out there, they may be just like MMO gamers and only play one or two games.
Hardcore gamers, on the other hand, buy games. Gears of War has sold over 4.5 million copies. Super Mario Galaxy has sold over 5 Million. Call of Duty 4 has sold over 7 million copies across all platforms. Resistance: Fall of Man and Motorstorm sold over 2 million. Halo 3 is over 8 million. Smaller games like Dead Rising, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and Crackdown all broke a million. And all of this has happened while the next-gen systems are still growing their install base. While a few casual games like Mario Party, Big Brain Academy and WarioWare: Smooth Moves have broken through with excellent sales figures, they are all first party Nintendo titles. So far, 3rd party publishers have not found a way to sell or market their games to casual gamers.Another issue is that at this current stage, many casual games just aren’t very good. While there have been numerous mini game collections released on the Wii since its launch, most of them are mediocre to bad. Just one look at the aggregate scores of Nintendo Wii games on Metacritic.com, and you will see that many developers have been looking to quickly cash in on the Wii craze. Thankfully most gamers are smart enough to do their homework on games or at least try before they buy. As time goes on, developers will figure out that if they are going to appeal to a casual market, they need to develop games that, while accessible, are just as well made and engaging as the top titles on the market today.
In the end, the hardcore audience is rabid, always seeking the next big game, while the casual audience is still finding its way. Some day, casual gamers might be clued in to the point where they are looking for the big game, but as that happens, there is also a good chance they will start looking for deeper, more challenging games (and hence become a little more ‘hardcore’).
Can We Be Friends?
In the end, it’s likely that both casual and hardcore gamers can peacefully coexist. There is still too much money to be made cranking out epic games like Final Fantasy and Metal Gear for that market to be ignored. At the same time, it is possible that some developers will shift their strategy to target newer, casual markets. In the long run, the emergence of casual gamers can only be good for the gaming industry, as it will bring in more fans, more money, and more talent to create great games. Besides, wouldn’t it be great if your parents understood what you are wasting all of your time doing?As gaming as an entertainment medium continues to grow, there may exist a future where the industry mirrors that of television and movies. Some games will be big budget summer blockbusters. Others will be indy sleeper hits. And others will fulfill the need of those who would rather just casually watch a romantic comedy.
Comment(s)
**Will be continued
Without games with such originality, we won't ever have any changes in our games, besides the occasional better graphics. With the NES, games were dirt cheap to develope and every single one was an original concept. You may not have heard of games like River City Ransom, or Freedom Force, but these games were definitely influential towards the games on the market today.
River City Ransom was the first free roaming game to my knowledge. You could use anything as a weapon, a garbage can, or even a park bench. This game laid the groundwork for Grand Theft Auto.
**Will be continued
Freedom Force was a shooting game which required the Zapper. This game was what started a game called Area-51, they have basically the same concept, besides the fact that in one you are shooting terrorists, and in the other you are shooting aliens. Then, these eventually spawned Time Crisis.
Without these two games, we would be missing out on some of the greatest games today. So, go out, and find all the new and original games you can, and support these amazing developers, because who knows... maybe the game you are buying now, could provide the base for the greatest game in history.
*End
excellent points.
There's a term in Psychology that gets used a lot and that term is "Eclectic". I'm sure you guys that are familiar with that term you may understand what I'm saying. I truly believe this is what's happening......
I think in some sense is a revolution where videogames are. I don't think is a matter of time of what to expect, but I do believe is a matter of time of what to project. Videogames not only relate to kids or adults but it also relates to education, learning, information, etc. Videogames explain why they are fun, but they also explain why they are very intuitive. Not only they are easy but they are challenging as well. And isn't that what games are about or life in general???? Challenges is what that is up ahead, but entertainment is what that is in ALL of us....
For the record my wife is in her mid 20's and could prolly kick the sheet outa some "hardcore" dudes' arses on Halo 3.
And as far as hardcore games go WTF? Since when did GTA become hardcore? I've prolly said this like a million times, but GTA sucks donkey. When little kids are just cruzin around and running over people or killing prosties. Thats not exactlly hardcore.
I remember a time when the (and still now) when the NES was the original hardcore system.
I'd like to see anybody try to beat Castlevania (original) from begining to end without wanting to cry out in agony.
Anyhow, this whole hardcore v. Casual thing is getting tired. Who really gives a rats A. I mean as long as I can still smoke you jokers in Halo or COD4 then who really cares if some 40 yearold is playing SuperPaper Mario.
At least we have a growing industry instead of a dying one. (egghmm *film and tv*)
I think that you've got the definition of hardcore gamer slightly confused. Hardcore gamers are not defined by the GENRE of games they play (shooters, RTS, MMO). Instead, what defines hardcore gamers is the amount of TIME they spend playing video games. Hardcore gamers simply play more than casual gamers. Of course, most of the hardcore gamers are men who have free time, leading to the stereotype you've tried to show. But somebody who plays Wii Sports night and day is also a hardcore gamer. Why is this "time" distinction important, you ask?
Therefore, I agree that casual games are necessary to bring more gamers into the industry. However, hardcore games will always exist and will always bring in more money because hardcore gamers are not going anywhere – and will only grow as casual Wii gamers mature into hardcore XBOX/PS3/PC gamers.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now that's the funniest quote in this comment, LOL!!!!!! I knew I had to come again for some reason.........
XBOX FANBOYS ARE NOOBS WHO LIKE TO BASH ON THE VETERAN SYSTEMS.
Nintendo and Sony were here before you Xbox. What gave you the right to say Nintendo is for little kids and Sony has no games, which obviously proves you know nothing about their games.
Sony hasn't even touched its catalog of games for the PS3 yet and you're running your mouths!
You're hardcore.
So in the end, its all good (in the hood).
You can only play one type of game for so long before getting bored. One of the reasons I am planning on getting a PS3 shortly. I love my 360, but I need some variety and I play games not systems. Most people are like that, gamer or not.
For example, when I think of a hardcore WoW player, it is someone who plays in nearly every moment of their spare time, as opposed to a casual WoW player who might play a few times a month.
Someone who spends time playing straight through a game like Mass Effect or Final Fantasy in marathon sessions, working to get every achievment, skipping meals, falling asleep while playing, and calling in sick to work...pretty hardcore.
You can arguably do the same thing with casual game titles, but I do recognize that narrative styles of some games has developed to help promote this type of hardcore gameplay.
do they play games every day about 3 hours or just casually on some weekend.
A person that plays halo or god of war casually on saturadys is a hardcore gamer?
I'm a hardcore gamer because I play all night when I have to go to work the next day. I'm obsessed with beating a game when I turn it on. No game is hardcore...Guitar Hero is a supposed party game for casual gamers until you set it to hard and it takes better hand eye than any FPS, RTS, MMO, or action/stealth game you can think of...the people that dedicate their time to master it are just as Hardcore as any other gamer. There is a sort of snobbery amongst the Hardcore that looks down on people and the games they play like if you play this you're not a gamer.
My point is a Gamer is someone who plays... Hardcore is someone who does it a lot and Casual is some who doesn't...The games they play are just that...games. Tetris and Pacman are simple but a person who takes the time to master them is just as Hardcore as any WoW geek or CoD4 addict as far as I see it
The casual market may grow, but I'm not sure that an equal percentage of casual games will follow. Like the article mentioned, many casual gamers only purchase a few games. Also, with the increase of people playing video games, some of the new people and casual players might find themselves crossing over to play some hardcore games or games that hardcore gamers also enjoy.
It's all going to come down to sales. As long as hardcore gamers continue to buy hardcore games, they will undoubtedly be made. If casual gamers increase, the number of casual games will increase. However, unless casual gamers become more of a "hardcore casual" breed and purchase more games, there will likely either be a casual market comprised mostly of alarge number of low risk budget games or a small number of big budget games to fight for the casual audience's attention. Hardcore gamers can be picky and unforgiving, but casual gamers can be unreliable.
I feel that gaming is just starting to really grow and I dont just mean financially.
GoW SKULL SMASHING FTW!!!
What the heck happened to Sega??? The mere fact that you left them out and put SONY in leads me to believe something.... but I'm not here to flame today.
Personally, I think the more casual gamers there are in the world, the better. "Hardcore" gamers will probably always be around, and for the most part, they are hardcore for life. And so those numbers only grow. The more overall gamers, harcore and casual alike, the more money coming into the industry. And I think that's the most important thing.
Hardcore gamer = someone who loves to play games, any game, and will not destroy someone elses opinion just to make themselves feel superior.
Casual gamer = someone who may like to play games (video or otherwise) but can take it or leave it depending on the weather.
Gaming snob = most of the people who tought one type of game over another just to try to prove that their sexual organs arent as small as they really are. Sadly, this is a lot of gamers...
If so, you're hardcore.......& going to get fired. lol
In the end, it really doesn't matter, at all
Forget it, wouldn't be as much fun since Sony's controller only senses tilting and not the "aimlessly flailing " feature required for 1/2 the Wii titles.
Casual vs Hardcore ? maybe pc owners who build their own computers for gaming are the real "Hardcore" gamers ? and the real real ones are the ones who seek out pirated versions and have to figure out how to crack a game to get said pirated game to work.
In my opinion, hardcore gaming means mouse, keyboard, railgun, and rocket jumps.
commenters are even worse, jeeze get a blog people.