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MladenL · 05-03-2010, 12:56 AM

I'd say you're correct, and not only that, for the first time ever, I've had non0gamer female friends approach me out of the blue asking for recommendations on classic-style pointandclick adventure games.

As far as I can tell, its not necessarily because of their retro nostalgia value, but more because of the gameplay and relaxed elements which set adventure games apart from all other game styles... They appeal to the non-gamer because the controls are easy and the game rules simple (as well as the unusual stories etc). No complex control systems or ultra dextrous fingers required, just a keen mind. And more importantly, because you can easily and quickly play them on a PC, which is the 'console' of choice for the non-gamer, the person who uses the computer only incidentally for gaming and won't spend money on a console.

A few of you have raised as the future of gaming, and specifically the path that adventure games should follow. And I whole-heartedly disagree.

Its easy with a niche market like gaming to get tunnel vision and see the newest xbox or playstation, with its high end graphics and big ultra-rendered games as the future of gaming. But what was the big seller with non-gamers? The Wii. What was the second-highest selling game on the Xbox live in 2008? Braid, a 2d style puzzle meets platform game with a unique premise and involving story.

As the opening post mentioned, Amanita design stated they were receiving emails from people aged 6 to 80, which you will absolutely NOT find happening with consoles, or most of the games found on them. There's something different in the pc game with its simple point and click which latched onto the imagination of the broader audience, more than any 3d game with ultra-real graphics ever could. Adventure games appeal to more than the niche gamer market, which is where I see their influx of attention coming from.

For those reasons I'd say adventure games are on the rise, and trying to change them to appeal to a console audience is going to alienate its biggest potential audience, the casual non-console pc gamers.

05-03-2010, 12:56 AM	#33
MladenL Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 10	I'd say you're correct, and not only that, for the first time ever, I've had non0gamer female friends approach me out of the blue asking for recommendations on classic-style pointandclick adventure games. As far as I can tell, its not necessarily because of their retro nostalgia value, but more because of the gameplay and relaxed elements which set adventure games apart from all other game styles... They appeal to the non-gamer because the controls are easy and the game rules simple (as well as the unusual stories etc). No complex control systems or ultra dextrous fingers required, just a keen mind. And more importantly, because you can easily and quickly play them on a PC, which is the 'console' of choice for the non-gamer, the person who uses the computer only incidentally for gaming and won't spend money on a console. A few of you have raised as the future of gaming, and specifically the path that adventure games should follow. And I whole-heartedly disagree. Its easy with a niche market like gaming to get tunnel vision and see the newest xbox or playstation, with its high end graphics and big ultra-rendered games as the future of gaming. But what was the big seller with non-gamers? The Wii. What was the second-highest selling game on the Xbox live in 2008? Braid, a 2d style puzzle meets platform game with a unique premise and involving story. As the opening post mentioned, Amanita design stated they were receiving emails from people aged 6 to 80, which you will absolutely NOT find happening with consoles, or most of the games found on them. There's something different in the pc game with its simple point and click which latched onto the imagination of the broader audience, more than any 3d game with ultra-real graphics ever could. Adventure games appeal to more than the niche gamer market, which is where I see their influx of attention coming from. For those reasons I'd say adventure games are on the rise, and trying to change them to appeal to a console audience is going to alienate its biggest potential audience, the casual non-console pc gamers.