3 ms·

Actually Animal Crossing removes the element of failure deliberately to provide a soothing, un-stressful experience. There isn’t even a counter for how many bug

Actually Animal Crossing removes the element of failure deliberately to provide a soothing, un-stressful experience. There isn’t even a counter for how many bugs and fishes you still could catch in the current season. There was a thread recently here about the associated genre Iyashikei. The success of this game should be quite interesting for video game makers who traditionally address and compete for a very narrow market.

vorpalhex 6y ago
Games like Stardew hit this note too. What many so-called "casual"[^1] gamers are after isn't less game but a game that is more focused on having an experience and experiencing things. [^1]: The casual/hardcore gamer distinction is a really weird dichotomy that doesn't make any sense because there's probably a set of axis akin to Bartlet types that more accurately describes videogame consumption
- DanielleMolloy 6y ago
  Also, both Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley are much deeper and richer games (i.e. not “casual”) than your latest graphics whore zombie shooter. Video game companies should pay attention to the success of these, and also many interactive indie experiences like Firewatch in recent times. Maybe we should find a different description for them than “game” which tends to indicate competitive elements and does not describe sandboxes or interactive narration / exploration very well. Unsure what to call them but people definitely crave them.
  - NoodleIncident 6y ago
    > Also, both Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley are much deeper and richer games (i.e. not “casual”) than your latest graphics whore zombie shooter. I'm not sure how I feel about this statement in general, but I find it funny that the actual latest "graphics whore zombie shooter" happens to be Doom Eternal, which has its own depth and richness that elevates it above the mainstream FPS games you're referring to.

vorpalhex 6y ago

Games like Stardew hit this note too. What many so-called "casual"[^1] gamers are after isn't less game but a game that is more focused on having an experience and experiencing things. [^1]: The casual/hardcore gamer distinction is a really weird dichotomy that doesn't make any sense because there's probably a set of axis akin to Bartlet types that more accurately describes videogame consumption

DanielleMolloy 6y ago
Also, both Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley are much deeper and richer games (i.e. not “casual”) than your latest graphics whore zombie shooter. Video game companies should pay attention to the success of these, and also many interactive indie experiences like Firewatch in recent times. Maybe we should find a different description for them than “game” which tends to indicate competitive elements and does not describe sandboxes or interactive narration / exploration very well. Unsure what to call them but people definitely crave them.
- NoodleIncident 6y ago
  > Also, both Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley are much deeper and richer games (i.e. not “casual”) than your latest graphics whore zombie shooter. I'm not sure how I feel about this statement in general, but I find it funny that the actual latest "graphics whore zombie shooter" happens to be Doom Eternal, which has its own depth and richness that elevates it above the mainstream FPS games you're referring to.