What are you playing?

[Otohiko]

Here's a kind of odd question - and at the risk of sounding like an elitist - is genre preference a cultural/sub-cultural/socioeconomic/age-related thing, or am I just grossly out of step with everyone?

I find it kinda peculiar that most of my peers in North America whom I'd want to have any association with (and many AMVers fall under that category) have the exact same set of favorite game genres: arcade (I put Guitar Hero and DDR under this grouping), hack-and-slash RPGs (I put Blizzard's Diablo and MMORPGs in this category), JRPG, shooters, light strategy. There is also a hugely noticable lean towards consoles over PC games.

As soon as I go to Russia for example, while a lot of the same genres ARE popular too, but alongside them strategy games and simulations, for example, are VERY big, and consoles are mostly sneered at in favour of PC. Meanwhile if I go to find consolation in simmers' communities - it doesn't matter where people are from, they obviously prefer these types of games and they likewise sneer at consoles. But, from my observation, the average age of those types of gamers is about 35.

Not that I have anything against the typical games here, just wondering what's up, and how come I'm clearly so out there? Did I miss something in these games, or am I just weird like that?

[Minion]

im playing ff12 at home and FEAR at work

[NeoQuixotic]

Right now for PC I'm playing Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion for the 3rd time (with the new expansion pack and add-ons now) and FlatOut 2. Everything else I'm playing on my Wii ! I'm playing Excite Truck, Far Cry: Vengeance, and of course Zelda: Twilight Princess.

[GloryQuestor]

Since I have an older computer, I haven't been playing anything modern on it. However, I do enjoy a game of Zuma or Bejeweled 2 to pass the time. For other games: UT2k4, Neverwinter Nights Diamond, and three tall stacks of CDs full of old classics (and not so classic) PC games I still need to go through and finish.

Console-wise, I'm working to finish Dirge of Cerberus, Final Fantasy III, and Chrono Cross' New Game + mode.

[Moonlight Soldier]

Not that I have anything against the typical games here, just wondering what's up, and how come I'm clearly so out there? Did I miss something in these games, or am I just weird like that?

Well, you'd have to give me some examples when you say strategy and sim. But, I play a lot of what I'd consider strategy games, (IE: Age of Empires, Ogre Battle, etc).

The only games I'll play on my PC are AoE and Gunbound. I have CSS, but my computer has a heart attack every time I play it.

I think a lot of North American games are sold on hype and brand recognition.

I'll never pick a console based on things criteria such as graphics capabilities. I wait to see if there's enough games I know I want to play that get released for it. (IE: my shiny new DS lite.)

Hell, my SNES is still hooked up so I can play games such as Seventh Saga and whatnot.

And right now I'm playing FFIII for DS. Soon to be followed with Mage Knight Destiny's Soldier.

[GloryQuestor]

I think a lot of North American games are sold on hype and brand recognition.

While there are some innovative games in the overall market, too many American software companies are less likely to try new things and work more on "hype and brand recognition" games, solely because it's those games that pay the monthly bills.

Electronic Arts is particularly guilty of it. Even though they were founded on innovative ideas and catering to the designer, they are currently in the mode of "Why should they put money into these 'risky ventures' when Madden etc. is keeping us flush with money every year?"

[starcat09]

I think a lot of North American games are sold on hype and brand recognition.

While there are some innovative games in the overall market, too many American software companies are less likely to try new things and work more on "hype and brand recognition" games, solely because it's those games that pay the monthly bills.

There are too many games that just don't get recognized. While I do admit to liking brand recognition, I like innovative games, too. Phoenix Wright managed to be a pretty decent-sized hit. Actually, the DS seems to have a lot of games that have unusual concepts...hmm. Maybe the hardware has a connection.

Then again, a lot of those games were in Japanese first.

[Otohiko]

Well, you'd have to give me some examples when you say strategy and sim. But, I play a lot of what I'd consider strategy games, (IE: Age of Empires, Ogre Battle, etc).

See, that's why I was afraid of getting into this discussion, for fear of sounding like an elitist

I'll say I don't want to do that because my list will have titles that will immediately smack of elitism.

I'd put it this way - there is a gradient of things in any genre, because as we all know there's actually no such thing as 'perfect genre fit'. There is a HUGE market for RTS (real time strategy) in North America for example, but I'd class most of those as fairly light titles (doesn't mean easy - just less technical).

There's a lot of nuances in strategy, but the main difference is the technical depth (and sometimes realism). I sure as heck know that people who casually want to play something prettier than chess don't want to play War in the Pacific (a single game of which can take months), but I am surprised that very few people (of the groups I am referring to), especially those who play lotsa games, poke beyond the surface so to speak.

Another point is attitude towards gaming I think. There are a lot of people around me whom I would not call casual gamers, and yet they keep playing what I'd consider casual-oriented games. I'm not surprised that someone who wants to conquer some landz before lunch is best-advised playing Age of Empires. I am surprised that people who engage in the more prolonged terms of escapism rarely lean to more complex and realistic titles.

In other words there's a certain barrier people don't want to cross, and I think that barrier is called 'geek'. Unfortunately even the self-confessed geeks don't want to for some reason

Or maybe it is just marketing?

[Fall_Child42]

Well I actually have been playing on the console Far before we had a computer to play games on, so that is my reason why i have such love for the consoles As for game types for my it's all wrong.

I'm a big fan of 2-D fighting games direct competition and skill (SF-III is sadly still the best out there (Shut up decoy) and yess GG- is very good too)

Puzzle games, always loved them always will,

Platformers, they dont make these very much anymore...no everythings gotta be 3-D and Fancy Woooo...bastards.

RPGs I've only been getting into them in the last few years my friend has always been the RPG guy, but they didn't satisfy my need for action and blood lust when i was younger. but now i still find the onld ones far superior to the ones Squeenix is pushing on us now.

Treasure and working designs are gone ... Nippon Ichi is our only hope.
Final Fantasy X-2 FUCK YOU SQUENIX

as for the PC - Console devide i find it pretty even among the game playing friends i have - many play PC shooters and etc, but not the console as often I play Computer games but console much more often (mainly because my PC game playing friends rape me in any PC game we play :O)

so

In conclusion.

SHORYUKEN.

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(As a side question, has anyone here actually beaten Phantasy Star II? Man that game was hard.[/b]

[Moonlight Soldier]

Well, you'd have to give me some examples when you say strategy and sim. But, I play a lot of what I'd consider strategy games, (IE: Age of Empires, Ogre Battle, etc).

Yammer yammer yammer

Oh just give me an example. Elitism doesn't phase me.