[casual_games] [design]Geometry Wars

[Josh Lee]

The disjointed difficulty curve and large time investment in Geometry  
Wars are largely due to the fact that it is an explicit throwback to  
early arcade games, and carries with it all the quarter-gobbling  
strategies that those games were designed with (despite the absence  
of any actual quarters).

The thing with XBLA is that its user base is a subset of those who  
own XBoxes, and the people who own XBoxes tend to skew towards the  
"hardcore" end of the gameplaying spectrum. (While moms buying games  
for their kids don't often use the term, a lot of console owners who  
buy games for themselves will happily self-identify as such.) This  
audience may be less intimidated by high barriers to achievement than  
the people we usually think of as being the audience for "casual games."

-jl





On Dec 6, 2006, at 6:06 PM, Joe Pantuso wrote:


> I agree, the semantic discussion over whether casual refers to the  

> game, the player or the commitment isn't very useful.  Besides  

> which, it doesn't seem that 'casual' has caught on with users  

> anyway, any more than 'hard core' has.  Any moms out there shopping  

> for games for their 'hard core' game playing kids for xmas?  Didnt'  

> think so.

>

> I do like the term 'pick up and play' which we've taken to using.   

> I'm not sure where that originated but it is a good description for  

> a large part of what the casual term was trying to describe, even  

> if it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue...

>

>

> On 12/6/06, Tim Turner <tturner at cmpgames.com> wrote:

> I think we need to stop trying to massage the term "casual games"  

> into a serviceable catch all.  The business that is now "casual  

> games" was once "puzzle games" and instead of adding genre titles  

> we attempted to create this umbrella term.  As our sophistication  

> level increases doesn't it makes sense to add classifications not  

> increase the level of abstraction?

>

>

> I think Adam makes a good point.  GW's design implementation makes  

> it a "console based action casual" game and that needs to be held  

> in mind when comparing it to "casual downloadable PC puzzle" games.

>

>

>

>

> From: casual_games-bounces at igda.org [mailto:casual_games- 

> bounces at igda.org] On Behalf Of Robert Headley

> Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2006 11:34 AM

> To: IGDA Casual Games SIG Mailing List

> Subject: Re: [casual_games] [design]Geometry Wars

>

>

> Retail games that sell at a bargain price due to age, do not count.

> Geometry Wars takes very little time to learn how to play. If you  

> can say it takes any time at all. Its very intuitive, like many  

> casual games.

>

> Just because it is hard, does not mean it is not a casual game.  

> There are many skill based casual games.

>

> Many people spend more time playing casual games, than "hardcore"  

> games. So that does not eliminate it from casual gaming either.

>

> On 12/6/06, Adam Martin < adam.m.s.martin at googlemail.com> wrote:

>

> Precisely: this game requires a substantial investment of time before

> you can even start playing the "real" game.

>

> It is also almost impossible to play the main game using most of the

> tactics that work in the pregame (google for "geometry wars tips" to

> see the legions of people struggling to get beyond the same barrier of

> 50-100k points).

>

> So it fails on each of your criteria save cost - and yet most popular

> games become available at similar cost on budget labels sooner or

> later, so that clearly does not on its own point to a good casual

> game.

>

> On 06/12/06, Robert Headley < Rheadley at op-games.com> wrote:

> > I dont think the core definition of Casual games, is that they  

> are easy. It

> > can mean several things tho,

> >

> > Casual commitment - you don't have to play for a long time to derive

> > enjoyment from the game

> > Casual gameplay mechanics - anyone can pick the game up and play  

> it with

> > little knowledge of the game

> > Casual Investment - ties in with commitment. The game generally  

> does not

> > cost much so is a good impulse buy.

> >

> > I think that Geometry wars falls in with these nicely.

> >

> > On 12/6/06, Adam Martin < adam.m.s.martin at googlemail.com> wrote:

> > >

> > > I'm sorry for being late to the party, but its only in the last  

> few

> > > months that I've simultaneously had the 360 at home, a live  

> account,

> > > and the spare time to play GW Evolved...

> > >

> > > I love the game, and as the cheerleader for XBLA for a long  

> time it's

> > > become widely associated with Casual Games.

> > >

> > > But, after a few weeks and with Pacificism and the

> > > 250k-points-without-dieing achievements done, I found the game

> > > extremely time consuming and found myself having to overcome an

> > > inertia when it comes to starting to play.

> > >

> > > After a week, I realised why: the game starts with one minute  

> where

> > > *nothing happens*. It is then followed by a further 30 secs to a

> > > minute where you have a uniquely useless weapon and you can't  

> play the

> > > game properly. (for the next N hours of gameplay you always  

> have one

> > > of two weapons which enforce very different game play strategy  

> to the

> > > original one.

> > >

> > > Yet, if you die in this few minutes, you might as well start again

> > > from scratch, because your multiplier will be killed, and your  

> chances

> > > of surviving to the first bonus life and first bonus smartbomb  

> drop

> > > consuderably.

> > >

> > > So, it was taking an average of around five to ten minutes  

> before I

> > > got into the main game - and that time was spent in boring  

> wandering

> > > around the screen with very little to do.

> > >

> > > This is how it sucked up so much time, and why the enjoyment felt

> > > after an hour seemed pretty paltry.

> > >

> > > AFAICS, the main reason for this is to take a very hard game  

> and give

> > > casual games players a couple of minutes of easy gameplay, whilst

> > > keeping hardcore gamers on their toes by forcing them to "turn  

> on" -

> > > and turn off - their play strategies and patterns, without having

> > > separate difficulty levels. Since this game is so fast and hectic,

> > > very twitchy, the on/off process is non trivial (and in a house of

> > > professional game developers, with a xouple of very hardcore FPS

> > > players, *everyone* dies inthe first two minutes quite often,  

> not just

> > > me!)

> > >

> > > But it seems to me the antitjesis of core casual game design. Yet,

> > > clearly, it is a substantial part of the game experience,  

> attested by

> > > the number of deaths in that stage in our house. Just... it  

> *seems* to

> > > me to be a wholly negative part.

> > >

> > > So...is it integral to the game, or is it something that  

> detracts from the

> > > casual gameplay? I can't decide :), but givien the wide  

> popularity and

> > > recognition, thought it an interesting example.

> > >

> > > FWLIW, I know that my own understanding and effectiveness at  

> casual

> > > game design increased a lot as Casual Games gained recognition and

> > > became more analysed and more clearly defined and better  

> understood.

> > > GW predates most of thus, so I wonder whether the authors would  

> design

> > > it the same way now if doing it again?

> > >

> > > dam

> > > So...

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