• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Using games like Tearaway and Flower to get the casual crowd instead of Candy Crush

S

sn00zer

Member
I found some of the best games to get people who dont get people to play arent IOS games (people do love those) but games that dont follow the standard FPS/platformer/action genre tropes. Ive gotten people who HATE games to play through Portal and LBP and have fun the whole time. Got my dad to play through the first 2 episodes of Walking Dead which is pretty crazy after pretty much a 5 year gaming hiatus.I think the casual crowd is smarter than publishers believe. While they will lap up IOS games like its nobodies business, but if they are exposed to some of the recent non-traditional games they will lap it up just as easily.

I have 0 idea on how to market these games to the casual crowd. A lot of these games are hard to show off unless you actually put a controller in someone's hand. And most people who look at Tearaway will say it looks like a kids game (which it is).

Maybe putting these sort of nontraditional games in demo kiosks instead of the next big game, because most people passing by a demo kiosk will either
A. Already know what game is playing and not be any more informed if they hadnt passed by the kiosk
B. Not know what the game is and doesnt care

Why not us a game like flower to demo HD TVs instead of Avatar will at the very least get people to pick up a controller. Or maybe putting Portal as preinstalled software instead of the god awful multitude of antivirus software. Or for all those Walking Dead DVDs sold give a voucher for the first episode of the game.

I think the casual market isnt just for IOS anymore, we just need to put more controllers in people's hands with more nontraditional games instead of wondering why mom/dad dont want to play Uncharted or Dead Rising.
 
B

B-Genius

Unconfirmed Member
We should do as you say. The idea of using Flower to advertise an HDTV is a good'n.

I mean, the music alone in Candy Crush is soul destroying. We shouldn't be ruining peoples' minds with this and giving them the impression that there's no alternative.

I approached Tearaway like a kid at Christmas, with arms wide and a stupid grin. My wife initially approached it with the same cautious optimism you'd give a white tiger cub. (Don't worry, she's still playing it). The casual crowd is definitely smarter than people think.
 
L

LegoArmo

Member
I've seen Flower mesmerise people who've never played a game before in their life. They wouldn't give me the controller back.
 
stuminus3

stuminus3

Member
The people you guys are talking about know there's alternatives. They just don't care. It's the same with any form of entertainment.
 
S

sn00zer

Member
stuminus3 said:
The people you guys are talking about know there's alternatives. They just don't care. It's the same with any form of entertainment.
Click to expand...

Eh I would compare it to people trying foods...they dont know they like Thai food, but they arent going to go out of their way to try it, they would need someone to bring them to a Thai restaurant and show them what to order, and damn if that isnt some good pad thai that they may come back again on their own to get some more.
 
F

flabberghastly

Member
Barkley's Justice said:
The medium is the difference. Phone vs dedicated console. Facebook game vs dedicated console. etc
Click to expand...
Precisely. This audience is much less likely to purchase hardware specifically for the purpose of gaming. They play games on iOS and Facebook because they already have iOS and Facebook.

I've used games like LBP and Flower to entice my fiancée into gaming, but she would never buy a dedicated gaming device. She loves Animal Crossing: New Leaf for example, but she even refuses to let me get her a 3DS for the purpose of playing it; she's content simply playing on mine.

That isn't to say a device or game can't become trendy enough for people to rush out and purchase systems like this. One need look no further than the appeal of the Wii to see that it is possible, but it's hard to achieve and even harder to replicate.
 
A

Afrodium

Banned
Can we stop acting like people who like iOS games are some heathens that need to be shown the light? Like it or not, Candy Crush is just as much a video game as Dark Souls, hell, most mobile games are pure gameplay, something that can't be said of games like Uncharted.

Some people play different games than us. It's not a big deal, and "hardcore gamers" who would never go near a game like Just Dance are no different that a "casual" who has no interest in Mass Effect.
 
B

B-Genius

Unconfirmed Member
User33 said:
It's cheerful!
Click to expand...

Ohh it's like a horrendous circus nightmare where everything is warped in slow-motion and you move as if suspended in treacle!

Afrodium said:
Can we stop acting like people who like iOS games are some heathens that need to be shown the light? Like it or not, Candy Crush is just as much a video game as Dark Souls, hell, most mobile games are pure gameplay, something that can't be said of games like Uncharted.

Some people play different games than us. It's not a big deal, and "hardcore gamers" who would never go near a game like Just Dance are no different that a "casual" who has no interest in Mass Effect.
Click to expand...

I think the point the OP was trying to make is that there are better "casual" games we can ween others on to. That is, if the objective is to get people we know and care about to take an interest in a wider range of games.

No one's suggesting people who solely play iOS games are heathens, and no one really mentioned "hardcore" until you started throwing around the likes of Dark Souls and Mass Effect.

I'll play an iOS game if it's decent. Been going through another Bejeweled clone called Jewel Mania, which does everything better than Candy Crush. There are plenty of games out there that can scratch the casual itch just as much as the hardcore one; it'd just be nice if we had better ways to show people what they're missing out on. As others have pointed out, they're confined to Facebook and other ecosystems, and will normally just latch on to what their friends are playing (good or bad).
 
D

drproton

Member
Afrodium said:
Candy Crush is just as much a video game as Dark Souls
Click to expand...

Candy Crush is a skinner box, not a video game.

This kind of argument is intellectually dishonest, and irritating to see coming even from enthusiast gamers. Equating mobile and social games to video games is like equating a late night infomercial to a feature film. The medium may be the same but the content is completely different.
 
Brofist

Brofist

Member
People play the iOS stuff because they are already carrying around their iPhones. They won't buy a $400 box to play those games.
 
Z

ZealousMonkey

Banned
I honestly think they should market Flower on PS4 a bit more.... same as the others mentioned. They can attract an audience that doesn't want to shoot bang people all day.

But they will need some other incentives as well.
 
K

kinoki

Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey.
drproton said:
Candy Crush is a skinner box, not a video game.

This kind of argument is intellectually dishonest, and irritating to see coming even from enthusiast gamers. Equating mobile and social games to video games is like equating a late night infomercial to a feature film. The medium may be the same but the content is completely different.
Click to expand...

Can you make a game out of a Skinner's box? Or is that impossible?

And your metaphor is off. Console games may like wholesome "safe" brown games like Call of Duty might be considered feature films and the disturbing "unsafe" colorful games like Candy Crush might be infomercials but they're both part of the same medium. Video games. Or games that happen to be played on a digital device.
 
O

Orayn

Member
drproton said:
Candy Crush is a skinner box, not a video game.

This kind of argument is intellectually dishonest, and irritating to see coming even from enthusiast gamers. Equating mobile and social games to video games is like equating a late night infomercial to a feature film. The medium may be the same but the content is completely different.
Click to expand...

Video game mechanics are a compulsion loop. They can offer more than that, or offer it with a less exploitative business model, but that's still what they offer.
 
A

Afrodium

Banned
B-Genius said:
Ohh it's like a horrendous circus nightmare where everything is warped in slow-motion and you move as if suspended in treacle!



I think the point the OP was trying to make is that there are better "casual" games we can ween others on to. That is, if the objective is to get people we know and care about to take an interest in a wider range of games.

No one's suggesting people who solely play iOS games are heathens, and no one really mentioned "hardcore" until you started throwing around the likes of Dark Souls and Mass Effect.

I'll play an iOS game if it's decent. Been going through another Bejeweled clone called Jewel Mania, which does everything better than Candy Crush. There are plenty of games out there that can scratch the casual itch just as much as the hardcore one; it'd just be nice if we had better ways to show people what they're missing out on. As others have pointed out, they're confined to Facebook and other ecosystems, and will normally just latch on to what their friends are playing (good or bad).
Click to expand...

I apologize if I reacted a bit strongly to the OP. I just get rubbed the wrong way by the assumption that someone who plays iOS and Facebook games must be shown the light. I'm all for expanding people's minds and introducing them to more robust experiences, but doing so with the mindset that the games a "casual gamer" is currently playing are somehow less worthy than games that have been embraced by enthusiasts is pigheaded. It's like getting mad at a Miley Cyrus fan for not liking Radiohead. Is one artist putting out better work than the other? Probably, but getting worked up over the fact that someone likes something you deem subpar is obnoxious.

And for the record, Dark Souls is a much more substantial game than Candy Crush, and has a hell of a lot more artistry and thought put into it, but that doesn't mean that Candy Crush is not also a video game. If someone prefers Candy Crush to Dark Souls, that's fine.
 
S

sn00zer

Member
Afrodium said:
I apologize if I reacted a bit strongly to the OP. I just get rubbed the wrong way by the assumption that someone who plays iOS and Facebook games must be shown the light. I'm all for expanding people's minds and introducing them to more robust experiences, but doing so with the mindset that the games a "casual gamer" is currently playing are somehow less worthy than games that have been embraced by enthusiasts is pigheaded. It's like getting mad at a Miley Cyrus fan for not liking Radiohead. Is one artist putting out better work than the other? Probably, but getting worked up over the fact that someone likes something you deem subpar is obnoxious.

And for the record, Dark Souls is a much more substantial game than Candy Crush, and has a hell of a lot more artistry and thought put into it, but that doesn't mean that Candy Crush is not also a video game. If someone prefers Candy Crush to Dark Souls, that's fine.
Click to expand...

DIdnt mean to be "look at those lowly peasants" I just meant that companies are sort of concentrated on giving these bite sized monetized very specific types of games. I think instead publishers can actually produce and market many genres of games to the general public beyond IOS games and the public will be receptive to it.
Honestly Im big on finding games for everyone based on their personal tastes in other stuff. Kind of like being really into movies and showing people your favorite movies that they may not have seen.
 
C

cuyahoga

Dudebro, My Shit is Fucked Up So I Got to Shoot/Slice You II: It's Straight-Up Dawg Time
sn00zer said:
Or for all those Walking Dead DVDs sold give a voucher for the first episode of the game.
Click to expand...
Telltale's license is not the same as AMC's license, and AMC has zero interest in promoting Telltale's games AFAIK.

I think the idea of using Flower to demo HDTVs is solid as something to catch people's eyes, but catching people's eyes is an entirely different matter from selling PS3s, which it probably won't do. Sony should release Fl0wer for iOS if they really wanted to reach casuals and sell a lot of copies, but they probably are too conservative to do that, even though mobile would not really compromise the controls.

Most people are content with Candy Crush and the like, and don't really care much too look beyond.
 
A

Afrodium

Banned
sn00zer said:
DIdnt mean to be "look at those lowly peasants" I just meant that companies are sort of concentrated on giving these bite sized monetized very specific types of games. I think instead publishers can actually produce and market many genres of games to the general public beyond IOS games and the public will be receptive to it.
Honestly Im big on finding games for everyone based on their personal tastes in other stuff. Kind of like being really into movies and showing people your favorite movies that they may not have seen.
Click to expand...

I may have flown off the handle a bit. I see what you're getting at and I agree that if someone is receptive to it then by all means we, as enthusiasts, should introduce them to fun games that they may not know exist. We're good.
 
S

SneakyStephan

Banned
patapon on psp was also a good game for non gamers
Used to have random people on the bus ask if they could try it (lol) and my mother who never plays games and initially scoffed at the odd japanese style music when she heard me play it ended up playing it for several hours
 
S

sn00zer

Member
Afrodium said:
I may have flown off the handle a bit. I see what you're getting at and I agree that if someone is receptive to it then by all means we, as enthusiasts, should introduce them to fun games that they may not know exist. We're good.
Click to expand...

We cool ....bro five

SneakyStephan said:
patapon on psp was also a good game for non gamers
Used to have random people on the bus ask if they could try it (lol) and my mother who never plays games and initially scoffed at the odd japanese style music when she heard me play it ended up playing it for several hours
Click to expand...

I think the immediate gameplay is great, but I struggled a lot with the grinding and crafting system...... but yeah I think people are intrigued by things they havent seen before...like the cutesy characters and music...as long as there is no risk to them (money) then I think a lot of people wouldnt mind trying more games...

in other news they should bring back the demo disc in some form....maybe not even a demo disce per se but packing in a bluray with Sony Tvs that has 1080p trailers for unique games
 
B

B-Genius

Unconfirmed Member
Afrodium said:
And for the record, Dark Souls is a much more substantial game than Candy Crush
Click to expand...

Phew, glad we got that one cleared up!
You're cool, polar bear.

I guess it's all about the risk/investment thing. As sn00zer rightly points out, the majority of iOS games are free and easily accessible. There's both zero initial and longterm investment. And as you say, while they're still valid games, there's usually not an enormous effort/investment on the creative side either.

It's probably for this reason that a lot of game enthusiasts get worked up. Why should they make something from nothing? Why should they enjoy something so primitive and soulless? There's a big rift that's formed between "casuals" and enthusiasts as of late, and this thread could offer some good ideas on how to cross/seal it.
 
E

Elvick

Banned
Well duh.

Problem is it's easier to get casuals to know what a 'meh' mobile game is, since it's mentioned all over the place in pop culture. Celebs talk about playing Candy Crush, it's talked about on talk shows, Angry Birds is all over the place (has candy, a movie coming, etc.)...

It's all about exposure.

Casuals don't know the diversity that console (and handheld) gaming offers. They don't even really know the diversity of mobile gaming either.

Most casuals just see consoles as things you play games like GTA, Call of Duty, Madden, etc. on. With some Mario and "Pikachu" on Nintendo systems.

Showing them games that break the mold, opens their mind up to what gaming is all about.
 
D

Dead Man

Member
stuminus3 said:
The people you guys are talking about know there's alternatives. They just don't care. It's the same with any form of entertainment.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. My ex said she hated all video games. Then I showed her Flower and LBP. I lost my PS3 for a month.
 
E

Elvick

Banned
cuyahoga said:
Telltale's license is not the same as AMC's license, and AMC has zero interest in promoting Telltale's games AFAIK.

I think the idea of using Flower to demo HDTVs is solid as something to catch people's eyes, but catching people's eyes is an entirely different matter from selling PS3s, which it probably won't do. Sony should release Fl0wer for iOS if they really wanted to reach casuals and sell a lot of copies, but they probably are too conservative to do that, even though mobile would not really compromise the controls.

Most people are content with Candy Crush and the like, and don't really care much too look beyond.
Click to expand...
The PS Vita version proves that it does compromise the controls, while it's "fine" and "nice" to have portable. Tilting the entire screen to control the game is awkward at best. Disorienting as well.

The touch controls are terrible too.

And it's not 'Fl0wer' or 'FlOwer' as I've seen some people do it... it's just Flower. Just because flOw is stylized, doesn't mean Flower is.

And those people you mention don't "look beyond" because they have no idea it's worth it to.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Gaming from a perspective of a 9yo whom gaming life I've possibly ruined
Social Cringe 2 3
105
7K
newtypepilot replied
i wish we could get some games with complex stories like Tenet , inception , dune
2 3 4
155
7K
Pagusas replied
  • Poll
Rate The Game Awards 2023
News 2 3
107
6K
Shakka43 replied
I am a 'Filthy Casual' - welcome to my meltdown my fellow potatoes
2 3 4 5 6
250
16K
Putonahappyface replied
  • Locked
Resident Evil 4 aged like milk and plays like trash
Cringe 4 5 6 7 8
361
26K
German Hops replied
Top Bottom